Customer Reviews

Hidden Music: The Life of Fanny Mendelssohn

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This book is special because it is one of the few books on classical, women composers aimed at middle school students. It explains in clear prose Fanny Mendelssohn's life and why she was not as famous as her brother, even though she was probably just as talented. Kamen examines the social structures that made it nearly impossible for women to perform and publish music without being looked at as plebeian. Although Kamen is slightly simplistic in her blaming of Fanny's brother, father and husband for her lack of fame, the book is aimed at middle school where a more complete, and therefor complex view of the situation might be too sophisticated for the average student to grasp. This book would be perfect for a middle school student interested in music to read, a music class to read as part of their study of the classical period, or any class that wishes to study the social status of women in the nineteenth century.