Josephine Amann-Weinlich facts for kids
Josephine Amann-Weinlich (also known as Josephine Weinlich) was a talented Austrian musician. She was a pianist, violinist, conductor, and composer. She is famous for starting and leading Europe's very first orchestra made up only of women.
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Life of Josephine Amann-Weinlich
Josephine Amann-Weinlich was born in 1848 in a place called Dechtice. This area is now part of Slovakia. Her parents were Franz and Josepha Weinlich. Her father was a ribbon maker who moved to Vienna.
Josephine learned music from her father. She played both the violin and the piano. Her father had a group that sang folk songs. From 1865, Josephine would play the piano for these singers in restaurants in Vienna.
Forming the New Viennese Ladies' Orchestra
In 1868, Josephine started a small music group in Vienna. It began as a quartet, which means it had four musicians. Josephine played the piano, and her sister Elise played the cello.
At first, they performed for private audiences. Then, with two more musicians, the group performed publicly in August 1868. They played at a place called Dreher'schen Bierhalle in Vienna. Their group was called Das neue Wiener Damen-Orchester, which means "The New Viennese Ladies' Orchestra." Josephine led the orchestra from the piano. They played different types of music. This included concert overtures, music by the famous Strauss family, and even songs Josephine had written herself.
This orchestra was also known as Josefine Weinlich's Damenkapelle ("Josefine Weinlich's Ladies' Band"). They gave many more concerts in Vienna. The orchestra grew bigger over time. By 1869, they were performing in other cities across Europe. In 1871, they even toured the United States. In 1872, they played in Saint Petersburg.
In 1870, Josephine married Ebo Amann. He was a concert agent. After they married, he became the manager of her orchestra.
The First European Ladies' Orchestra
In May 1873, Josephine Amann-Weinlich conducted a new orchestra. It was called Das Erste Europäische Damenorchester. This means "The First European Ladies' Orchestra." Their first concert was at the Musikverein in Vienna.
This orchestra was quite large, with forty players. Thirty-three of them were women. Seven boys played the brass instruments. That summer, they performed evening concerts at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair. After that, the orchestra traveled to many cities. They visited Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin, and Paris. Later, they played in Italy and England.
A reviewer wrote about Josephine in 1873. They said she was a "perfect type" of a great musical leader. They noted her strong vision and powerful arm when conducting. In 1876, the orchestra played in Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Germany. Eventually, this orchestra stopped performing together.
Cäcilien Quartet and Life in Lisbon
In 1878, Josephine started another music group. It was called the Cäcilien Quartet. Other members of her previous orchestra, including her sister, joined her. This was a piano quartet, and Josephine played the piano. They performed in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. They played music by famous composers like Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn. They also played some of Josephine's own songs.
From 1879, Amann-Weinlich lived in Lisbon, Portugal. She lived there with her husband, children, and sister. Her husband, Ebo Amann, helped her arrange concerts. She conducted the city orchestra in a series of concerts at the Teatro da Trindade. She also worked as a conductor for one season at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos.
Josephine was also an editor for a music newspaper called Gazeta Musical. Her husband paid for the newspaper. It published some of her musical compositions. She stayed in Lisbon with her family and worked as a piano teacher. Josephine died in Lisbon on January 9, 1887, from tuberculosis.
Josephine's Compositions
Josephine Amann-Weinlich was also a composer. In 1871, a music magazine called Musikalisches Wochenblatt described her work. They said she wrote "pleasing" and "often quite lively" music. Her compositions included fun pieces like waltzes and polkas. Some of her music was published in Vienna.
