Emmy Wegener facts for kids

Emmy Heil Frensel-Wegener (born June 14, 1901, in Amsterdam – died January 11, 1973, in Laren, North Holland) was a talented Dutch violinist, pianist, poet, and composer. She created many musical pieces during her life.

Her Early Life and Music Journey

Emmy Wegener was the daughter of Bertha Frensel Wegener-Koopman, who was also a composer. Her father, John Frensel-Wegener, worked in insurance.

Emmy started her music education at a music school in Bussum. Later, she studied in England. She then went to the Conservatory in Amsterdam. A conservatory is a special school where people learn to become professional musicians. There, she earned a degree in violin, learning from her teacher Felice Togni.

She didn't stop there! Emmy also studied how to compose music with Sem Dresden. She learned to play the clarinet with Willem Brohm. She even studied Gregorian chant, which is a very old style of church music.

In 1926, Emmy married Jan Heil. They later divorced in 1932.

Judging Music and Facing Challenges

Emmy Wegener was so respected that in 1934, she was asked to be a judge. She helped decide the best vocal quartet compositions for the Dutch Association for Contemporary Music. A vocal quartet is a group of four singers. "A cappella" means they sing without any instruments.

She judged alongside other famous composers like Hendrik Andriessen and Henk Badings. They looked at 47 different songs. However, the judges decided not to give out a first prize that year. They felt none of the songs were truly outstanding.

In 1935, Emmy became very ill. Her illness sadly got worse over time, and by 1950, it led to paralysis. This meant she could not move parts of her body. This serious illness affected her ability to compose music.

Even with her health challenges, Emmy continued to be creative. She wrote at least one poem that was published. To honor her contributions, the city of Gorinchem even named a street after her!

Her Musical Creations

Emmy Wegener wrote many different kinds of music. She composed pieces for orchestras, which are large groups of musicians. She also wrote for smaller groups called chamber ensembles. Besides that, she created music for piano and for singers.

Her music is often described as "dissonant" and "neo-classical." This means it sometimes used sounds that might seem a bit clashing but in an interesting way. It also followed some ideas from older, classical music, but with a new twist. Most of her works were created between 1925 and 1935. After that, her illness made it harder for her to compose as much.

Here are some of her notable works:

• 1925: Sonate
• 1925: Suite for two violins
• 1926: Oboe Suite (this piece was performed by famous musicians Jaap Stotijn and Gerard Hengelveld)
• 1927: Sonata in one movement for cello and piano
• 1927: Sextet (for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, and piano)
• 1928: Ik zag Cecilia (I Saw Cecilia) for voice and accompaniment
• 1928: Gekwetst (Wounded) for three sopranos, two altos, two tenors, and two basses
• 1929: Suite for orchestra
• 1929: Three pieces for violin and piano
• 1929: String Quartet
• 1929: Menuetto for oboe and piano
• 1930: Rhapsody for piano and orchestra
• 1930: Two pieces for solo piano
• Suite for clarinet and piano (this piece was even heard in Budapest!)
• Toccata for solo piano
• 1929: Dance for clarinet and orchestra (this was performed in Geneva, Switzerland, led by Ernest Ansermet)
• 1932: Shakespeare-suite (this was performed on February 7, 1932, by the famous Concertgebouw Orchestra with conductor Pierre Monteux)
• 1949: Donumus