Sophia Maria Westenholz (née Elenore Sophia Maria Fritscher; 10 July 1759 - 4 October 1838) was a
German composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
, musician, singer and
music educator. Born in
Neubrandenburg, she was raised in a privileged family and spent most of her life in the courts of
Schwerin and
Ludwigslust, capitals of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the behest of
Duke Ludwig, she studied piano and singing with Konzertmeister
Johann Wilhelm Hertel
Johann Wilhelm Hertel (9 October 1727 – 14 June 1789) was a German composer, harpsichord and violin player.
He was born in Eisenach, into a family of musicians. His father, Johann Christian Hertel (1697–1754) was ''Konzertmeister'' (from 1 ...
in Schwerin beginning at age ten. By the time she was sixteen, she was employed as a singer in the Mecklenburg-Schwerin court chapel at Ludwigslust. She became the second wife of the Kapellmeister
Carl August Friedrich Westenholz in the summer of 1777; they had eight children together.
By the 1780s, Westenholz received great acclaim in
Berlin,
Leipzig, Ludwigslust and
Rostock, amassing a following including composer
Ernst Wilhelm Wolf and
Carl Friedrich Cramer Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
*Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of tel ...
. Wolf is quoted as saying “Mrs. Westenholz's manner is that of the great
Bach in
Hamburg.” In a review of his six sonatas, which Wolf had dedicated to Sophie Westenholz, Cramer also praised the balance in the musical expression of her playing.
When Carl Westenholz died in 1789, Sophia received the title of Kapellmeisterin at Ludwigslust. Following his death, she continued her career as a singer, teacher and pianist. She taught music to the Ludwigslust princesses and composed and performed her own works at court. In addition to her reputation as a pianist, she also became known for performing as a
glass harmonica player in various concerts.
After 1800, she began focusing on cultivating compositions, with several of her works appearing in print by 1806. She was described by
Johann Friedrich Reichardt as being 'one of the leading musicians of Europe’.
She retired in 1821 having secured a pension, and continued to serve as a court singer until her death.
Works
Westenholz drew inspiration from the works of
Johann Abraham Peter Schulz
Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (31 March 1747, Lüneburg – 10 June 1800, Schwedt) was a German musician. He is best known as the composer of the melody for Matthias Claudius's poems " Der Mond ist aufgegangen" and "Wir pflügen und wir streuen" ...
and Johann Friedrich Reichardt and wrote songs in both strophic and folk-song style.
Her works include:
Lieder with Unadorned Melodies:
*Das Grab
*Die Erscheinung
*Frühlingsreigen
*Meine Wünsche
Lieder With Ornamented Melodies:
*Das Glücke der Liebe
*Huldigung
*Lied der Liebe
Lieder That Represent the Early Romantic Style:
*Morgenlied
*Weine nicht, es ist vergebens
*Trost der Hoffnung
*Der Bund
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westenholz, Sophia Maria
1759 births
1838 deaths
People from Neubrandenburg
German classical pianists
German women pianists
German women classical composers
German music educators
German women music educators
Composers from the Holy Roman Empire