Luise Adolpha Le Beau

Luise Adolpha Le Beau (25 April 1850 in Rastatt, Grand Duchy of Baden – 17 July 1927 in Baden-Baden) was a German composer of classical music.

She studied with noted musicians Clara Schumann and Franz Lachner,[1] but her primary instructor was Josef Gabriel Rheinberger.

After William Le Beau's Baden army retirement in 1856, both parents devoted themselves to the general education of their daughter.

From her father William, a musician and composer, Le Beau received piano lessons beginning at the age of five.

Following her confirmation on Easter of 1865, Le Beau began to take piano lessons from Hofkapellmeister William Kalliwoda in Karlsruhe.

"[4] With a letter of recommendation from the pianist and conductor Hans von Bülow, the Le Beau family decided to relocate to Munich to facilitate Luise studying under composer Josef Gabriel Rheinberger in 1876.

Due to the regulations put in place by the Royal Music School, Le Beau was tutored separately from the male students.

[4] While at the Royal Music School, Le Beau's teacher for counterpoint, harmony, and form was Ernst Melchior Sachse, and Franz Lachner offered critiques of many of her works.

[4] Le Beau focused more on other composers (including Berlioz, Wagner, Chopin, Schumann) and gradually cut herself off from Rheinberger, which led to the termination of the teaching relationship in 1880.

[4] Due to the increasing frailty of the Le Beau elders and Luise's struggle to find musicians in Munich to work with, the family relocated to Wiesbaden in 1885.

Le Beau had some of her pieces performed in Wiesbaden, where she also taught music theory and offered vocal lessons.

After a stroke, William Le Beau died in 1896, leaving Luise to be the sole caregiver for her mother, who had become nearly blind.

[4] In the summer of 1897, Le Beau finished her work on the score of the symphonic poem "Hohenbaden," which premiered on 25 February 1898 in Baden-Baden.

[4] The last major chamber work of Luise Adolpha Le Beau, "String Quintet, Op.54 for 2 violins, viola and two cellos" was listed in 1901, but was not published.

[4] Her last years were marked by travel, teaching, composing, giving concerts, and writing music reviews for the Baden-Baden newspaper.