Mendelssohn, Fanny: Piano Sonata in G minor

Both Mendelssohn children showed remarkable musical talent at an early age. Fanny and Felix developed an extremely close personal relationship, as well as a musical one, with six of Fanny’s lieder having been published under Felix’s name as his Op. 8 and 9. Because brother and sister often worked in the same genres, pianist Joanne Polk's fascinating recording offers the opportunity to listen side-by-side to equivalent works by each of them: two sonatas in G minor, as well as their Preludes and Fugues.

It is only relatively recently that Fanny Mendelssohn has stepped out of the shadow of her more famous sibling Felix.

Nearly all of her five hundred or so compositions remained unpublished during her lifetime, despite their undeniable beauty, lyricism and passion.

This volume of piano music spans almost her entire adult life, from youthful experiments to music written less than a year before her untimely death, giving the listener a whirlwind tour of a much underrated composer.