By the end of her life, Maria Bach was better known as a painter of landscapes than as a composer, having taken up painting under the influence of her husband, Arturo Ciacelli, an Italian Futurist painter.
Composer Biography
Maria Bach's career was hindered by financial problems after a failed luxury hotel speculation and later by her music being considered old-fashioned after World War II.
Critical Reception
Maria Bach's name was largely forgotten until feminist musicology began researching female composers, though the booklet questions if she needs such 'gender treatment' for recognition.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Maria Bach's compositional style was influenced by Chopin, Mussorgsky, Skryabin, and Debussy, and she focused on musical Impressionism with free, associative forms rather than counterpoint or thematic development.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in July and August 2021 for the Quintet and Suite, and in November-December 2020 for the Sonata, at the WDR Funkhaus Köln, Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal.
Composer Biography
Maria Bach's family ran a prestigious salon at Leesdorf castle near Vienna, where well-known artists appeared, and music-making was a significant part of family life.
Composer Biography
Maria Bach (1896-1978) was related to the lawyer Alexander von Bach and Kapellmeister Otto von Bach on her father's side, and her mother was a singer who performed under Brahms and Mahler.
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