Luise Adolpha Le Beau (1850-1927)

Donald Macleod explores the influence of Le Beau's parents upon her musical beginnings

Luise Adolpha Le Beau was a German composer, concert pianist, teacher and music critic. Although her music was performed as far afield as Calcutta and Sydney, and despite the musical luminaries who influenced her career including the conductor Hans von Bülow, her story is one of continual struggle for recognition and respect. Le Beau's parents were huge supporters of their daughter right from the start, but their frequent moving of home in Germany, including Baden-Baden, Munich and Berlin, tells another story. Le Beau frequently met opposition to her works and to performance opportunities, and would eventually move on with her parents to seek better prospects. Despite these set-backs, Le Beau forged her own path as a composer not only with works for her own instrument, the piano, but also with chamber music, opera, a symphony and many songs. She was determined to succeed, but after her death, without anyone to promote her works on her behalf, Le Beau soon fell into obscurity and was largely forgotten.

Luise Adolphe Le Beau was born in Rastatt in Germany in 1850, but the family early on moved to Karlsruhe. From a young age Luise began to study the violin and piano, and unusually for the time, her father also taught her other subjects such as geometry. Many considered that learning the violin was not suitable for a girl, but her musical talents started to flourish, and she was soon having piano lessons with the court conductor Wilhelm Kalliwoda. By 1867, under his guidance, Le Beau gave a public performance of Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto. Donald Macleod is also joined throughout the series by Dr Katy Hamilton, who in this programme discusses the significant support Le Beau's parents gave her, to the extent that her mother would chaperone Le Beau on concert tours.

Piano Concerto in D minor, Op 37 (excerpt)

Katia Tchemberdji, piano

Berlin Chamber Symphony Orchestra

Jürgen Bruns, conductor

Fantasiestück, Op 1 No 1 (Drei Klavierstücke)

Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Fünf Lieder, Op 7 (excerpt)

Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano

Michael Pandya, piano

Piano Concerto in D minor, Op 37 (Allegro maestoso)

Piano Sonata, Op 8 (excerpt)

Violin Sonata, Op 10

Bartek Nizioł, violin

Tatiana Korsunskaya, piano

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Donald Macleod delves into the early life of Luise Adolpha Le Beau.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

[LISTEN NOW]

Donald Macleod explores the period Le Beau has lessons with the celebrated composer Josef Rheinberger.

Luise Adolpha Le Beau was a German composer, concert pianist, teacher and music critic. Although her music was performed as far afield as Calcutta and Sydney, and despite the musical luminaries who influenced her career including the conductor Hans von Bülow, her story is one of continual struggle for recognition and respect. Le Beau's parents were huge supporters of their daughter right from the start, but their frequent moving of home in Germany, including Baden-Baden, Munich and Berlin, tells another story. Le Beau frequently met opposition to her works and to performance opportunities, and would eventually move on with her parents to seek better prospects. Despite these set-backs, Le Beau forged her own path as a composer not only with works for her own instrument, the piano, but also with chamber music, opera, a symphony and many songs. She was determined to succeed, but after her death, without anyone to promote her works on her behalf, Le Beau soon fell into obscurity and was largely forgotten.

Luise Adolpha Le Beau had had a series of piano lessons with the pianist and composer Clara Schumann. There had been a clash of personality, and these lessons had not gone well. On the advice of the conductor Hans von Bülow, Le Beau was then accepted for lessons with Josef Rheinbeger. To begin with these lessons went very well, with Rheinberger even dedicating one of his own works to Le Beau. However, this relationship turned sour, and soon Le Beau was seeking another tutor who came in the form of Franz Lachner. Lachner would teach Le Beau aspects of orchestration, which would impact upon the composition of her own orchestral music. Donald Macleod is joined by Dr Katy Hamilton, who discusses the relationship Le Beau had with Rheinberger, and the possible reasons for its deterioration.

Mazurka, Op 57 No 3 (Drei Klavierstücke)

Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Polonaise, Op 26 No 3 (Drei Stücke)

Ulrich Koch, viola

Maria Bergmann, piano

Theme and Variations, Op 3

Fünf Lieder, Op 11 (excerpt)

Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano

Michael Pandya, piano

Piano Trio, Op 15

Bartek Nizioł, violin

Denis Severin, cello

Tatiana Korsunskaya, piano

Concert Overture in F major, Op 23

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Geoffrey Patterson, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Donald Macloed follows Le Beau as she and her family move to Munich.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

[LISTEN NOW]

Donald Macleod explores the period in Le Beau's life when she meets Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms.

Luise Adolpha Le Beau was a German composer, concert pianist, teacher and music critic. Although her music was performed as far afield as Calcutta and Sydney, and despite the musical luminaries who influenced her career including the conductor Hans von Bülow, her story is one of continual struggle for recognition and respect. Le Beau's parents were huge supporters of their daughter right from the start, but their frequent moving of home in Germany, including Baden-Baden, Munich and Berlin, tells another story. Le Beau frequently met opposition to her works and to performance opportunities, and would eventually move on with her parents to seek better prospects. Despite these set-backs, Le Beau forged her own path as a composer not only with works for her own instrument, the piano, but also with chamber music, opera, a symphony and many songs. She was determined to succeed, but after her death, without anyone to promote her works on her behalf, Le Beau soon fell into obscurity and was largely forgotten.

It had reached a point where Luise Adolpha Le Beau had decided, along with her parents, to leave Munich and head to Wiesbaden. In her autobiography Le Beau comments upon the artistic circles in Munich, which largely remained closed to her. It was during this period that Le Beau met Franz Liszt, and she was not overly impressed. On the other hand, Le Beau also had meetings with Johannes Brahms and Eduard Hanslick. These encounters were far more positive. Dr Katy Hamilton joins Donald Macleod to discuss the reviews Le Beau was receiving for her music at this time, and also the composer's endeavours to establish a school for teaching the daughters of educated classes.

Eight Preludes, Op 12 No 2 (Munter)

Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Romance, Op 35

Thomas Albertus Imberger, violin

Barbara Moser, piano

Vier Stücke, for cello and piano, Op 24

Thomas Blees, cello

Maria Bergmann, piano

Fünf Lieder, Op 11 (excerpt)

Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano

Michael Pandya, piano

Improvisata for left hand, Op 30

Gavotte, Op 32

Piano Concerto in D minor, Op 37 (excerpt)

Katia Tchemberdji, piano

Berlin Chamber Symphony Orchestra

Jürgen Bruns, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Donald Macleod delves into the period Le Beau leaves Munich and moves to Wiesbaden.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

[LISTEN NOW]

Donald Macleod delves into the period Le Beau declines a teaching position in Berlin.

Luise Adolpha Le Beau was a German composer, concert pianist, teacher and music critic. Although her music was performed as far afield as Calcutta and Sydney, and despite the musical luminaries who influenced her career including the conductor Hans von Bülow, her story is one of continual struggle for recognition and respect. Le Beau's parents were huge supporters of their daughter right from the start, but their frequent moving of home in Germany, including Baden-Baden, Munich and Berlin, tells another story. Le Beau frequently met opposition to her works and to performance opportunities, and would eventually move on with her parents to seek better prospects. Despite these set-backs, Le Beau forged her own path as a composer not only with works for her own instrument, the piano, but also with chamber music, opera, a symphony and many songs. She was determined to succeed, but after her death, without anyone to promote her works on her behalf, Le Beau soon fell into obscurity and was largely forgotten.

Le Beau had found Munich very closed in terms of its artistic circles, and so had moved to Wiesbaden with her parents. To begin with she was received very well, but with a change of personnel in relation to the court conductor, Le Beau soon found herself, yet again, out of favour. Within a few years Le Beau moved with her parents once again, this time to Berlin. Instead of a cosmopolitan city full of opportunity, Le Beau found it conservative and she soon tired of her constant battles for opportunities and recognition. Dr Katy Hamilton joins Donald Macleod to discuss the issues Le Beau faced in both Wiesbaden and Berlin, and also the possible reasons for why Le Beau started to decline opportunities.

Eight Preludes, Op 12 No 8 (Mit Grazie)

Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Nachstück, Op 26 No 2 (Drei Stücke)

Ulrich Koch, viola

Maria Bergmann, piano

Deutscher Regien, Klavierstück, Op 49

Piano Quartet, Op 28

Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective

Elana Urioste, violin

Rosalind Ventris, viola

Laura van der Heijden, cello

Tom Poster, piano

Drei Lieder, Op 39

Helen Charlston, mezzo-soprano

Michael Pandya, piano

Symphony in F major, Op 41 (Allegro con fuoco)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Geoffrey Patterson, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Donald Macleod explores Le Beau's life in Wiesbaden and then Berlin.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

[LISTEN NOW]

Donald Macleod discusses with Dr Katy Hamilton why Le Beau fell so quickly into obscurity.

Luise Adolpha Le Beau was a German composer, concert pianist, teacher and music critic. Although her music was performed as far afield as Calcutta and Sydney, and despite the musical luminaries who influenced her career including the conductor Hans von Bülow, her story is one of continual struggle for recognition and respect. Le Beau's parents were huge supporters of their daughter right from the start, but their frequent moving of home in Germany, including Baden-Baden, Munich and Berlin, tells another story. Le Beau frequently met opposition to her works and to performance opportunities, and would eventually move on with her parents to seek better prospects. Despite these set-backs, Le Beau forged her own path as a composer not only with works for her own instrument, the piano, but also with chamber music, opera, a symphony and many songs. She was determined to succeed, but after her death, without anyone to promote her works on her behalf, Le Beau soon fell into obscurity and was largely forgotten.

Le Beau's parents had been firm supporters of their daughter and her career. Yet not long after they all moved back to Baden-Baden, Le Beau's father died, and four years later so did her mother. Although Le Beau promised to her parents to keep going with composing and performing, in the remaining decades of her life she had lost some of her willingness to do battle, now that her key supporters were no longer there. With limited income Le Beau took on more piano pupils, and also moved to a smaller house. Dr Katy Hamilton joins Donald Macleod to discuss the significant impact the death of her parents had on Le Beau's career, and they explore some of the reasons why Le Beau's name has been largely forgotten until very recently.

Gigue, Op 48 No 3 (Danze Antiche)

Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Vater unser, Op 61

Singer Pur

Symphony in F major, Op 41 (Adagio)

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Geoffrey Patterson, conductor

Cello Sonata, Op 17

Steven Isserlis, cello

Connie Shih, piano

Barcarole, Op 59

Abendklänge, Op 63

Symphony in F major, Op 41 (excerpt)

Produced by Luke Whitlock

Donald Macleod explores the final decades for Le Beau after the death of her parents.

An informative guide to composers' lives and their music.

[LISTEN NOW]