Pianist Ana-Marija Markovina releases Volume 1 of complete solo piano works by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
The first of two volumes on Hänssler Classic is released on June 19, 2026 in North America (European release date: May 14)
Collection includes dozens of works recorded for the first time
"one of the most outstanding artists of her generation." – Paul Badura-Skoda
Following her critically-acclaimed recording projects of the entire solo piano works of Felix Mendelssohn, CPE Bach, and others, Ana-Marija Markovina releases the first volume of "Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Complete Solo Piano Works" on Hänssler Classic (HC2307) on June 19, 2026 in North America (European release date: May 14, 2026). The four-disc set contains 78 tracks, half of which have never been recorded before.
"Fanny’s universe moves me time and again to a state of reverential awe. Her personal biography contains quite a considerable portion of tragedy precisely because it is not a story of legendary artistic potential but an example of the strictures of the era in which she lived," says Markovina.
Although she was not permitted to either perform in public or publish her works, Mendelssohn Hensel composed more than 250 works, 160 or so for piano. Markovina continues: "These works are a munificent gift that has opened up an entire new universe for me. To have time without any financial worries allowed Fanny a kind of artistic continuity that is rarely found in an artist’s biography. When a composer is not afraid of disappointing their audience and not tempted to water down their ideas in the hope of acclaim, what they compose becomes a true experiment which may lead to who knows where."
Volume One of this collection, presented in chronological order, reveals much of the composer's character: her development from a young girl with her very first pieces full of poetry and at the same time radiating her determination and strength which were later to be the hallmarks of her later compositions.
Contact ClassicalCommunications@gmail.com to request a physical CD or digital copy of "Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel: Complete Piano Works Vol. 1" by pianist Ana-Marija Markovina.