Hidden Music: The Life of Fanny Mendelssohn

Kamen, Gloria

ISBN 10: 068931714X ISBN 13: 9780689317149

Publisher: Atheneum, 1996

Synopsis

A profile of the famous musician's highly talented yet largely unnoticed sister explains the difficulties faced by nineteenth-century women in pursuing career goals and describes Fanny's achievements despite hard obstacles.

About this title

From Booklist:

Gr. 4^-6. The older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny was an accomplished musician and composer in her own right. However, born to a wealthy family in nineteenth-century Germany, she found it impossible to pursue a career in music. Instead, the dutiful wife and mother watched her brother grow away from her as he achieved fame, and she struggled to continue writing and performing, eventually publishing some of her music. The many quotations from letters give Fanny a voice: "If only once I could have as many rehearsals as I wanted! I really believe I have the talent for working out pieces and making the interpretation clear to people. But oh, the dilettantes." The epilogue introduces 14 women who have composed or conducted music since Fanny Mendelssohn's death in 1847. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations (not seen) by Kamen will appear in the finished book. Carolyn Phelan

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 068931714X
• ISBN 13: 9780689317149
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 82