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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
Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Gavotte, Op 32
Ana-Marija Markovina, piano

Piano Concerto in D minor, Op 37 (excerpt)
Katia Tchemberdji, piano
Berlin Chamber Symphony Orchestra
Jürgen Bruns, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock