Zentrum für interdisziplinäre Forschung

Mexican pianist Monique Rasetti, a full-time professor at UNAM Faculty of Music, performed works of Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn (1805–1847) at ZiF in May.

The sister of the renowned composer Felix Mendelssohn was severely limited by the expectations of her family and society at the time, which required her to prioritise her role as a wife and mother over any artistic aspirations. For Monique Rasetti, Hensel-Mendelssohn plays a particularly significant role in her career. For her, disseminating Hensel-Mendelssohn's music in concerts and sharing it with students represents a form of historical justice, given this reality.

The aim of the concert therefore was to rescue and disseminate part of the pianistic legacy of the composer Fanny Hensel-Mendelssohn and to incorporate it into the academic and artistic spheres. Drawing on her research in historical archives and her study of period instruments, Monique Rasetti did not only offer an informed and insightful interpretation of Hensel-Mendelssohn's music. Illustrated by a selection of historical paintings and images, she also introduced the audience to the time and biography of the composer.

The concert was realized by ZiF, UNAM-Alemania, CIAS, CALAS and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Bielefeld.

(Photos: Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer)