Le monde de Fanny Hensel, musicienne berlinoise au XIXème siècle

Fanny Hensel, a musician in Berlin during the 19th century

• Auteur / Autrice : Françoise Tillard
• Direction : Erika Tunner
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Études germaniques
• Date : Soutenance en 1992
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 12

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Hensel, Fanny (1805-1847)

Vie musicale

Résumé

Comme son frere cadet le compositeur felix mendelssohn bartholdy, fanny (18051847) est issue d'une famille de banquiers berlinois. Elle est aussi la petite fille du philosophe juif allemand moses mendelssohn. Aussi douee pour la musique que son frere - c'etait l'opinion de goethe - elle recut la meme education et devint une remarquable pianiste et une authentique compositrice. A l'adolescence, il lui fut signifie que le destin d'une femme etait de s'occuper de sa maison. Elle epousa le peintre de cour wilhelm hensel, un excellent portraitiste, et en eut un fils, sebastian. Malgre la tristesse de voir son talent etouffe, elle continua a composer - principalement des lieder - et a organiser dans son salon des concerts qui, bien que prives, devinrent des evenements berlinois. Lors d'un voyage en italie , elle fut tres encouragee par les artistes de la villa medicis dont elle fit la connaissance a rome. Gounod surtout, a qui elle fit decouvrir la musique pour piano de bach, beethoven et mendelssohn , lui voua une admiration qui lui fit prendre conscience de sa propre valeur. Ce n'est qu'un an avant sa mort que fanny hensel decida de passer outre aux interdits de son pere et de son frere et de publier ses compositions. De bonnes critiques en paraissaient quand elle mourut subitement au milieu de la repetition d'un de ses concerts. C'est aussi d'un accident cardio-vasculaire que felix mourut six mois plus tard.

Like her younger brother the composer felix mendelssohn bartholdy, fanny (18051847) was born in a bankers family in berlin. She was also the grand daughter of the german jewish philosopher moses mendelssohn. As gifted for music as her brother - so said goethe - she received the same education and became a remarquable pianist as well as an authentic composer. As soon as she emerged from childhood, she was told that the destiny of a woman was to look after her home. She married the court painter wilhelm hensel, an excellent portraitist, and had a son with him, sebastian. Inspite of the sadness brought on by her stifled talent, she continued composing - mostly lieder - and organising in her salon concerts which, although private, were considered important events in berlin. During a journey in italy, she was encouraged by the artists of the villa medici whom she met in rome. Gounod especially discovered through her bach, beethoven and mendelssohn's piano music ; his devotion to her made her aware of her own value. It was only a year before her death that fanny hensel decided to transgress her father's and brother's prohibition for her to publish her compositions. Good critics were appearing when she suddenly died in the middle of one of her concert rehearsals. Felix also died six months later from a cardio-vascular attack.