FANNY MENDELSSOHN

Written in 1834, Fanny Hensel’s (Felix Mendelssohn’s sister) String Quartet in E flat major is one of the earliest surviving works in the genre to have been written by a female composer. It has a considerable degree of formal freedom, starting with its fantasia-style Adagio. In their new recording for Musical Moments, the Aris Quartett captures the work’s sombreness and poignancy in their highly expressive performance, released today as part of our celebration of International Women’s Day.