RECOVERING HIDDEN VOICES: DUO WORKS BY FORGOTTEN GERMAN FEMALE COMPOSERS FROM THE ROMANTIC ERA

Abstract

This dissertation project comprises the recording and associated program notes of forgotten violin –piano duos by neglected German female composers of the Romantic era. As the issue of gender equality has come to the surface, more female composers, such as Clara Schumann (1819-1896) and Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847), have gained public recognition. This project introduces their lesser known contemporaries, such as Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) and Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850-1927). The recording project central to this dissertation focused on their violin-piano duo repertoire and took place in Dekelboum Concert Hall, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, on March 13, 14, and 24, 2025. The repertoire recorded consisted of: Emilie Mayer’s Violin Sonata in E-flat Major, Violin Sonata in F major, op. 17, and Notturno in D minor, op. 46 and Luise Aolpha Le Beau’s Violin Sonata op. 10, Élégie, op. 44, and Romanze, op. 35. On March 31, 2025, their other works were performed in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall. The program for this recital comprised Luise Adolpha Le Beau’s Cello Sonata, op. 17 and Piano Trio, op.15 and Emilie Mayer’s Erlkönig, “Du bist wie eine Blume” and “Wenn der Abendstern” from Lieder, op. 7, in addition to her two violin-piano duo works from the recording project. The live recording of this recital and the recording project can be found in the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM). The collaborators for these works were Jinwoo Lee, violin, Felix Drake, cello, and Theresa Bickam, soprano. I hope this project serves as one of many meaningful steps toward addressing the persistent challenges of gender equality in the classical music world. Ultimately, my aim is not only to bring these overlooked works to light but also to inspire fellow musicians to perform them and delve into the broader repertoire of such composers.