Das Jahr (The Year) by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel — performed by Cappella Clausura and Lois Shapiro at FUUSN, Nov. 18

The classical vocal group Cappella Clausura premieres music by women — this time Das Jahr (The Year), by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, sister of her more famous brother Felix. According to Amelia LeClair, Director of Cappella Clausura, Fanny Mendelsohn wrote a lot of music, “but her loving younger brother, despite his counting on her help with his own works, would not allow her to publish.”

This concert — on Saturday November 18 at the First Unitarian Society in Newton (1326 Washington Street, West Newton) and Sunday November 19 at Emmanuel Church in Boston will feature guest pianist Lois Shapiro performing this “massive and utterly stunning piano work.” Tickets are available at those links.

Das Jahr (The Year) consists of 12 pieces, one for each month of the year, with a postlude. Cappella Clausura’s 12 singers will sing several Mendelssohn Hensel vocal works in between, as well as pieces by her contemporary, Clara Schumann (wife of her more famous husband Robert).

LeClair said, “You won’t want to miss this! Das Jahr is certainly not as well known as it should be. Fanny Mendelssohn has become one of our favorite composers, and we hope that her lack of fame until now doesn’t keep you away – she so deserves to be up there with the big guys.” See Program Notes.