Duette: Mein Liebchen, wir sassen beisammen (Duet: My Sweetheart, We Sat Together)
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Wilhelm Hensel
1841

Creator Bio
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Fanny Hensel, the granddaughter of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and financier Daniel Itzig, and sister of the composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, was born in Hamburg into a wealthy family. A composer of numerous songs, piano compositions, cantatas, and other musical works, Hensel was pressured by her brother Felix (who claimed sole title to many of her works) and the general social attitude not to publish her music. She was married to the painter Wilhelm Hensel.
Creator Bio
Wilhelm Hensel
Born in the German town of Trebbin, the artist Wilhelm Hensel was the son of a Protestant preacher, brother of the poet Luise Hensel, and husband of the composer Fanny Mendelsson Hensel. Hensel painted and drew many portraits, eventually becoming the royal court painter in Berlin. He was also a writer and poet, and Fanny set some of his poetry to music. Wilhelm, in turn, illustrated the sheet music for some of Fanny’s compositions.
Related Guide
Music and Opera in Jewish Culture, 1750–1880
One of the most striking changes in European Jewish culture toward the later eighteenth century was marked by the entry of Jews into art music, opera houses, and the stage.