Gertrude van den Bergh facts for kids
Gertrude van den Bergh (born around January 21, 1793 – died September 10, 1840) was a Dutch pianist and composer. She was known for her musical talent from a young age. Gertrude also taught music and helped lead musical groups.
Early Life and Talent
Gertrude van den Bergh was born in Cologne. She was the oldest daughter of Henderik van den Bergh, who was Dutch, and Maria Theresia Leydel, who was German. Gertrude showed a gift for music very early on.
She started taking piano lessons when she was just six years old. By the age of nine, she had already published a sonata for the harpsichord. A sonata is a piece of music for one or two instruments. She later studied how to compose music with Johann Burgmüller. She also learned piano from Ferdinand Ries.
Musical Career
In 1809, Gertrude's father helped organize a concert tour for her and her sister Sophia. They traveled around the Netherlands, performing music. Around 1813, her family moved to The Hague. After this move, Gertrude did not play in public as often.
However, she still performed for private groups and was well-known. In 1830, she was invited to join the Society for the Promotion of Music. This was a big deal because women had not been allowed to join before. In 1834, Gertrude took part in a two-day music festival held by the society in The Hague. She also directed the first mixed-voice choir from The Hague. Later, around 1837 or 1838, she directed the Vocal Society.
Gertrude van den Bergh lived with her mother and earned a living by teaching music. She gave lessons in singing and piano. Around 1830, she even wrote a special book to help with her music teaching. Gertrude passed away in The Hague in 1840 at the age of 47.
Known Compositions
Many of Gertrude van den Bergh's musical pieces were never published. Because of this, most of her compositions are now lost. However, a few of her works are still known today. These include:
- Lied für Piano-Forte (A song for piano)
- Rondeau pour le piano forte, op. 3 (A rondo for piano, her third published work)
