Edith Weiss-Mann facts for kids

Edith Weiss-Mann (born May 11, 1885, died May 18, 1951) was a talented musician from Germany. She was a harpsichord player, a music expert, and a teacher. She was born in Hamburg to Emil and Hermine Weiss.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Edith Weiss-Mann started her music studies early. From 1900 to 1904, she attended Hamburg's Hochschule für Musik. Later, she continued learning privately with famous teachers like James Kwast and Carl Friedberg.

A big change in her musical path happened when she met Wanda Landowska. Landowska was a famous harpsichord player. After this meeting, Weiss-Mann decided to focus on the harpsichord and early music. Early music means music from older times, like the Baroque period.

Family Life and Music Revival

In 1910, Weiss-Mann married Wilhelm Mann, a portrait painter. Their marriage did not last, but they had a son, Alfred Mann, in 1917. Alfred later became a well-known music expert, just like his mother.

In 1925, Weiss-Mann helped start a group called the Vereinigung zur Pflege alter Musik. This means the "Society for the Revival of Ancient Music." With conductor Fritz Stein, she helped create the group's chamber ensemble. They brought back interest in early music in Germany.

Weiss-Mann played the harpsichord as a solo artist with conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler. She also worked with composers Paul Hindemith and Heinrich Kaminski. Some of her students during this time included Ingolf Dahl and Felicitas Kukuck. She also wrote music reviews for newspapers like the Frankfurter Zeitung.

Moving to America

Challenges and New Beginnings

Because Edith Weiss-Mann was of Jewish background, she had to stop her teaching jobs in Germany after 1933. This was a difficult time for many people. Because of this, she moved to New York City in 1939.

In New York, she continued her amazing music career. In 1940, she performed with conductor Otto Klemperer. In 1947, she played the harpsichord on the first American recording of Vivaldi's famous piece, The Four Seasons.

Harpsichord Pioneer in America

Edith Weiss-Mann was the first harpsichord player in America to perform all of Bach's harpsichord concertos in a single series of concerts. This was a huge achievement!

She also made recordings of music by Telemann, Johann Christoph Pepusch, and Scarlatti. These recordings were released on LPs (long-playing records). She also recorded for Hargail Recorder Music, often playing the harpsichord to accompany other instruments.

Critical Acclaim

When Weiss-Mann had her first solo harpsichord concert in New York on May 9, 1949, The New York Times newspaper wrote a wonderful review. They said she was an "excellent artist" and deserved the spotlight. They admired how her hands moved "as swiftly as dragonflies" over the harpsichord. The review praised her amazing skill and how she made subtle changes in sound without losing the strong rhythm of the music.

Towards the end of her life, Weiss-Mann taught at Rutgers University. She also helped publish music. For example, she arranged a piece called The Bashful Thames for a singer and three recorders.