Emilie Mayer (1812-1883)

Started by Ten thumbs, July 26, 2011, 07:59:17 AM

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Ten thumbs

It's good to see that there is now a provisional list of her compositions on Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Emilie_Mayer

In her day her works were highly regarded and they have only dropped out of consideration because she was a woman and had no descendants to champion her cause after her death. Apart from the Op. 14 quartet we now have her 5th Symphony available on disk or mp3 downloads. This is a strong vigorous work, at least as good as the symphonies of other second tier composers from the mid 18th century. I can only hope that more of her symphonies will be played and recorded in the near future. What is more, there are another six string quartets and two string quintets to go at! 
A day may be a destiny; for life
Lives in but little—but that little teems
With some one chance, the balance of all time:
A look—a word—and we are wholly changed.

Scion7

Have been exploring this composer's violin sonatas, piano trios and a couple of symphonies over the weekend.  Solid stuff, if not music one will go to every day . . .
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."