Unsung Composers

Johanna Mueller-Hermann  Born 15.1.1868 Vienna - Died  19.4.1941  Vienna

Her father at one time was head of The Austrian Ministry of Culture and Education.  She was one of three children. She was initially taught music by her mother, later becoming a pupil of Karl Navratil, Guido Alder and Josef Labor.  She subsequently had tuition from Alexander Zemlinsky, Franz Schmidt and Josef Bohuslav Foerster.  She succeeded the latter as Professor of Composition at The Neuss Konservatorium in Vienna.

In 1893 she married Otto Meuller-Martini and continued her musical career.


Orchestra

Heroische Overture  Op.21  1916
Symphonic Fantasy on Ibsen's 'Brand' (Fire)  with chorus  Op.25
Symphony with soloists and chorus in D minor  words by Ricarda Huch  Op.27  1919

Chamber

Piano Quintet in G minor  Op.31  1932
String Quintet in A minor  Op.7  1909
String Quartet in E flat major Op.6  1910  pub. by UE
Violin Sonata in D minor  Op.5  1903   pub. by Doblinger
Cello Sonata Op.16  1915
Cello Sonata  in G major  Op.17  1923

Piano

Sonata  Op.8
Five pieces: Romanze, Novelette, Intermezzo in D minor, Intermezzo in D major, Impromptu.  Op.3  1908
Three pieces  Op.12
Two pieces Op.23

Vocal

Von Tod und Giedenken - cantata for women's choir and orchestra  Op.10
Der Sterbende Schwann (The Dying Swan) for chorus and orchestra  Op.24
German Oath  for male choir and orchestra  Op.22
In Memorium (Walt Whitman) cantata for voices and orchestra  Op.30   pub. by Universal
Von Minnelob und Glauben Streu  for chorus and orchestra  Op.37
Choral work for three choirs  Op.9
Choral work for two choirs  Op.13

Song

Seven songs  Op.1 /1. Wiegenlied. 2. Tod in Ähren. 3. Liebesreim. 4. Mein Frühling. 5. Dunkle Rosen. 6. Wiedersehen. 7. Am Bach.  Words: H. Ibsen, D. Lilienkron, Ricarda Huch. J. Müller-Hermann. (1898-1903). First performance Vienna 1904.   pub. by Gutmann
Five songs  Op.2 /1. Willst du mit mir wandern. 2. Weisst du noch. 3. Liebeslied. 4. Der letzte Abend. 5. Einen guten Grund hat's. (High voice, piano). words: J. Müller-Hermann, Ricarda Huch. pub. by Doblinger
Four songs  Op.4 /1. Wandle wie im Traum. 2. Die stille Stadt. 3. Wanderlied. 4. Mondbeglänzt im stillen Wald. .Words: J. Müller-Hermann, R. Dehmel, Ricarda Huch, F. W. Weber.  pub. by Doblinger
Two songs  Op.11 /1. Nähe des Geliebten. 2. An die Entfernte.) (High voice, piano). words: J. W. v. Goethe .pub. by  Universal Edition 1939.
Four songs  Op.14 /1. Landschaft (Landscape). 2. Sonnenuntergang (Sunset) 3. Den Lenz laß kommen (Let the light come). 4. Polka. words: J.P. Jacobsen.
Two duets  Op.15 /1. Abendlied. 2. Tanzlied. (Two sopranos, viola, piano). Words: J. Bierbaum.
Eight songs  Op.18 /1. Von Sternen glitt ein stummer Funk. 2. Die Stunde, da ich dich zuerst ersah. 3. Beim stummen Gange durch die finstern Bäume. 4. Abendstunde. 5. Du gabst mir deine Hand. 6. Es goß mein volles Leben sich. 7. Eine liebe Stunde. 8. Encore. for voice, piano/orchestra. words: W. Calé. pub. by UE 1915. FP (piano score)  22 Nov 1915; (orchestral version)  9 Apr 1916.
Three songs  Op.19 /1. Sehnsucht. 2. Liebesreim. 3. Geheimnis. voice, piano). words: Ricarda Huch. Vienna, UE 1940.
Four songs  Op.20 /1. Widmung. 2. Herbst. 3. Waldseligkeit. 4. Wie eine Vollmondnacht. .words: W. Calé, after Böcklin's 'Herbstgedanken', R. Dehmel, J.A. Rinaldini. pub. by UE 1940.
Two songs  Op.26 /1. Am See. 2. Frühling. (Soprano, orchestra/piano) pub. by UE (piano score)  1920; (orchestral version) 1924.
Autumn songs  Op.28 /1. Herbstabend. 2. Minnelied. 3. Intermezzo. 4. Regenlied. 5. In memoriam. words: J.A. Rinaldini. pub. by UE
Three songs  Op.32 /1. Am Strand. 2. Du schlank und rein. 3. Im Traum und Gesang. (High voice, piano). words: St. George, R.A. Schröder. pub. by UE 1939.
Three songs  Op.33 /1. Vorfrühling. 2. Trauminsel. 3. Liebeshymnus). Soprano, orchestra/ piano.words: Tona v. Hermann. pub. by UE 1939.
Five Zwiegesänge  duets  'Beatrix und der Sänger' Op.36 /1. Begegnung. 2. Verstehen. 3. Geständnis. 4. Vision. 5. Abschied. (Soprano, baritone, string quintet, harp). words: W. Calé.1936

Organ

Four old melodies  Op.34
Imagination  phantasie  Op.35


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Worldcat (or rather this link (http://www.worldcat.org/title/sonate-d-moll-fur-clavier-und-violine-op-5/oclc/747310325)) claims that the violin sonata Op.5 is in D minor, btw. Haven't seen it, though...

As to CDs, all I can find is...

Thorofon CD: Heroic Overture, Op.21 & Symphonic Poem Fantasy on Ibsen's drama "Brand", Op.25
and the Nimbus CD: Quartet for Strings in E flat major, Op.6 - coupled with Zemlinsky.

I have that Thorofon CD, but I think it must be long out of print.

Based on "210 Österreichische Komponistinnen" - (210 Austrian Woman Composers) from the 16th century to the present, published by Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, in 2001, I have added some information such as publication years - Universal Edition (UE) - and/or first performances (FP) and some opus numbers and I have corrected three titles: Tod und Gedenken, Zwiegesänge, Glaubenstreu (see below).

According to the book and to German Wikipedia she was born in 1868.

Orchestra

Heroische Overture  Op.21 - First performance (FP): Vienna, 19 Dec. 1916
Symphonic Fantasy on Ibsen's 'Brand' (Fire)  with chorus  Op.25 FP (two pianos) 1920
Symphony with soloists and chorus in D minor on a text by Ricarda Huch Op.27 FP 1919

Chamber

Piano Quintet in G minor  Op.31 FP 1932
String Quintet in A minor  Op.7 FP 1909
String Quartet in E flat major Op.6  UE 1912 FP 1911
Violin Sonata in minor  Op.5  1903 FP 1905
Cello Sonata Op.16 FP 1915
Cello Sonata  in G major  Op.17 FP 1923

Piano

Sonata  Op.8
Five pieces: Romanze, Novelette, Intermezzo in D minor, Intermezzo in D major, Impromptu.  Op.3 FP 1908


Vocal

Von Tod und Gedenken - cantata for women's choir and orchestra  Op.10
Der Sterbende Schwan (The Dying Swan) for chorus and orchestra  Op.24 FP 1914
German Oath  for male choir and orchestra  Op.22 UE 1915 FP 1933
In Memoriam (Walt Whitman) cantata for voices and orchestra  Op.30 UE 1930 FP 1930
Von Minnelob und Glaubenstreu  for chorus and orchestra  Op.37 1938

Song

Five Zwiegesänge  duets  Op.36

Organ

Four old melodies Op. 34
Imagination ('Phantasie') Op. 35

Her five pieces Op.3 were performed in London as recently as last Thursday along with other rare works relating to Vienna.

Good to hear she's not entirely forgotten! What other rare works were performed in London?

Oddly, a second Symphony in D, without a chorus, is listed in The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers as Op.28, which is assigned here to Autumn Songs. It also has Op.19 as a piece for solo piano, rather than a song. It has birth and death dates as initially shown by Giles.

"Although her works adhere to traditional form and tonality, they reveal", it says, "considerable harmonic richness and resourceful instrumentation".

both lists refer to her violin sonata as just being "in minor". I must hear this curious beast, which is in a modality, which I assume is not atonal, but which still has no key!

Sorry that was  my omission. The list in "210 Austrian women composers" - which is based on autographs, first printings and the AKM (Austrian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers) work list - has the violin sonata as being indeed in D minor.

No second symphony is listed, and Op. 28 is asigned to Autumn Songs: Herbstlieder (1. Herbstabend. 2. Minnelied. 3. Intermezzo. 4. Regenlied. 5. In memoriam.) UE 1940. FP Vienna 1920.

That sounds, anyway, like a well-documented book, the sort one would want to use for notes/cites in Wikipedia articles, &c. ... I should look to see if the library has it, or something...

In reply to Wheesht; The other works were:

Intermezzo in D minor by Mathilde Kralik von Meyerswalden 
Slow movement from Sonata for piano by Nancy Van de Vate
Original piano version of La Valse by Ravel
Fantasien uber Gedichte by Zemlinsky  Op.9

Interesting, thank you. two names that were new to me. I see that Mathilde Kralik von Meyrswalden has a most impressively long list of works in "210 Austrian Women Composers" - worth exploring further, methinks.

I wouldn't bother with Van de Vate, she is the nearest thing to Sado Masochism musically speaking! Painful to listen to.
I thought Meyerswalden worth exploring though it is hard to judge from one piece.

we've discussed Kralik briefly elsewhere here and I think a piano trio of hers has been uploaded somewhere here etc. etc. - also something by hers is at IMSLP.

No concertos among Muller-Hermann's works?

I think the 1995 Thorofon CD was reissued on Arte Nova in 2006. Or something.

No concertos among Müller-Hermann's works according to the lists I have seen.

Her birth year is definitely 1868, she would hardly have been married in 1893, aged just 15. Could this be changed in the title of the thread?

A brief extract from her Heroische Ouverture op. 21 can be heard here:
http://www.mediathek.at/atom/1348207D-2A3-0018F-0000068C-13476238

Her Five Piano Pieces op. 3 came out on RE NOVA CLASSICS RNC 051001 and her Cello Sonata Op. 16 is/was also available on CD 2011: Camerata CMCD-2845: Weigl, Müller-Hermann, Webern: Cellomusic of the Fin de Siècle in Vienna (CD, 2011; recorded 2000)
Othmar Müller, cello; Leonore Aumaier, piano (this disc seems to be available only in Japan).

Her Symphony with soloists and chorus Op.27, the cantata In Memoriam (Walt Whitman) for voices and orchestra Op.30, and 3 songs (no Op. no. given) are all held by the Archiv Frau und Musik in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

There are still plenty of copies of the Thorofon CD available:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00002630N/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me= (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00002630N/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=)

are there definitely two cello sonatas? Perhaps instead one cello sonata which may have appeared in editions with two different opus numbers? I know at least vaguely of the Op.17 sonata but not of Op.16 (if they are different works.) this review (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Mar12/Weigl_Cello_CMCD28245.htm) of one of the cello sonatas (in the Fin de siècle recording, with sonatas by Weigl and early works by Webern) doesn't mention an opus number, just year of composition or publication (1912, a century before the date of the review, one notes...)

... For some reason I thought I saw Olga Diener's name... wait, did someone bring her up?... erm... never mind, another thread.

Quotethis review of one of the cello sonatas (in the Fin de siècle recording, with sonatas by Weigl and early works by Webern) doesn't mention an opus number, just year of composition or publication

I've got this CD from Othmar Müller, there the sonata is clearly given as op.17!

BTW, is there any news about any of the forthcoming recordings of Weigl's violin sonatas?

That book on Austrian woman composers has Op. 16 for cello and piano, no key, first performed Vienna 22 Nov 1915 and Op. 17 also cello and piano in G major, first performed Vienna 7 April 1923. Based on this information, it does look as if they are two different works.

Are there any details about the songs in the book referred to?

"That book on Austrian woman composers has Op. 16 for cello and piano, no key, first performed Vienna 22 Nov 1915 and Op. 17 also cello and piano in G major, first performed Vienna 7 April 1923. Based on this information, it does look as if they are two different works."

It seems that the contributors to the New Grove got it all wrong. It has Op.16 as a choral-orchestral work Der sterbende Schwan, and has just one cello sonata, the Op.17 for which it doesn't give the key.

There is a long list of her songs in the book referred to (which was 15 years in the making and is a very reliable tome as far as I can tell) - and I hope to get around to writing it down here later today or tomorrow.

Well, Der Sterbende Schwan (no final "n"- it's mispelled in the list at the top) is a work of hers (given Op.24 in that list, though, not Op.16 as per Grove.) A performance of it, I think, took place in 1914 (reviewed in NZM. No idea about publication status :))

Yes, it is Der sterbende Schwan Op. 24 (Soprano, mixed choir and orchestra)- first performed in Vienna, 26 Jan 1914. Published: Vienna, Universal Edition Nr. 10079 (no date given).

Here is what my book has about her songs:
•   Seven songs  Op.1 (1. Wiegenlied. 2. Tod in Ähren. 3. Liebesreim. 4. Mein Frühling. 5. Dunkle Rosen. 6. Wiedersehen. 7. Am Bach.) (Singing voice, piano). Texts: H. Ibsen, D. v. Lilienkron, R. Huch. J. Müller-Hermann. Vienna, Gutmann (1898-1903). First performance [FP] Vienna 1904.
•   Five songs  Op.2 (1. Willst du mit mir wandern. 2. Weisst du noch. 3. Liebeslied. 4. Der letzte Abend. 5. Einen guten Grund hat's.) (High singing voice, piano). Texts: J. Müller-Hermann, R. Huch. Vienna, Doblinger (no date).
•   Four songs  Op.4 (1. Wandle wie im Traum. 2. Die stille Stadt. 3. Wanderlied. 4. Mondbeglänzt im stillen Wald.) (Deep singing voice, piano). Texts: J. Müller-Hermann, R. Dehmel, R. Huch, F. W. Weber. Vienna, Doblinger (1904-1908). FP: Vienna 1923.
•   Two songs  Op.11 (1. Nähe des Geliebten. 2. An die Entfernte.) (High singing voice, piano). Texts: J. W. v. Goethe. Vienna, Universal Edition [UE] 1939.
•   Four songs  Op.14 (1. Landschaft. 2. Sonnenuntergang. 3. Den Lenz laß kommen. 4. Polka.) (Singing voice, piano). Texts: J.P. Jacobsen. Vienna, UE 1915. FP: Vienna 1921.
•   Two duets  Op.15 (1. Abendlied. 2. Tanzlied.) (Two sopranos, viola, piano). Texts: J. Bierbaum. FP: Vienna 16 June 1918.
•   Eight songs  Op.18 (1. Von Sternen glitt ein stummer Funk. 2. Die Stunde, da ich dich zuerst ersah. 3. Beim stummen Gange durch die finstern Bäume. 4. Abendstunde. 5. Du gabst mir deine Hand. 6. Es goß mein volles Leben sich. 7. Eine liebe Stunde. 8. Encore.) (Singing voice, piano/orchestra). Texts: W. Calé. Vienna, UE 1915. FP (piano score) Vienna 22 Nov 1915; (orchestral version) Vienna 9 Apr 1916.
•   Three songs  Op.19 (1. Sehnsucht. 2. Liebesreim. 3. Geheimnis.) (Singing voice, piano). Texts: R. Huch. Vienna, UE 1940.
•   Four songs  Op.20 (1. Widmung. 2. Herbst. 3. Waldseligkeit. 4. Wie eine Vollmondnacht.) (Deep singing voice, piano). Texts: W. Calé, after Böcklin's 'Herbstgedanken', R. Dehmel, J.A. Rinaldini. Vienna, UE 1940.
•   Two songs  Op.26 (1. Am See. 2. Frühling.) (Soprano, orchestra/piano). Vienna, UE Nr. 10076/77. FP (piano score) Vienna, 9 Apr 1920; (orchestral version) Vienna 13 Oct 1924.
•   Autumn songs  Op.28 (1. Herbstabend. 2. Minnelied. 3. Intermezzo. 4. Regenlied. 5. In memoriam.) (Singing voice, piano). Texts: J.A. Rinaldini. Vienna, UE 1940. FP Vienna 9 Apr 1920.
•   Three songs  Op.32 (1. Am Strand. 2. Du schlank und rein. 3. Im Traum und Gesang.) (High singing voice, piano). Texts: St. George, R.A. Schröder. Vienna, UE 1939.
•   Three songs  Op.33 (1. Vorfrühling. 2. Trauminsel. 3. Liebeshymnus). Soprano, orchestra/singing voice, piano). Texts: Tona v. Hermann. Vienna, UE 1939.
•   Five Zwiegesänge  duets  'Beatrix und der Sänger' Op.36 (1. Begegnung. 2. Verstehen. 3. Geständnis. 4. Vision. 5. Abschied.) (Soprano, baritone, string quintet, harp). Texts: W. Calé. FP: Vienna 20 Nov 1936

Hrm. From a plate-table of Universal Edition, that publication date could be sometime maybe 1929-1937... hrm. Will try to get a better estimate (and even then, plate tables provide estimates and maybes and "well, though maybe this other thing happened"s, not definite info...)

I am still uncertain about JM-H's birth date, If 1868 is correct it would suggest that she didn't compose anything until she was 30. It would also mean that at least two of her teachers were her contemporaries.  Klassika gives both 1868 and 1878 on the same page!  There are two sources which quote 1868 and five including Bakers and New Grove who say 1878.  Wikipedia says 1878 but the source for this is Bakers. Has any one seen a copy of her birth certificate of her death certificate which would give her age?

The New Grove Dictionary of Women Composers (1994) gives 15th Jan. 1878, but it has not proven to be reliable as far as the works list is concerned.  ::)

I haven't found a birth record (yet), but according to my trusted book, she graduated from the k&k Staats-Lehreinnen-Bildungsanstalt (Imperial & Royal teacher training college) in Vienna in 1890 and then worked as a primary school teacher for a few years. Her marriage to Otto Müller-Martini (1870-1942) on 19 October 1893 brought about the financial security that she needed to take up her musical studies again. Her sister Tona von Hermann, herself a composer and a singer, is also in my book - as the youngest child, born Vienna 7 December 1871, died Vienna 15 February 1969.
All this does seem to point to 1868 as the correct birth year in my opinion.

I have just come across a link to translations of a few of her songs with links to sound recordings – in Sophie, A Digital Library of Works by German-Speaking Women: http://sophie.byu.edu/authors/johanna-müller-hermann

Does any one know what her opus number 29 refers to.  I have been unable to trace it.

Hrm. Interesting, ONB has 200-odd manuscripts by Mueller-Hermann including the autograph of her piano sonata op.8 and of sketches of her piano quintet op.31 etc...`


"Ode : Fassung für gemischten Chor. [Op. 29]"

http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551325 (http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551325)

Text by Hermann Lingg.

Next: Ode für Soli, Frauenchor, Streicherorchester, Harfe und Orgel : Op. 29, http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551324 (http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551324). (Autograph score and vocal score (http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551326) @ ÖNB. Also copy parts (http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AL00551330). As are material, manuscript and published, for the symphony for solo, chorus and orchestra op.27 and lots of other works. Hrm. ... Neat.)

I note that Wheesht notes that Op.27's material is held at the Archiv Frau und Musik in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. ÖNB has either copies of the manuscripts or in some cases perhaps the original autographs of some of these works (see Wien: Nationalbibliothek link (http://obvsg.at/kataloge/kataloge-wien/). - when searching under Müller-Hermann one sees 209 musikhandschrift (music manuscripts) and an about equal number of musikdruck (music publications).)

I've just discovered in two scores of mine, given to me by someone cleaning his basement several years ago, the signatures of Johanna Müller-Hermann, to whom these books belonged. As can be seen, she lived in the first district of Vienna, Hegelgasse 7, very close to both the concert houses of Vienna. Also in the batch of music was a conductor's score of Strauss' Don Juan with the stamp "J.B.Foerster" on it, who was one of the teachers of Johanna Müller-Hermann. (http://) (http://)

How splendid! You are lucky. And I am envious!

The Overture and Symphonic Fantasy can be heard on NML if you do a bit of searching.