Composer Fanny Mendelssohn finally gets recognition in new play

Famous Felix's sister wrote Queen Victoria's favourite piece... and other stories

Mention the name Mendelssohn and most people will think of Felix, the famous composer who wrote the Wedding March. But Felix was not the only talented musician and composer in the Mendelssohn family – his sister Fanny was a brilliant but largely unrecognised musician. But now Fanny is receiving the recognition she so greatly deserves, thanks to the play Fanny coming to the King’s Head Theatre.

Playwright Calum Finlay says: “It is really is all thanks to my mum, who has a degree in music, that this play was written. She retired as a primary school teacher and took a creative writing course. She wrote an epistolary letter about Fanny Mendelssohn and when I read it I was fascinated. Here was this prolific composer, so talented, but who has somehow been overlooked. I started to do some digging and to listen to her music and realised there was a play that needed to be written about her.

“There were so many stories. Her brother Felix was invited to play for Queen Victoria while she and Prince Albert were having dinner. After the meal the Queen asked Felix to play her favourite piece – the Italian Symphony- so she could sing to the music. Felix confessed to her that it was a piece composed by a Mendelssohn, but not him – his sister Fanny.”

The Mendelssohns were a Jewish family living in Germany. Their grandfather was the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn.

“We don’t really know why Felix took the credit for Fanny’s work,” says Calum. “It could be that the family were trying to establish themselves in German Society. It must have been challenging and in those times, there was a huge emphasis on behaving properly. It was considered acceptable for women to sing, but not to compose. Women weren’t allowed to do things like play a cello because it was unseemly for them to have their legs open round the instrument.

“Fanny was a gifted musician and pianist and composed many wonderful pieces. The siblings were very close as children and it may be that Felix thought it was easier for him to reveal the work, than his sister. When they were older, Fanny asked Felix to compose the music for her wedding. He failed to do so and they became more distant.”

Fanny is Calum’s first full-length play. He has been an actor and writer for 15 years, having trained at LAMDA, and has been appearing in London’s West End in A Man for all Seasons.

At the end of each performance there is a Noble Call, an Irish tradition, when the stage is given over to the audience and women musicians have the chance to play and sing.

Fanny is at The Kings Head Theatre in Islington until 15 November. kingsheadtheatre.com

To learn more about Fanny Mendelssohn click here to watch the documentary Fanny: The other Mendelssohn by Sheila Hayman