Fanny Mendelssohn and the Drawer Full of Music

Fanny Mendelssohn composed over 400 pieces but was forced to hide them in a drawer because women weren’t allowed to publish music. One of her songs was so brilliant that for 150 years, people thought her famous brother Felix had written it.

Duration: 26 minutes | Composer: Fanny Mendelssohn

What You'll Learn

  • Learn what a sonata is — a musical story in several chapters, where themes appear, change, and return transformed, like characters growing through an adventure
  • Discover that women in the 1800s were often told their talents should stay hidden — and why breaking those unfair rules took tremendous courage
  • Understand that Fanny Mendelssohn was just as talented as her famous brother Felix — so talented that for 150 years, one of her greatest works was mistakenly credited to him
  • Learn what a 'salon concert' was — private gatherings in someone's home where artists, writers, and musicians would share their work before small audiences
  • Experience how music can express feelings we cannot put into words — and why creating art matters even if the whole world never sees it

Music Featured

Composer Title Source
Fanny Mendelssohn Sonata in G minor – III. Adagio archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Vier Romische Klavierstucke – I. Allegro moderato archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Sonata in G minor – I. Allegro molto agitato archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Easter Sonata – II. Largo e molto espressivo archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Easter Sonata – III. Allegretto (Scherzo) archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Vier Romische Klavierstucke – IV. Ponte molle archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Sonatensatz in E major archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Sonata in C minor – III. Finale (Presto) archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Easter Sonata – I. Allegro assai moderato archive.org
Fanny Mendelssohn Sonata in C minor – II. Andante con moto archive.org