The Album of Marie PohlenzNew Recordings Available

24 January 2022

Photo: Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig

The 'musical friendship album’ of 19th-century singer and pianist Marie Pohlenz contains gems that probably have not been listened to for more than 150 years. Together with the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig, we want to make these pieces resound again. Six recordings are now available.

Like many other musicians of that time, 19th-century singer and pianist Marie Pohlenz kept a ‘musical friendship album’ in which she collected small composition sketches from friends and prominent figures of the Leipzig music scene. The album had long been forgotten, and with it the music it contains (you can learn more about the historical background of the album here; this text is also available in German).

In a joint project with the Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig, Janine Droese has digitised the entire album. Both the images and transcriptions of the compositions can be found on our website. Last autumn, we asked for your participation and to send us your recordings of any of the pieces, so that the forgotten music is brought back to life.  

Following the release of the first recordings in December, the latest contribution has been submitted by Ewelina Nowicka and Elisaveta Ilina, who  play the Andantino espressivo for violin and piano (fol. 12r–12).

We are happy to receive further recordings. For more information on how to participate, and to listen to all recordings that are available thus far, click here.