Maria Theresia von Paradis facts for kids
Maria Theresia von Paradis (born May 15, 1759 – died February 1, 1824) was an amazing Austrian musician and composer. She lost her eyesight when she was very young. Some people believe that Mozart might have written his Piano Concerto No. 18 especially for her.
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Early Life and Musical Talent
Maria Theresia von Paradis was the daughter of Joseph Anton von Paradis. He was an important official for Empress Maria Theresa, and Maria Theresia was named after the Empress. She lost her eyesight between the ages of 2 and 5.
Maria Theresia received a great education in music from many talented teachers:
- Karl Frieberth taught her about music theory and how to compose.
- Leopold Koželuch taught her to play the piano.
- Vincenzo Righini taught her how to sing.
- Antonio Salieri taught her both singing and composing.
- Abbé Vogler also taught her music theory and composition.
Everyone said that Paradis had an excellent memory. She also had incredibly accurate hearing. People reported that she learned over sixty concertos by heart! She also knew many solo and religious music pieces.
In 1773, she was asked to perform an organ concerto by Antonio Salieri. This piece still exists today, but it is missing its second part. By 1775, Paradis was performing as a singer and pianist in many concerts and fancy gatherings in Vienna.
From late 1776 to mid-1777, Maria Theresia was treated by a famous doctor named Franz Mesmer. For a short time, her eyesight seemed to get better. However, she was taken out of his care, and her blindness returned permanently.
Touring Europe as a Musician
Paradis did not stay only in Vienna. In 1783, she started a long tour to Paris and London. Her mother and a writer named Johann Riedinger went with her. Riedinger even invented a special board to help her compose music.
In August 1783, they visited the Mozart family in Salzburg. Maria Theresia played in Frankfurt and other German cities, then traveled through Switzerland. She finally arrived in Paris in March 1784. Her first concert there was in April. A newspaper called the Journal de Paris wrote that "one must have heard her to form an idea of the touch, the precision, the fluency and vividness of her playing." She performed 14 times in Paris and received wonderful reviews. She also helped Valentin Haüy open the first school for blind people in 1785.
In Paris, Paradis performed a piano concerto by Joseph Haydn. She also played a piano concerto by Mozart in 1784. Many people believe this was his No. 18, K.456. However, it's not completely certain which concerto it was.
Paradis traveled to Westminster in England in late 1784. Over the next few months, she performed for the royal family and in other important concerts. She played Handel fugues for King George III. She also played with the Prince of Wales, who was a cellist. Her concerts in England were not as popular as those in Paris.
She continued her tour in Western Europe, visiting cities like Hamburg, where she met Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. After passing through Berlin and Prague, she returned to Vienna in 1786. She had plans to perform in Italy and Russia, but these never happened. She went back to Prague in 1797 for her opera Rinaldo und Alcina.
Composing and Teaching
During her European tour, Paradis started writing her own music. She composed solo pieces for piano and songs for voice and keyboard. Some of her earliest music was mistakenly thought to be by another composer, Pietro Domenico Paradisi. Her first major work that still exists is a collection of twelve songs called Zwölf Lieder auf ihrer Reise in Musik gesetzt, written between 1784 and 1786.
By 1789, Paradis spent more time composing than performing. From 1789 to 1797, she wrote five operas and three cantatas. After her opera Rinaldo und Alcina was not successful in 1797, she focused more on teaching.
In 1808, she opened her own music school in Vienna. There, she taught young girls how to sing, play piano, and understand music theory. Her best students performed in Sunday concerts at the school. She continued teaching until she passed away in 1824.
When she composed, she used a special board invented by Riedinger, her partner. For writing letters, she used a hand-printing machine. Her songs often sound like opera music, with fancy singing parts. The influence of her teacher Salieri can be seen in her dramatic scenes. Her piano music shows a strong influence from her teacher Leopold Kozeluch.
The Sicilienne Mystery
The most famous piece of music often said to be by Paradis is the Sicilienne in E-flat major for violin and piano. This piece was even played at Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's wedding! However, it turns out this piece is a musical trick. A violinist named Samuel Dushkin created it in the 20th century. The Sicilienne is actually based on a part of Carl Maria von Weber's Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 10, No.1.
List of Works by Maria Theresa Paradis
Stage works
- Ariadne und Bacchus, melodrama, June 20, 1791 (lost)
- Der Schulkandidat, December 5, 1792, part of Act 2 and all of Act 3 (Overture: ClarNan Editions; rest lost)
- Rinaldo und Alcina, Zauberoper, June 30, 1797 (lost)
- Große militärische Oper 1805 (lost)
- Zwei ländliche Opern (lost)
Cantatas
- Trauerkantate auf den Tod Leopolds II, 1792 (lost)
- Deutsches Monument Ludwigs des Unglücklichen, 1793
- Kantate auf die Wiedergenesung meines Vaters (lost)
Instrumental works
- Pianoforte Concerto in G (lost)
- Pianoforte Concerto in C (lost)
- 12 Piano Sonatas, 1792 (lost)
- Pianoforte Trio, 1800 (lost)
- Fantasie in G, pf, 1807
- Fantasie in C, pf, 1811
- Keyboard Variations (lost)
- An meine entfernten Lieben, pf (lost)
- Various songs and lieder totaling at least 18 works, of which two are lost.
Scores
- [[scores:{{{id}}}|Maria Theresia von Paradis]]: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project
See also
In Spanish: Maria Theresia von Paradis para niños
