The collection presented on this Da Vinci Classics album, structured as a cycle of twenty-four sung Preludes with piano accompaniment, is therefore a highly original concept, testifying to the ingenuity and creativity of the composer.
Elisabeth von Schultz Adaïewsky was a musician born in Russia, coming from a wealthy family in Saint Petersburg. As a piano prodigy, she had the opportunity to study under the direction of Adolph Henselt, a German pianist who was one of the most renowned virtuosos of his time. Under his guidance, she developed her musical skills to such an extent that she was invited to give concerts throughout Europe while still in her teenage years.
Adaïewsky's talent did not go unnoticed by the cultural and aristocratic elites of the time, and she was asked to perform at court, under the patronage of Tsar Alexander II. However, her musical education was not limited to piano playing, and she soon displayed a remarkable talent for composition. She designed large-scale works, such as an opera (it was highly unusual for women to compose operas). She undoubtedly demonstrated courage and determination to venture into such a compositional undertaking. But her courage and audacity may have been ahead of her time. Not only did she venture into a genre usually dominated by male composers, but her choice of subject proved to be equally bold as it was unfortunate. Her chosen subject was namely... the abolition of serfdom!
As might be expected, the subject encountered tsarist censorship, and the young musician was forced to leave her homeland (although she was also granted a pension by the Russian State). She was already a citizen of Europe, that is certain, and her connections included many of the leading musicians and intellectuals of the time. She was known and appreciated in several European capitals, including Paris, Berlin and Vienna, and she was friends with artists such as Berlioz, Gounod, Rossini, Brahms, Liszt, and also with Clara Schumann, another female composer whose works are represented on this Da Vinci Classics album.
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