A Resurrection in Sound: Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's Easter Sonata and the Spirit of Easter

As Easter approaches, few musical works capture the season’s profound themes of suffering, hope, and renewal as poignantly as Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's Easter Sonata. Composed in 1828, this long forgotten and underrated masterpiece resonates deeply with the spiritual and emotional journey at the heart of the Easter story.

The Easter Sonata — a four-movement work for solo piano — mirrors the arc of the Passion of Christ. The first and third movements are relatively free from extra-musical considerations, while the second and fourth are more intricately tied to the narrative of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. This piece captures both the sorrow and hope of the Passion, with the triumphant finale bursting forth with the victorious spirit of Easter Sunday, providing a stirring conclusion to the sonata’s powerful journey.

During her lifetime, Fanny Mendelssohn's works largely remained unpublished, with only a few appearing under her brother’s name with her knowledge and consent. Though the Easter Sonata itself was never published, it was mentioned as her own in diary entries and letters written to her family in 1829. The manuscript, signed simply "F. Mendelssohn," surfaced in France in 1970 and was recorded in 1972 by pianist Éric Heidsieck, then attributed to Felix Mendelssohn. While some musicologists raised the possibility that the work might be Fanny’s, the theory was dismissed at the time due to the lack of a verified autograph.

It was not until 2010 that scholar Angela Mace Christian examined the manuscript and confirmed that it was indeed in Fanny Mendelssohn’s handwriting. She discovered that the pages had been cut from one of Fanny’s original composition books, finally securing the sonata’s rightful attribution. The work's rediscovery and recognition stand today as a powerful act of reclamation — fittingly echoing Easter's promise of restoration and new life. The sonata finally premiered in her name on September 7, 2012, played by Andrea Lam.

Today, the Easter Sonata is celebrated not only as a testament to Fanny Mendelssohn's overlooked genius, but also as a profound musical reflection on Easter’s enduring message. Dr. Ning Hui See's performance of the sonata captures the work’s emotional depth and spiritual intensity with vivid artistry.

The Barenreiter Urtext edition of Fanny Mendelssohn's Easter Sonata, based on the manuscript now housed in the Robert Owen Lehman Collection, will be available for purchase through Veniccio.com within the next month— offering musicians and music lovers the opportunity to experience this extraordinary work in its purest form, just in time to reflect on its message of hope and renewal.