Manuel Walser reviews
Fanny Mendelssohn's Complete Songs, Vol. 3, with Susana Gaspar and Kitty Whately
It’s time to stop pigeonholing Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn) as a female composer. Felix Mendelssohn’s older sister, who died tragically aged 42, was never demurely feminine, nor predictable – she was simply a genius. Singers, pianists, teachers – get hold of the scores you can find! Too much of her music is sitting unpublished in libraries, and I hope this recording helps change that.