Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn

During November and December 2023, the music documentary Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn is screening in cinemas across the UK.

This poignant documentary film dives into the relatively unknown world of Fanny Mendelssohn, an extraordinary composer who for years was overshadowed by her famous brother Felix (composer of The Wedding March, Fingal’s Cave and the beautiful Violin Concerto in E Minor amongst hundreds of other equally remarkable original works) .

With an impressive repertoire of 450 known compositions, her talent is undeniable. However societal norms of the time stifled her brilliance, ensuring she hid behind anonymity until, at the age of 40, she decided to challenge those constraints and publish a few of her works under her own name.  In a sad twist of fate, a year later,  Fanny died and her creations vanished into obscurity for over a century… until now.

Prepare for a gripping detective story intricately woven with the saga of two fiercely gifted siblings. Hers is an engaging life story, which is set against the backdrop of awe-inspiring classical performances. If you want to familiarise yourself with her work start with Das Jahr and my personal favourite is June: Serenade.

Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn blends together a narrative of creativity, unyielding determination, love and loss, and the relentless energy of devoted fans and musicians, on a mission to unearth the full extent of Fanny’s musical legacy…

I edited this documentary on AVID. The film was produced by Mercury Studios, directed by her great-great-great granddaughter Sheila Hayman and is distributed by Dartmouth Films. Watch the trailer…