Studies in Form 1843-1844

Exploring the Limits

This collection features mature piano works Fanny Hensel wrote after a yearlong period of creative block and the sudden death of her mother Lea Mendelssohn in 1842. Hensel’s return to composing in Spring of 1843 was marked by an interest in sonata form and departures from formal and stylistic expectations.

The heart of this collection is the Piano Sonata in G minor (H395), one of only three completed surviving sonatas and Hensel’s last major work for the instrument. The collection also features three works composed before the sonata and four composed after it.

Of the three pieces in this collection preceding the sonata, one (H394) was later published in Hensel’s first opus of solo piano works (op.2). The other two works from 1843 are in modified sonata form, and demonstrate explorations of structure leading up to the sonata. Allegro agitato in G minor (H391) is a particularly thrilling find; at over 200 measures and featuring an unconventional three-themed sonata form, this underappreciated work could have served as the opening movement of the sonata. The Allegretto ma non troppo in E minor (H393) is also in modified sonata form, but smaller in scale with only one theme.

The works following the sonata are in the song-without-words style, a beloved invention of Fanny and her brother Felix Mendelssohn. A work in G minor without even a tempo marking (H403) and Allegro moderato assai in A minor (H405) are typical of the style—small and lyrical. The Allegro molto in E minor (H410) is a passionate and expansive treatment of the piano lied with intense chromatic coloring and excursions through a wide-ranging and unconventional sequence of keys.

April 2024 update:
One new work from this era has been added: an Adagio song without words in E-flat major (H396) written in 1843.

[Image of Sonata in G Minor book] Praise for Henselpushers' edition of the Sonata in G Minor: "a score that makes, imho, a tad more sense than the (not terrible!) score published elsewhere." --Sharon Su, pianist. Order today (QR CODE)

February 2025 update:
You can now purchase a physical copy of HenselPushers’ critical edition of the Sonata in G Minor (H395).

Listen to this playlist on the HenselPushers YouTube channel