During her lifetime, Emilie Mayer's works were widely received and reviewed in major contemporary musical publications, despite occasional hostility towards female composers.
Composition History
Emilie Mayer's Sixth Symphony, also on this album, was composed in 1853 and premiered at the Königliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin, like her Fourth Symphony.
Compositional Technique
Emilie Mayer's Scherzo is through-composed, a modern approach for the 1850s when other composers like Schumann were still using repetitions and block structures.
Composition History
Emilie Mayer's Fourth Symphony in B minor, featured on this album, was composed in 1851 when she was almost 40 years old.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Emilie Mayer's symphonies are described as "fulfilled, fierce and special," reflecting her own life path, and her music is noted for constantly moving forward with endless inspiration.
Composer Biography
Emilie Mayer, born in 1812, began piano and organ lessons at the early age of five and started composing soon after.
Composer Biography
At the age of 30, Emilie Mayer made the incredibly courageous decision to pursue a career as a composer, a rare path for women at that time.
