Amanda Röntgen-Maier (1853-1894)

[Peter1953]

Amanda Maier was Julius Röntgen's first wife and a skillfull violinist.
For some information see Wikipedia.

Besides a violinist she was also a composer, but after her wedding with Julius her musical activities in public and composing stopped. Unfortunately.
I have made a list of her works based upon two sources: the Dutch website of the Netherlands Music Institute (see this) and the Röntgen biography Gaudeamus by Dr Jurjen Vis (p.184-198). BTW, a new Röntgen website, both in Dutch and English, is now online. See www.juliusrontgen.nl

Published works

- Sonata for violin and piano in B minor "Till min käre fader" (1878)
- Six pieces for violin and piano (1879)
- "Zwiegespräche. Kleine Klavierstücke von Julius und Amanda Röntgen". Ten small pieces for piano, a joint composition with Julius (1883)
- "Schwedische Weisen und Tänze". A joint composition with Julius. For piano and/or violin?
- Quartet for piano, violin, viola and cello in E minor (1891)
- Orchestration of the six pieces for violin and piano by Fr. Rosenkranz

Unpublished works

- Romance for violin and piano
- Trio for piano, violin and cello (1874)
- Concerto for violin and orchestra (1875)
- Quartet for piano, violin, viola and clarinet in E minor
- "Nordiska Tonbilder" for violin and piano (before July 1876)
- Intermezzo for piano
- Two string quartets
- March for piano, violin, viola and cello
- Romances on texts by David af Wirsén
  a. Den sjuka flikans sång
  b. Aftonklockan
  c. Ungt mod
  d. Sången
- Trio for piano and two violins

All published and unpublished works are in 1997 handed over to the Statens Musikbibliotek at Stockholm.

The only work that has been recorded is the Sonate for violin and piano in B minor. However, this CD is not available anymore. See here. Has anybody got this disc or ever heard the piece?

Fascinating, of course, is the Violin Concerto (key?). Julius helped Amanda with the score for the violin (because she had troubles with her eyes). Amanda composed the work in 1874-75. On 8 February 1876 the concerto was performed by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of Carl Reinecke with Amanda playing a Stradivarius violin (owner: Heinrich Flinch). It was a tremendous success. Between 1876 and 1879 her concerto was performed more than 37 times. On 18 November 1876 she played her concerto with the Royal Swedish Orchestra at the prestigious Opera House of Stockholm.
Amanda's Violin Concerto must be a glorious piece. How much I would like to hear it. Who doesn't? Is there anybody who can do something with the score, which is in the State Musical Library at Stockholm?

[edurban]

This is very exciting/intriguing.  How marvelous that the score of the violin concerto survives...

David

[Peter1953]

Maybe a challenge for Bo Hyttner?

[Mark Thomas]

Before I suggested it to Bo, I'd want to be confident of its quality. An unknown work by an unknown composer is a bit of a gamble without some idea of the composition's value.

[jerfilm]

Has anybody got this disc or ever heard the piece?

It's a two disc set, I believe and I have it.  But back in Minnesota.  If someone wants to check on whether it is uploadable, I'd be happy to do that when we return home in April.

Jerry

[Martin Eastick]

Peter1953,

Yes, this is a 2CD set of chamber music by Swedish women composers of the later 19th century & most of the contents are only recordings. THe serial number is MSCD528/529 and is still available. (www.toccata.nu). There is also a copy on ebay at the moment for £18.92 (+ postage)- try searching under'Tegner'!

I obtained this set after hearing the Maier sonata (when the BBC broadcast such things on a regular basis!) and wasn't at all disappointed!

[Peter1953]

Thanks, Martin! I've just listened to the excerpts of Amanda Maier's Sonata for violin and piano in B minor and they sound promising, go to here.

Mark, I understand what you mean. The only thing I can say is that the VC was performed successfully quite a lot of times. Maybe somebody (working for Sterling) can have a close look at the score? Who knows it's a hidden treasure...

[Peter1953]

I have obtained this double disc. What a very pleasant and various pieces of chamber music by those Swedish women composers!  BTW, it includes excellent, very informative booklet notes.
The Sonata for Violin and Piano in B minor by Amanda Maier is a lovely piece, but for me a revelation are both String Quartets by Valborg Aulin (the sister of Tor), with deeply heart felt passages, especially the slow movements. And I think Elfrida Andrée's Piano Trio in G minor is such a wonderful trio that it inspired me to go for further listening to other works, like her 2nd Symphony and other chamber music. Gosh... my wantlist is growing and growing.

[jerfilm]

Thanks BC for the chamber music upload.  Very nice pieces.

J

[Mark Thomas]

Indeed they are, especially the Quartet, the movement titles and performers of which I've added in the Swedish thread on the Downloads Discussion board. To be honest, I preferred her work to several of Röntgen's own chamber pieces; hers seems to have a real spark to it. Maybe the Violin Concerto is worth a punt after all...

[FBerwald]

Has anyone read through the score of the Violin concerto? If so any opinions?

[Aramiarz]

Interesting discovery. I will ask to Bo about the score. Peter 1953 follow in this forum?

[eschiss1]

Re Rontgen-Maier's violin concerto, did anyone here attend the modern premieres (the performances in 2014 and 2015 in Karlstad and Stockholm respectively) of the concerto? (Obviously this had not happened yet when Peter1953 started the thread in 2012. But since then Mark Starr prepared a new edition, which got published, and- well: see http://www.juliusrontgen.nl/en/home/actualiteiten/.)

(I don't know if there's a recording in the works, but it looks a lot more likely to me now, with an edition and reduction prepared and 2 more recent performances having occurred (the last performance before 2014, I think, was in 1876 or so, it says...),  than previously )

There's a copy of Starr's published piano reduction (Noteworthy Musical Editions, which may have to do with the program Noteworthy Composer) in the library of Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan... Amazon.com offers the solo part, the reduction, and the full score for prices from $12.50 to $30 (solo to orchestral score) btw. No incipit provided to suggest what key it might perhaps be in (to answer that initial question) though.

The E minor piano quartet has, as of 2010, been published too.

[eschiss1]

Her concerto can now be heard on video (ok, I realize I'm still assuming people are actually interested )... I noticed someone in one of the Facebook groups I belong to ("Swedish Romantic Composers") announcing it yesterday.

Hope this link works

[FBerwald]

A very very very beautiful concerto; not a great masterpiece but very enjoyable. I wish the composer had written more for Orchestra; she brings out some amazing colours with beautiful use of woodwinds. Her style seems very akin to Godard - using short or seemingly short motifs and building up entire movements on them. I think this can stand beside the Dietrich Violin Concerto [sadly neglected] any day!

Love to hear what others think of them.