Wilhelm Mayer (10 June 183122 January 1898) was an Austro-Bohemian composer who published his works under the name W. A. Rémy. He was also a noted teacher, whose pupils included

Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...

and

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zadar, Zara, Kingdom of Dalmatia, Dalmatia, Austrian Empire (now ...

. His name sometimes appears as Wilhelm Mayer-Rémy.

Career

Wilhelm Mayer (some sources say his full name was Benjamin Wilhelm Mayer) was born in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, the son of a lawyer. He studied at the Prague Organ School in 1846. His overture to

Eugène Sue Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated '' The Mysteries of Paris'', whi ...

's drama ''Jean Cavalier'' was written when he was 17, but his parents required him to enter the legal profession. He graduated as a doctor of law in 1856, when he was 25.''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', 5th ed, 1954,

Eric Blom Eric Walter Blom (20 August 188811 April 1959) was a Swiss-born British-naturalised music lexicographer, music critic and writer. He is best known as the editor of the 5th edition of ''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1954). Earl ...

ed., Rémy, W. A., Vol VII, p. 123 He then occupied various posts in the Austro-Hungarian civil service. In 1862 he took up music once again, becoming conductor of the Steiermärkischer Musikverein in

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

. During his eight-year stay in that post, he introduced a number of his own compositions, such as the overture ''Sardanapalus'', the symphonic poem ''Helena'', and a Symphony in F major. These three works were also presented in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

. After resigning as conductor in 1870, he devoted himself to composition and private teaching. He published his works under the name W. A. Rémy, an

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which ...

of "W. Mayer". It has also been noted that the initials W. A. of his pseudonym are the same as those of

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, his musical idol.Della Couling, ''Ferruccio Busoni: "A Musical Ishmael"''
p. 40; Retrieved 9 June 2013 Mayer focused on the music of Mozart and

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

, but greatly disliked

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

and

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

. For him, the first four preludes and fugues from Book I of Bach's ''

The Well-Tempered Clavier ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time ''clavier'' referred to a variety of keyboard instruments, ...

'' represented water, fire, earth and air respectively, and he conceived many others in a poetical light. He taught

Luigi Cherubini Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethov ...

's methods for counterpoint, and used

Hector Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

's orchestral treatise.David Drew, ''Canonic Studies and Time Pieces on the Motif FB-AG'', in Latham, Alison and Alexander Goehr, eds, ''Sing, Ariel: Essays and Thoughts for Alexander Goehr's Seventieth Birthday''
p.48; Retrieved 10 June 2013 Through his former pupil

Wilhelm Kienzl Wilhelm Kienzl (17 January 1857 – 3 October 1941) was an Austrian composer. Biography Kienzl was born in the small, picturesque Upper Austrian town of Waizenkirchen. His family moved to the Styrian capital of Graz in 1860, where he studied th ...

's intercession with

's father, Busoni studied harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and composition with Mayer from November 1879 to April 1881, being just 15 when he completed his formal studies with honours. Mayer taught Busoni that "the widest possible culture makes the artist", a motto Busoni wrote on his 430-page treatise on composition he had written out in longhand during his studies with Mayer and later transmitted to his own pupils. Busoni wrote a "Fugue in F major on a theme of W. A. Rémy" (BV 154), and dedicated his Praeludium (Basso ostinato) und Fuge (Doppelfuge zum Choral) Op. 7 (Op. 76), for organ (BV 157) to his teacher. Mayer's other notable students included

Richard Heuberger Richard Franz Joseph Heuberger (18 June 1850 in Graz, Austria – 28 October 1914 in Vienna, Austria) was an Austrian composer of operas and operettas, a music critic, and teacher. Heuberger was born in Graz, the son of a bandage manufacturer ...

Emil von Reznicek Emil Nikolaus Joseph, Freiherr von Reznicek (4 May 1860, in Vienna – 2 August 1945, in Berlin) was an Austrian composer of Romanian-Czech ancestry. Life Reznicek's grandfather, Josef Resnitschek (1787–1848), was a trumpet virtuoso and ...

,David Mason Greene, ''Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers''
p. 952; Retrieved 9 June 2013Suzanne C. Leroy Moulton-Gertig, ''The Life and Works of Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek''
p. 15; Retrieved 9 June 2013

Richard Sahla Richard Sahla (17 September 1855 in Graz – 30 April 1931 in Bückeburg) was a concert violinist, conductor and composer. Biography Richard Sahla grew up in his hometown Graz, where he quickly acquired a reputation as child prodigy. He exc ...

, Marie Baumayer

Josef Gauby Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) * ''Josef'' (film), a 2011 Croatian war film *Musik Josef Musik Josef is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments. It was founded by Yukio Nakamura and is the only company in Japan spec ...

and

Friedrich von Hausegger Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...

. As a teacher, Mayer was exacting, but also inspiring. His reputation extended throughout Europe.

Emperor Franz Josef I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reig ...

awarded him the Knight's Cross of the

Order of Franz Joseph The Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph () was founded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on 2 December 1849, on the first anniversary of his accession to the imperial throne. Classes The order was originally awarded in three classes: ''G ...

, the only private music teacher ever so honoured. Mayer married and had a daughter, Melanie. He died in Graz in 1898, aged 66. His former student Ferruccio Busoni wrote a tribute to him in the ''

Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung The ''Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung'' (''General music newspaper'') was a German-language periodical published in the 19th century. Comini (2008) has called it "the foremost German-language musical periodical of its time". It reviewed musical e ...

''.

Works

* 5 symphonies * ''Das Waldfräulein'', concert opera (Graz, 1876)Opera Composers: Rémy
Retrieved 9 June 2013 * ''Sardanapalus'', overture * ''Helena'', symphonic poem * ''Phantasiestuck'', orchestra (given at the

Vienna Philharmonic Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...

concerts under

Felix Otto Dessoff Felix Otto Dessoff (14 January 1835 – 28 October 1892) was a German conductor and composer. Biography Dessoff was born to a Jewish family in Leipzig; his father was a cloth merchant. His musical talent was recognized by Franz Liszt, who then a ...

* ''Slawischer Liederspiel'', solo voices, 2 pianos and chorus * ''Östlicher Rosen'', solo voices, 2 pianos and chorus * chamber music * songsThe Lied, Art Song and Choral Texts Archive: Benjamin Wilhelm Mayer
Retrieved 9 June 2013
Retrieved 9 June 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayer, Wilhelm 1831 births 1898 deaths Composers from Austria-Hungary Music educators from Austria-Hungary Recipients of the Order of Franz Joseph Composers from Prague Civil servants from the Austrian Empire Lawyers from Austria-Hungary 19th-century Austrian composers