Overture 1832
Hensel’s only orchestral work
The Overture in C was written in the spring of 1832 when Fanny Hensel was 26 years old. This work was composed toward the end of a roughly year-long period during which she wrote several large-scale works, including two cantatas, an oratorio, and a dramatic scene for soprano and orchestra. Remarkably, this prolific compositional period coincided with Hensel's responsibilities of managing the family home: catering to the needs of her parents, siblings, husband, and her son Sebastian, who was not yet two years old. This time was also marked by financial challenges for the family, a widespread cholera outbreak, and the deaths of several close family friends.
The Overture was premiered in 1834, two years after its completion, at one of Hensel’s bi-monthly Sunday concerts held at her residence in Berlin, with Hensel conducting.
Collaboration with ComposHer
This publication is a collaboration between ComposHer & HenselPushers.
ComposHer is a non-profit organization based in France devoted to promoting the work of women composers in classical music. Their Editing Women Composers project aims to provide free scores to musicians around the world, and it is entirely done by volunteers. They also curate playlists and have an extensive database to help people, from music lovers to professional musicians and institutions, discover and program a more diverse repertoire.
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