Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia
Encyclopedia
Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia (9 November 1723 – 30 March 1787) was Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg. She was one of ten surviving children of King Frederick William I of Prussia
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
.
, she was eleven years younger than her brother, the future Frederick II
, and would have been seven years old when he made his abortive attempt to run away from home after being humiliated by his father.
Both children were musically inclined, but for Anna Amalia formal musical instruction was only possible after the death of her music-hating father. Music was her secret consolation against his cruelty to her (he would often drag her across a room by the hair during his rages).
Anna Amalia learned to play the harpsichord, flute, and violin, receiving her first lessons from her brother, which her more 'civilised' mother encouraged.
, a man whose adventures inspired works by literary greats such as Victor Hugo
and Voltaire
. When her brother, who had ascended to the throne in 1740, discovered she had married and was pregnant, he packed her off in a rage to Quedlinburg Abbey
, a place where many aristocratic women were sent to give birth to children out of wedlock. Anna Amalia's marriage was annulled at the request of Frederick II and von der Trenck was imprisoned for ten years. Anna Amalia, however, continued to correspond with him until her death in 1787.
In 1758, Anna Amalia began a serious study of musical theory and composition, engaging as her tutor Johann Philipp Kirnberger
, a student of Johann Sebastian Bach
. She composed chamber music, such as flute sonatas, and wrote music to Ramler's Passion cantata
("The Death of Jesus"); this was also her favorite piece. Only a few of her works have survived, and it is probable that she may have destroyed many of her compositions. After all, she did describe herself as being very "timorous and self-critical."
Anna Amalia was also a collector of old music, preserving over 600 volumes of works by notables such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel
, George Philipp Telemann, and others. This act in itself was a significant contribution to Western culture
. Her library was split between East Germany and West Germany
after World War II
, and still survives today in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (this collection should not be confused with the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, the former library of Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel).
Frederick William I of Prussia
Frederick William I of the House of Hohenzollern, was the King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death...
and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was a Queen consort in Prussia as wife of Frederick William I. She was the sister of George II of Great Britain and the mother of Frederick the Great.- Biography :...
.
Background
Born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, she was eleven years younger than her brother, the future 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...
, and would have been seven years old when he made his abortive attempt to run away from home after being humiliated by his father.
Both children were musically inclined, but for Anna Amalia formal musical instruction was only possible after the death of her music-hating father. Music was her secret consolation against his cruelty to her (he would often drag her across a room by the hair during his rages).
Anna Amalia learned to play the harpsichord, flute, and violin, receiving her first lessons from her brother, which her more 'civilised' mother encouraged.
Suggested arranged marriage
She was contemplated as a bride for the crown prince of Sweden along with her sister Louisa Ulrika, as her brother warned that Louisa Ulrika was perhaps too ambitious to be a good queen in a monarchy without power, as Sweden then was during the Age of Liberty. Her brother, King Frederick, said that Louisa Ulrika was "arrogant, temperamental and an intriguer", and that they should not let themselves be fooled by her friendliness towards them, while Anna Amalia was mild and "more suitable"; it has been considered, that Fredrick's judgment was given because he believed Anna Amalia would be easier to control as a Prussian agent than the more dominant Louisa Ulrika. But the Swedish representatives preferred Louisa Ulrika.Secret marriage
In 1743, Anna Amalia secretly married Baron Friedrich von der TrenckFriedrich von der Trenck
Friedrich Freiherr von der Trenck was a Prussian officer, adventurer, and author.- Life :Von der Trenck was born in Haldensleben, which is north of Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Prussia on 16 February 1727. His parents were Major-General Baron Christopher Ehrenreich von der Trenck and Marie Charlotte...
, a man whose adventures inspired works by literary greats such as Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
and Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
. When her brother, who had ascended to the throne in 1740, discovered she had married and was pregnant, he packed her off in a rage to Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey was a house of secular canonesses in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the initiative of Saint Mathilda, the widow of Henry the Fowler, as his memorial...
, a place where many aristocratic women were sent to give birth to children out of wedlock. Anna Amalia's marriage was annulled at the request of Frederick II and von der Trenck was imprisoned for ten years. Anna Amalia, however, continued to correspond with him until her death in 1787.
Abbess and artist
Anna Amalia became the Abbess of Quedlinburg in 1755, making her a wealthy woman. She chose to spend most of her time in Berlin, where she devoted herself to music, and became known as a musical patron and composer. As a composer she achieved a modest amount of fame and is most known for her smaller chamber works, which included trios, marches, cantatas, songs and fugues.In 1758, Anna Amalia began a serious study of musical theory and composition, engaging as her tutor Johann Philipp Kirnberger
Johann Kirnberger
Johann Philipp Kirnberger was a musician, composer , and music theorist. A pupil of Johann Sebastian Bach, he became a violinist at the court of Frederick II of Prussia in 1751. He was the music director to the Prussian Princess Anna Amalia from 1758 until his death. Kirnberger greatly admired J.S...
, a student of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. She composed chamber music, such as flute sonatas, and wrote music to Ramler's Passion cantata
Passion cantata
A Passion cantata is a cantata that takes as its theme the Passion of Jesus Christ, i.e. the hours, days, or weeks leading up to and including his crucifixion. Some of the larger cantatas have been referred to as oratorios.-English:...
("The Death of Jesus"); this was also her favorite piece. Only a few of her works have survived, and it is probable that she may have destroyed many of her compositions. After all, she did describe herself as being very "timorous and self-critical."
Anna Amalia was also a collector of old music, preserving over 600 volumes of works by notables such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
, George Philipp Telemann, and others. This act in itself was a significant contribution to Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
. Her library was split between East Germany and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and still survives today in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (this collection should not be confused with the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, the former library of Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel).