Song Without Words; Op. 8, No. 3

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was a composer and pianist from Germany during the early Romantic era. Her works include a piano trio, a piano quartet, an orchestral overture, four cantatas, and over 125 piano pieces. Despite being praised for her piano technique, she seldom performed in public outside of her family circle. Many of her works were published under her brother’s name in his Opus 8 and 9 collections. Her life and works have been the topic of more in-depth study since the 1990s.
This work, originally titled “Lied,” comes from a set of works for solo piano. It offers students access to the music of an important and under-recognized composer. The dynamics and expressive markings of the original piano version have, for the most part, been preserved, but students may be challenged by notes such as F♭, F double-sharp, and augmented intervals. The challenges allow the director to discuss enharmonic equivalents and functional harmonic voice leading.