AY: Fanny: The Other Mendelssohn

If you enjoyed Amadeus, Chevalier or Amour Fou you may like...

Run time: 135 minutes
Certificate: TBC
Director: Sheila Hayman
Writer: Sheila Hayman
Cast: Isata Kanneh-Mason, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Alison Langer
Genre: Documentary
Language: English

Plus Music from Bath Spa University and Q&A with Sheila Hayman.

The key to this excellent film is the revelation that the world famous Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) had a sister, Fanny, who was born four years before him, and died in the same year that he did. They both grew up in a liberal (for the time) Jewish family in Hamburg, where she received the same musical education as her younger brother. They worked closely together, and she was very much his mentor and guide in the early years. However when it came to publishing her music, it was done under his name, and from then on, her light was increasingly hidden while his grew brighter and brighter. Sheila Hayman’s wonderful films puts Fanny back in her rightful place as a brilliant and original composer who was overlooked and ignored because of the prevailing belief of the time that women’s place was in the home, not the concert hall. Sheila Hayman will be answering questions after the screening.

Sponsored by Bath Spa University.

We have an extra treat in store for you before the screening begins! Bath Spa University Music students Natalie Mills and Ruizhen Ma will be performing Fanny Mendolssehn pieces in the downstairs space from 19:45 ahead of the film screening at 20:15. So please do arrive early, get yourself a drink from the bar and enjoy the music!

We are also delighted to announce that Bath Philharmonia’s Music Director Jason Thornton will be hosting the Q&A with the film’s director Sheila Hayman after the screening.