Garden Songs

The Mendelssohn family cultivated a very special form of house music in their garden cottage on the family estate: the so-called Sonntagsmusiken (Sunday musicales). Perhaps this inspired Fanny Hensel to publish the six songs for mixed choir, collectively entitled Gartenlieder (Garden Songs), op. 3.

Hensel set texts by well-known German Romantic poets such as Eichendorff and Uhland as well as a poem by her husband Wilhelm Hensel. Each creating a wholly different mood, the songs feature recurring motives: Alongside trees, forests and music in the countryside, the idea of listening or eavesdropping is of central importance. The musical texture of the Gartenlieder is generally homophonic and based around wonderful melodies, which are predominantly carried by the soprano voice.

In these pieces, Fanny Hensel displays her many years of experience as a successful composer of song, even if she only ever published a handful of works. With their memorable, varied melodies and colorful harmonies, the Gartenlieder are a veritable treasure trove for choirs.

The Gartenlieder are published in a critical edition, which also includes the early autograph versions of Nos. 2 and 3. In addition a choral score of the main version is available. All the songs and versions are also available separately and as digital editions.