Maria Carolina Wolf
Encyclopedia
Maria Carolina Wolf, née Benda, (b. 1742, d. 2 August 1820) was a German
pianist
, singer and composer
.
Maria Carolina Wolfs' father was Franz Benda
, first violinist and composer at the court of Frederick II
, her aunt Anna Franziska Hattasch was a chamber singer and her uncle Georg Benda
was conductor, both with appointments at the court of the Duke of Gotha. Wolf received piano and singing lessons from her father.
, Weimar
and Rudolstadt
, during which her father remarried. At the Weimar court, Maria Benda met the Hofkonzertmeister Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
, who received an appointment at the Duchess' court in 1768. Two years later the couple were married.
In 1775 Anna Amalia handed over the business of government to her son Carl August. Ernst Wilhelm Wolf remained as conductor under his reign, and Maria continued working as a singer. The Duchess developed an interest in theater, introduced in 1776 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
. Maria Wolf worked in the plays as an actress and singer and with her husband composed songs with piano accompaniment. These were published in the Der Teutsche Merkur journal as 51 Lieder der besten deutschen Dichter mit Melodien (51 Best Songs of the German Poet with Melodies) and Mildheimischen Liederbuch (The Mild Homely Songbook).
Maria Wolf's husband died in 1792, and she continued to live in Weimar until she died on August 2, 1820.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, singer and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Maria Carolina Wolfs' father was Franz Benda
Franz Benda
Franz Benda was a Czech violinist and composer. He was the brother of Jiří Antonín Benda, and he worked for much of his life at the court of Frederick the Great....
, first violinist and composer at the court of Frederick II
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
, her aunt Anna Franziska Hattasch was a chamber singer and her uncle Georg Benda
Georg Benda
Jiří Antonín Benda, also Georg Anton Benda or J.A. Benda was a Czech kapellmeister, violinist and composer of the classical period.-Biography:...
was conductor, both with appointments at the court of the Duke of Gotha. Wolf received piano and singing lessons from her father.
Adult life
Before her appointment at the court, Benda had looked after her father's household because of the death of her mother in 1758. However, in 1761 she went on a concert tour with her father to GothaGotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
and Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt
Rudolstadt is a town in the German Bundesland of Thuringia, close to the Thuringian Forest to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north....
, during which her father remarried. At the Weimar court, Maria Benda met the Hofkonzertmeister Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
Ernst Wilhelm Wolf
Ernst Wilhelm Wolf was a German composer.-Life:Wolf was born in Grossen Behringen in Thuringia, today part of the Hörselberg-Hainich municipality. His elder brother Ernst Friedrich was a composer and organist who studied under Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel...
, who received an appointment at the Duchess' court in 1768. Two years later the couple were married.
In 1775 Anna Amalia handed over the business of government to her son Carl August. Ernst Wilhelm Wolf remained as conductor under his reign, and Maria continued working as a singer. The Duchess developed an interest in theater, introduced in 1776 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist, theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modern German literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, and science. His Faust has been called the greatest long...
. Maria Wolf worked in the plays as an actress and singer and with her husband composed songs with piano accompaniment. These were published in the Der Teutsche Merkur journal as 51 Lieder der besten deutschen Dichter mit Melodien (51 Best Songs of the German Poet with Melodies) and Mildheimischen Liederbuch (The Mild Homely Songbook).
Maria Wolf's husband died in 1792, and she continued to live in Weimar until she died on August 2, 1820.