Songs of Fanny Hensel

Fanny Hensel created some of the most imaginative and original music of her era making her arguably the most gifted female composer of the nineteenth century. While Hensel has finally stepped out of the shadow of her famous brother Felix Mendelssohn as scholars have begun to study her life and writings her music has remained surprisingly underexamined. This collection places Hensel's music at the center focusing on the genre that not only made up more than half of her creative output but also as Hensel herself put it suits her best: song. <p/>In eleven new essays leading scholars in the fields of music theory and musicology consider Hensel's songs from a wide range of angles covering topics such as Hensel's fascination with particular poets and poetic themes; her innovative harmonic melodic rhythmic and textual strategies; and her connection to larger literary and musical trends. The chapters also provide insight into Hensel's efforts to break free from the constraints placed on her as a woman and her place in the larger history of the nineteenth-century Lied. Drawing on diverse biographical historical cultural and musical contexts for their detailed discussions of Hensel's songs the authors underline Hensel's historical importance and deepen our understanding and appreciation of her compositions. This volume in short finally gives Fanny Hensel and her songs the stage that they deserve.<br>