Woman's Work in Music

by Arthur Elson

Among the works of her maturer period, her church music ranks highest of all. Her oratorio "Isacco," with words by Metastasio, is her worthiest production, and met with deserved success when performed at Vienna in 1788. Besides this work, she composed two other oratorios, a successful mass, a four-part Miserere, a number of psalms for four and eight voices, with orchestral accompaniment, several motets, and many other pieces of a religious character. The list of her works does not end here, but comprises symphonies, overtures, and other orchestral numbers, including several piano concertos. Taken as a whole, her works entitle her to a worthy place among women composers of all time.

Leaving the eighteenth century, the next woman composer of note is Emilie Zumsteeg. Born at Stuttgart in 1796, she soon showed that she had inherited the musical taste of her father, himself a well-known composer. On his death, six years later, the widow supported herself by keeping a music-store, where the growing daughter absorbed much knowledge of the art. Soon she began regular study, and won her way into notice by her singing and piano-playing. Her sight-reading abilities were something phenomenal, and she could play from full instrumental scores with ease. Her home became the centre of a brilliant circle, including Weber, Hummel, Lindpaintner, and poets as well as musicians. She was much prized as a teacher of piano and singing, and a personal favourite in her native city. Of her compositions, the most ambitious is an overture to the play "Die Geister Insel." She wrote also several piano pieces, among them three polonaises. But according to German authority,[7] it is her songs that have made her memory honoured. Her originality and her skill in metrical treatment have won her high praise, and many of the songs achieved wide popularity.

Leopoldine Blahetka, the Austrian pianist, was one of the most prolific of women composers. Born near Vienna in 1811, she made such rapid progress under her mother's tuition that by Beethoven's advice she was placed under Czerny in her fifth year. She pursued composition as well as piano, and when twelve years old was able to appear in Vienna and play a set of variations with her own orchestral accompaniment. Among her later teachers were Moscheles, Kalkbrenner, and Sechter. She made frequent tours, and met with universal success. The criticisms of her work include an extremely favourable notice by Schumann. In 1840 she settled in Boulogne, where she became renowned as a teacher, and led a successful career until her death in 1887.

Of her many works, the most ambitious are a piano concerto, the "Souvenir d'Angleterre" for piano and orchestra, and two sets of piano variations with orchestral accompaniment. Among her numerous examples of chamber music are found variations for string quartette and piano, two piano quartettes, a piano trio, several violin sonatas, a polonaise, and sets of variations for 'cello, violin, and flute with piano. She has composed a grand duet and a number of solos for piano, also numerous vocal duets and songs. Her operetta, "Die Räuber und die Sänger," was successfully produced at Vienna.

One of Germany's greatest women composers was Emilie Mayer. Hers was a fortunate position, for she was always well provided for, and could exercise her powers without the need to think of the financial result. She was born in Friedland in 1812, her father being "Apotheker," a position of far more importance in German towns than that held by our pharmacists. Emilie showed the usual signs of musical talent, and was given the best of teachers. After advanced work with Carl Loewe, the great ballad composer, she entered the musical life of the German capital. Here she gave a concert as her introduction, playing the piano herself, and making the programme entirely of her own compositions. On this occasion were given a concert-overture, a string quartette, Psalm 118 for voices and orchestra, and two symphonies, the "Militaire" and the B minor. This was an imposing array, but it was only a beginning, and her productive career continued until her death in 1883.

Not all of her works have been published, but all show good thematic material and an unusual sense of musical form. The list includes many dances and songs, two string quartettes, two piano quartettes, two quintettes, ten piano trios, eight violin sonatas, twelve overtures, Psalm 118 with orchestra, seven symphonies, and an operetta. This is certainly an extensive catalogue for any composer. Among the printed works, the best are the "Faust" overture, Op. 46; the violin sonatas, Op. 17 and 21, also the nocturne, Op. 48, an expressive work; the 'cello sonata, Op. 47; the piano trio, Op. 13; and for piano solo an allemande, Op. 29, that is full of masculine power and energy.

Agnes Bernouilly, a native of Berlin, was another woman who devoted herself to orchestral productions. Her works in the larger forms have been given often by the Saro orchestra and others, while her songs and piano works have received much praise from the critics. Another composer of renown was Aline Hundt, one of Liszt's best pupils, who was born in 1849, and died at the early age of twenty-four. In her short career she wrote a march for orchestra, a "Champagnerlied" for tenor solo, chorus, and orchestra, selections for viola and violin with piano, a number of male choruses, and several songs and piano pieces. Theresa Schaeffer has composed a festival overture for grand orchestra, besides many piano pieces and songs. Anna Benfey-Schuppe wrote an overture for "Götz von Berlichingen," as well as incidental music to other plays and various chamber works. Nanette von Schaden, a native of Salzburg, composed two piano concertos, as well as numerous sonatas and rondos for piano. Constanze von Buttenstein, besides issuing a number of songs and piano works, has published an "Ave Maria" for alto voice, with an orchestral accompaniment that is sometimes reduced to organ and string quartette.

Among other symphonic writers, Nina von Stollewerck, a native of Austria, is credited with two symphonies. She has written other ambitious works, besides songs and male choruses of some merit. Agnes Tyrell is another Austrian, having been born at Brunn in 1848. She pursued her studies at Vienna, where she became an excellent pianist as well as a composer. Among her works are a symphony, three overtures, and a number of smaller orchestral selections, as well as some worthy piano pieces.

Louisa Adolpha Lebeau, born at Rastatt in 1850, is undoubtedly one of the most gifted of living women composers, not only in her own country, but in the entire world. Her teachers include such famous names as Clara Schumann and Kalliwoda for piano, and Rheinberger in composition. She is an excellent pianist, and has made frequent and successful tours to all the great cities of Germany. Her appearance at the Gewandhaus concerts in Leipsic is in itself a proof of her superior attainments in this direction. She often performs her own works, which are always successful.