Emilie Mayer facts for kids
Emilie Luise Friderica Mayer (born May 14, 1812, in Friedland, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – died April 10, 1883, in Berlin) was a German composer. She wrote music during the Romantic period. Emilie Mayer started studying composition quite late in her life. Even so, she wrote a lot of music. She created eight symphonies and at least 15 concert overtures. She also composed many chamber works and songs (called lieder). She was also an Associate Director at the Opera Academy in Berlin.
Her Life and Music Journey
Emilie Mayer was the third of five children. She was the oldest daughter of Johann August Friedrich Mayer, a wealthy pharmacist. Her mother passed away when Emilie was only two years old. Emilie started learning music at a young age. Her first teacher was an organist named Carl Heinrich Ernst Driver.
A sad event changed Emilie's life on August 28, 1840. Her father died suddenly. This happened exactly 26 years after her mother's burial.
In 1841, Emilie moved to Stettin. This city is now called Szczecin, Poland. She wanted to study composition with Carl Loewe. He was a very important musician in Stettin. A writer named Marie Silling wrote about Emilie's studies:
Her father's death caused her first deep sadness. To help with this pain, she focused on her work. She went to Szczecin and became Loewe's student. After a difficult test, he told her, "You actually know nothing and everything at the same time! I will be the gardener who helps the talent that is still a bud resting within your chest to unfold and become the most beautiful flower!" Emilie always thought it was important to be careful with her own money. But she was always giving to others in need. Because of this, she asked Löwe if she could share her composition lessons with other female students. He replied that "such a God-given talent as hers had not been given to any other person he knew." This statement made her very thankful throughout her life. It also made her work extremely hard.
After Carl Loewe died in 1869, a group called the Loewe society was formed. Mayer dedicated two of her cello sonatas to members of this society and their families. Her Op. 47 is for Baron von Seckendorff from Stargard. Her Op. 40 is for the sister of composer Martin Plüddemann from Kolberg.
In 1847, her first two symphonies were performed. They were in C minor and E minor. The Stettin Instrumental Society played them. After this, Emilie moved to Berlin. She wanted to continue her music studies there. In Berlin, she learned about fugue and double counterpoint from Adolph Bernhard Marx. She also studied instrumentation with Wilhelm Wieprecht.
She began to publish her music, like her songs (Op. 5-7) in 1848. She also performed in private concerts. Then, on April 21, 1850, Wieprecht led his "Euterpe" orchestra in a special concert. This concert at the Royal Theatre only featured music by Emilie Mayer. People loved her music, and critics praised it. She kept writing pieces for public performances. She traveled to different cities to hear her works played. These cities included Cologne, Munich, Lyon, Brussels, and Vienna.
Her Music Style
Emilie Mayer's early music was like the Classical style from Vienna. But her later works sounded more Romantic.
Her harmonies often had sudden changes in key. She also used many "seventh chords." These chords helped her create different musical endings. One special thing about Mayer's music was how she set up a main key. She would use a dominant seventh chord. But she would not always go to the main key right away. Sometimes, she would skip that ending completely.
Her rhythms were often very complex. Many different layers of rhythm would play at the same time.
What She Composed
Mayer wrote a lot of chamber music. This included many pieces with piano. She also wrote seven string quartets. She composed a piano concerto, fifteen overtures, and eight symphonies. She even wrote an opera.
See also
In Spanish: Emilie Mayer para niños
