A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Frickenhaus, Fanny
FRICKENHAUS, Fanny, was born June 7, 1849, at Cheltenham. Her maiden name of Evans was abandoned on her marriage with Mr. Augustus Frickenhaus. She received instruction in music from Mr. George Mount, afterwards at Brussels from M. Auguste Dupont, and later from Mr. William Bohrer. Her first important engagement was. on Jan. 11, 1879, at one of the Saturday Evening Concerts, where she played with such success that she was engaged for the remainder of the series. She was next heard at the London Ballad and Promenade Concerts. Since then she has played at all the principal London Concerts, viz. at the Philharmonic March 4, 1886; at the Crystal Palace, where she first appeared Nov. 27, 1880, in Mendelssohn's 'Serenade and Allegro giojoso,' and where she has been since heard in concertos of Mozart, Schütt, and Dupont, the two last for the first time in England; at Mr. Cowen's Concerts Nov. 27, 1880, where she played the Pianoforte Concerto of Goetz for the first time in London; at the Brinsmead Concerts Dec. 19, 1886; in the Prize Concerto of Oliver King, and at the Popular Concerts, where she first appeared Jan. 27, 1883, and has since played with success.
Since 1884 Mme. Frickenhaus has given every year, in conjunction with Mr. Joseph Ludwig, a series of chamber concerts at the Prince's Hall. They have introduced several important novelties—Dvořák's 'Bagatellen' for piano and strings, June 11, 1886; Steinbach's septet for piano, strings, and wind, June 17, 1886; a sonata for piano and violin by Oliver King; and on May 21, 1887, a work entitled 'The Strolling Musicians,' for piano duet, violin and cello, by Arnold Krug. Brahms's second piano and violin sonata (op. 100) was announced for first performance in London at one of these concerts, but it was actually played the day before at one of Mr. Hallé's recitals. The most remarkable characteristics of Mme. Frickenhaus's playing are her extraordinary perfection and ease of technique.