Maria Carolina Wolf facts for kids
Maria Carolina Wolf (born Benda) was a talented German musician. She was a great pianist, singer, and composer. She lived from 1742 to 1820.
Maria came from a very musical family! Her father, Franz Benda, was a famous violinist and composer for King Frederick II of Prussia. Her aunt, Anna Franziska Hattasch, was a singer, and her uncle, Georg Benda, was a conductor. Maria learned to play the piano and sing from her father.
Early Life and Music
Maria's mother passed away in 1758. After this, Maria helped manage her father's home. She was very responsible.
In 1761, Maria went on a concert tour with her father. They visited cities like Gotha, Weimar, and Rudolstadt. During this trip, her father got married again.
Meeting Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
While in Weimar, Maria met a talented musician named Ernst Wilhelm Wolf. He was the court's main concert master. A "court" was like a royal household where kings or dukes lived and worked.
In 1768, Ernst Wilhelm Wolf got a special job at the Duchess's court. Two years later, in 1770, Maria and Ernst got married.
Life at Court
In 1775, Duchess Anna Amalia gave control of the government to her son, Carl August. Ernst Wilhelm Wolf continued to work as a conductor under the new ruler. Maria also kept her job as a singer.
Music and Theater
The Duchess Anna Amalia loved theater. In 1776, a famous writer named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe helped introduce more plays at the court. Maria Wolf became an actress and singer in these plays.
Maria and her husband, Ernst, worked together to create music for the plays. They composed songs with piano music. These songs were published in a journal called Der Teutsche Merkur. They were part of two collections: 51 Lieder der besten deutschen Dichter mit Melodien (which means 51 Best Songs of the German Poets with Melodies) and Mildheimischen Liederbuch (The Mild Homely Songbook).
Maria Carolina Wolf's husband, Ernst, passed away in 1792. Maria continued to live in Weimar for many years. She died on August 2, 1820.
