The “Sonntagsmusiken” (Sundays Musicales) hosted by Fanny Hensel in the Mendelssohn family’s garden hall in Berlin were legendary and famous far beyond the city boundaries. This is where her composition and those of her brother Felix Mendelssohn were played. Operas were performed, directed and conducted by her, and works by her contemporaries were presented. She was considered one of the best pianists of her time, and people came from afar to hear her play.

We would like to celebrate such a musical salon in her honour. One of her most beautiful compositions – her piano trio in d minor – will be performed twice in this context. We invited two young piano trios who have already been honoured with several awards, and asked them to put this wonderful composition in the focus of their programmes. This not only gives audiences an exciting chance to compare their interpretations, the trios will also combine and comment Fanny Hensel’s work in very different ways.

You may book each concert individually with or without the accompanying culinary option or indulge yourself with the overall package and book a day ticket including the culinary option.

3 p.m. »He or she« – Does a composer’s gender influence his/her music?
Trio Lantane playing piano trios by Fanny Hensel, Beethoven and Schubert
Sophia Stiehler, violin · Philipe Lembeck, violoncello · Wei Lee, fortepiano

Can you hear whether a work was composed by a man or a woman? The three young female musicians of Trio Lantane will explore this question – together with the audience they will try to find possible answers in works by Beethoven, Schubert and Hensel. An entertaining concert with fascinating music.

4:30 p.m. A culinary intermezzo: Apéro and fingerfood

6 p.m. An evening with Fanny, Sebastian, Ludwig and Felix
Trio Alterna playing Fanny Hensel’s piano trio in d minor and Beethoven’s “Gassenhauer” trio
Anna Dmitrieva, violine · Amarilis Dueñas Castán, violoncello · Takahiko Sakamaki, fortepiano

On 16 June 1830 Fanny Hensel gave birth to her only child, Sebastian Ludwig Felix Hensel. This choice of names honours three composers who were particularly close to her heart: Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and her brother Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. This moderated concert is dedicated to Fanny Hensel and her son.

The three outstanding musicians of the award-winning Trio Alterna will play historical instroments and thus recreate an authentic feeling for Fanny Hensel’s times.

7:30 p.m. A culinary coda: fine little morsels after grand sounds

Concert I

Concert II