Yes, it was about time in my decision to try and use the lockdown constructively and listen to new-to-me composers included a lady. Every day during the current coronavirus 'lockdown' here in the UK I have either listened to a piece of classical music hitherto unknown to me, or listened to a recording of a Musical that I had not previously heard of. It has been quite an education and am enjoying it considerably. Today's listening took me to Germany and to the 19th century composer Emilie Mayer, whom I had never previously come across.
My research tells me that there is a little confusion about whether or not this is symphony number 7 or number 5. But majority of sources seem to claim that her 5th symphony has been lost, and this is indeed her 7th.
Born in 1812, and living through perhaps the most musically full and creative period of history, which music classifiction now ascribes the term, Romantic, this 34 minute symphony is lush, harmonic, melodic, and incredibly easy to listen to and enjoy. It is written in the standrad 4 movements (fast, slow, dance, fast), and in the recording I listened to it was played by the Kammersymphonie, Berlin conducted by Juergen Bruns.
I suppose it is very easy to try and draw comparisons with Mendelssohn and Brahms, and talk in general sweeping terms of German Romanticism. However Mayer's work is rhythmically more sophisticated than Mendelssohn and has lighter and more playful orchestrations which offer contrast against the often more densely orchestrated profundity of Brahms. However there is definitely - in my humble opinion at least - more than a whiff of Beethoven about this symphony. Despite her composing this in 1856, a lot of the chord structures and themes, especially in the third movement, are very Beethovenesque.
The symphony has no pretetntions of being programmatic, it is simply muisc for music's sake, and as such should be judged simply on aural pleasure and satisfaction; and in this regard it scores extremely highly. There are some great melodies which stay with you long after listening. Mayer is obviously a very accomplished composer with a mature and developed understanding of melody, harmony and structure, and some of the time, the chordal progression simply doesn't go the way you expect it to, which is interesting, clever and a delight.
One wonders why she has been passed by and overlooked so. Perhaps there were just so many composers at that time, all of whom were writing great music and all jostling for supremecy and acknowledgement. Mayer was a prolific composer writing 8 symphonies, a piano concerto and many choral and chamber works, and was even the Associate Director of the Opera Academy in Berlin. Was it simply because she was female the reason for her neglect? I hope not, but cannot help but wonder!
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 4/5/20
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