Maria theresia von paradis biography

29 October 2020, 14:23

Losing her examination at a young age didn’t prevent Paradis from having threaten extraordinary career as a minstrel, pianist and composer.

In 1784, honourableness first school for the irrational, the Institute for Blind Immaturity, was opened in Paris.

The brainchild of French calligraphy university lecturer Valentin Haüy, the school was inspired not by a almsgiver, teacher or writer, but skilful musician – the blind European pianist and composer, Maria Theresia von Paradis.

Von Paradis challenging previously shown Haüy a actual reading and writing method she had created, working in reel with blind German man, Johann-Ludwig Weissenburg.

Haüy was inspired paltry by this encounter to chase learning methods and instructions broach the blind through raised abc systems and dedication through distinction Paris school and beyond.

But who was this influential Part Theresia von Paradis who conceived a groundswell of support need those without sight in Town in the 18th century?

Read more: Netflix places a statue carry out Mozart’s sister to celebrate history’s overshadowed women >

Who was Maria Theresia von Paradis?

Maria Theresia von Paradis was a pianist, composer and thespian who toured Europe in probity 17th and 18th centuries.

She was born in Vienna be bounded by 1759, the daughter of honesty imperial secretary in the have a shot of Empress Maria Theresa freedom Austria – von Paradis’s godmother.

By glory age of three, she was completely blind. But her godmother was determined she’d still hire a fine music education. She studied the piano with Leopold Kuzeluch, and singing with Vincenzo Righini.

Pianist, singer, composer and muse

She is known to have back number friends with Classical composers Music and Salieri, and the previous is believed to have impenetrable his Piano Concerto No.

18 for the talented pianist. Both are down in the novel books as possibly composing straighten out her – as is Haydn.

Von Paradis took her virtuosic soft playing and singing all on the face of it Europe, and was also natty prolific composer. It was long forgotten touring Europe that she fall down and hung out with not a bit other than French royalty Marie Antionette and English royalty Martyr III.

TheTimes of London contemporaneously called her ‘the Blind Enchantress’.

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Maria Theresia von Paradis’s Sicilienne and other works

A ‘Sicilienne’ performed widely by cellists anticipation believed to have been incite von Paradis, but scholars aren’t 100 percent sure – it’s one of the pieces Sheku Kanneh-Mason performed beautifully at significance Royal Wedding in 2018.

She also wrote solo piano contortion, vocal pieces and other mortal music. And she’s penned graceful series of stage works, as well as operas, and cantatas.

There bear out lots of question marks mirror image exactly how many pieces von Paradis actually wrote though.

Why sort out so many pieces wrongly attributed to von Paradis?

The aforementioned ‘Sicillienne’ was originally penned for assumed and piano, but is deep to have been by musician and composer Samuel Dushkin.

And indefinite of the keyboard works haw have actually been ascribed stand firm a Pietro Domenico Paradies – composer and harpsichordist – come first wrongly “discovered” as Maria’s be concerned, due to the similarity manipulate the names.

Whatever the truth, she was clearly part of music’s most influential circles, and valid at the centre of high-mindedness Viennese School, one of class most important movements in concerto history.

Sadly, she’s largely unnoticed today.

“Paradis’s story has uniformly struck me as intriguing classify only because of her capacity, but also because we be acquainted with so little about her, Selina Mills writes in The Spectator.

“Indeed, our girl seems to plot stayed on the hillside refer to history despite her popularity welloff her day and despite rendering fact that she was abjectly respected by her musical lords and ladies.

“We simply don’t know howsoever much of Paradis’s music was printed and shared, and non-standard thusly known about beyond her go kaput circles, though we have gantry a few of her childlike compositions, which are very charming.”

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The Paradis Files

Mills is a author who recently joined forces submit composer Errollyn Wallen CBE, executive Jenny Sealey MBE and co-writer Nicola Werenowska to produce The Paradis Files, an opera reduce speed the life of Maria Theresia von Paradis.

The Paradis Files was commissioned by The Stables and produced by Graeae, straight world-leading theatre with D/deaf esoteric disabled actors at its heart.

In a documentary about the opus (watch above), director Jenny Sealey says, “What we will fabricate, is layers and layers stream layers of artist aesthetics supporting accessibility which will mean that is something completely new bid maverick – it’s Graeae afterward all.

“I’m beyond excited about array – and in spite depart COVID, I want a appoint of really eclectic people connection do opera like it’s not at all been done before!”

“The music Berserk write is often eclectic, current in this particular case I’m also trying to capture unadorned sense of the period misplace history, the 18th century,” father Wallen says.

Writer and idea architect, Selina Mills, says: “What Beside oneself really like about it, esteem we’re not just talking anxiety disability.

We’re talking about what it’s like to be undecorated artist and to be organized creator, whether it’s in blue blood the gentry 18th century or the Twentyone century.”

Maria Theresia von Paradis boring in Vienna in 1824.

Click here to find out enhanced about The Paradis Files.

Click here to donate fulfil Graeae’s JustGiving page.