henselpushers

Mantissa’s new hobby

This is incredible

Time for Mantissa’s weekly dishwasher appreciation:

Today was thrilling—the top rack was dripping.

Sing like noone is going to write a Wikipedia page about it.

Also Wikipedia incorrect, it was 1829

Reception Die Heimkehr had great success before its original audience, not least because of the mirth ensuing when Hensel, even prompted by humming on all sides, proved unable to sing the single note F that made up his part of the score. Following the work's posthumous publication, it overture achieved some popularity in four-hands

Wow it’s even more brutal on the Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde Wikipedia page:

This is not an exaggeration. The Mendelssohns cast Wilhelm in one of their family Singspiels for their parents’ anniversary, giving him just one phrase of a single repeated note in the whole show. He failed so spectacularly that almost 200 years later, it is on his Wikipedia page

Such helpful brains

My brain is so helpful when I’m practicing piano and approaching a difficult section and my brain clears every intentional, analytical, focused thought out of my mind to scream THIS IS THE HARD PART AND HERE ARE ALL THE WAYS YOU HAVE PLAYED IT WRONG RECENTLY

¿Te apetece bucear en la obra coral de Fanny Hensel? Imagínate que la pudieras tener toda 😃❤️❤️❤️

So THANK YOU for your donations!!

Digitalisierte Sammlungen der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Hier finden Sie Digitalisate in bester Qualität von Büchern, Handschriften und anderen Medien der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.

Since photographing the manuscript for our order, it has been added to the digital collection so now everyone can see it here:

digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?...

Oh one last thing— this was the only one of Hensel’s SATB scores that was not available in the staatsbibliothek zu Berlin’s digital collection online, so I relied on your donations to purchase scans of the autograph.

H237 — HenselPushers Nachtreigen (SSAATTBB)

And here is the score:

henselpushers.org/h-numbers/h237

YouTube video by VocalEssence Nachtreigen (Night Whirl)—Fanny Hensel (1829)

Here is an excellent rendition of Nachtreigen on YouTube:

youtu.be/s8WhyTPuO-A?...

Yes, we come, overcome
by the holy power of peace.

So remain united with us in peace,
for God has brought you.

And together we may feel
what each of us thinks.

Hush! Hush!
Let us not disturb the holy celebration
with the loud call,
let us sing and hear,
create as nature created.
Softly, wisely,
approach the circle,
come!

Hello, hello,
so merrily it roams through green and night.
Thoughts are fresh as the air,
and joyfully with the singing bird, man wakes,
escaped from the barrier.
How it shines and laughs.

The trees rustle,
the fragrances waft,
and tender breezes
envelop dreams
with a bridal breath.

We walk and waft
in intimate embrace,
we waft and sing,
and echoes resound too.

Blissful sounds
and fragrance and shine,
O holy One,
close the circle more closely, softly, softly.

Let’s also take a look at how, um, horny the poem is…
(remember at this point these two are just a few months out from their wedding after having been officially engaged for almost a year, and having been forcibly separated in different countries for five years before that)

Sensitive to Wilhelm’s jealousy, which was probably due to broader insecurity, not just Droysen, Fanny decided to never set any of Droysen’s poems again.

Nachtreigen was one of the first things she composed after that decision, so the piece is also a statement of dedication/commitment to Wilhelm.

Important context for the timing of this setting was that Wilhelm—somewhat insecure after rejoining the Mendelssohn social circle after five years in Rome—had been very jealous of Fanny setting the poetry of another young man in their friend circle, Droysen.

Wilhelm was maybe the most un-musical person to have ever lived, so I suppose he took her word for it, and she surprised him with her setting. They got married a couple months later.

Fanny tells Felix in a letter:
“Recently he gave me a poem that he thought could be sung in the garden … I convinced him that it can't be set to music and am now composing it for his birthday.”

My favorite of the SATB works is H237 Nachtreigen (“night rounds” or “night dance”), for 8-part choir, composed in 1829. The text is a poem by Fanny’s then-fiancé Wilhelm Hensel.

Mantissa’s new hobby

Thank you! I really appreciate your support

It’s TWENTY THREE works, some as long as 7-8 minutes! I’ll post more about the individual pieces over the next few days

This collection has been a ton of work… comparable to the String Quartet and the Overture editions in complexity.

A Cappella Mixed Choir (SATB) — HenselPushers

Choirs! It’s up! Fanny Hensel’s complete a cappella SATB works!
henselpushers.org/a-cappella-m...