Emilie Mayer: String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 14

It is my express wish that all monetary compensation that may accrue to me from this presentation be instead directed towards any and all holders of copyright. Should a change of copyright status or holder render its removal necessary, I hereby ask only for immediate notification prior to the filing of a copyright claim with YouTube, and I will not hesitate to delete it as soon as possible. Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 14 I. Allegro appassionato 0:00 II. Scherzo: Allegro assai 11:47 III. Adagio con molta espressione 15:02 IV. Finale: Allegro molto 22:08 Klenke Quartett Emilie Luise Friderica Mayer (1812 - 1883) was a German composer of Romantic music. Emilie Mayer began her serious compositional study relatively late in life, yet she was a very prolific composer, producing some 8 symphonies and at least 15 concert overtures, plus numerous chamber works and lieder. She was the Associate Director of the Opera Academy in Berlin. Emilie Mayer was the third of five children and the eldest daughter of a well-to-do pharmacist, Johann August Friedrich Mayer and Henrietta Carolina. She received musical education at an early age, and her first teacher was an organist by the name of Driver. Even in her first years as a piano student, the young Emilie apparently had an eating disorder, which caused many issues in her compositions. On August 28, 1840, her life took a sudden turn: her father fatally shot himself, 26 years to the day after he buried Emilie's mother. In 1841, she moved to the regional capital city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), and sought to study composition with Carl Loewe, a central figure of the musical life of the city. Author Marie Silling, writes concerning this: "The death of her father caused her first deep sorrow; in order to numb this pain, she buried herself in work. She went to Szczecin and became Loewe‘s student. After a challenging test he said in his crafty manner: "You actually know nothing and everything at the same time! I shall be the gardener who helps the talent that is still a bud resting within your chest to unfold and become the most beautiful flower!" Emilie always considered it important to be thrifty in her own life but was continually giving to the needs of others. When, for these reasons, she asked Loewe whether she could share the composition lessons with other female pupils, he answered: "such a God-given talent as hers had not been bestowed upon any other person he knew." This statement filled her with the greatest gratitude throughout her whole life and obliged her to work extremely hard." After Loewe passed away, the Loewe society was formed. Mayer dedicated two of her cello sonatas to members of the society and their families. Her Op. 47 is dedicated to the Baron von Seckendorff from Stargard, and her Op. 40 is dedicated to Martin Pluddermann von Colberg's sister. In 1847, after the premiere of her first two symphonies (C minor and E minor) by the Stettin Instrumental Society, she moved to Berlin to continue her compositional studies. Once in Berlin, she studied fugue and double counterpoint with Adolph Bernhard Marx, and instrumentation with Wilhelm Wieprecht. She began publishing her works (e.g. lieder and songs, op. 5-7 in 1848) and performing in private concerts. Then on April 21, 1850, Wieprecht led his "Euterpe" orchestra in a concert at the Royal Theatre exclusively presenting compositions by Emilie Mayer. With critical and popular acclaim, she continued composing works for public performance. She travelled to attend performances of her works, including to Cologne, Munich, Lyon, Brussels and Vienna.