Elise Schlick Explained

Maria Elisabeth, Countess of Schlick (German: Maria Elisabeth, Gräfin von Schlick zu Bassano und Weißkirchen, Czech: Marie Alžběta Šliková; c. 1790 – 14 December 1855) was a Bohemia-born composer and poet. She composed music for lieder^[1] and also wrote poetry that other composers set to music. She published under the name Countess Elise Schlick or Gräfin Elise Schlick.^[2] Although Schlick is often described as German,^{[3] [4]} some sources list her birthplace as Prague and her birth year as 1792.^[5]

Little is known about Schlick’s early life or education. She was the sister-in-law of Count Franz zu Bassano und Weisskirchen, an Austrian general who helped suppress the Hungarian uprising in 1849. She was described as a patroness of Franz Liszt in Prague.^[6]

Schlick produced compositions through at least opus 5.^[7] Her musical compositions were published by Franz Gloggl and C. A. Spina in Vienna; August Cranz in Hamburg; and Schott in Mainz. Her musical compositions and poetry included:

Music

• "Geisternacht"^[8]
• "Gute Nacht" ^[9]
• "Lieb Liebchen, leg's Händchen aufs Herze," opus 5 (text by Heinrich Heine)
• "Lieder der Nacht"

Poetry

• "Die Lüfte weh'n so lind" (music by Conradin Kreutzer
• "Du frische Saat, heraus/Frühlingsfreude" (music by Amalie Scholl)
• "Glaubet nicht es wären Tränen" (music by Jan Bedřich Kittl)

Notes and References

1. Book: Wier, Albert. The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians . 1938 . Macmillan . 1938 . New York . 1668 . 466989926.
2. Web site: Amalie Karoline Luise Scholl Song Texts. 2023-03-07 . lieder.net.
3. Book: Cohen, Aaron I.. International encyclopedia of women composers . 1987 . Books & Music USA Inc. . 1987 . 0-9617485-2-4 . Second edition, revised and enlarged . New York . 622 . 16714846.
4. Book: Stern, Susan. Women composers: a handbook . 1978 . Scarecrow Press . 1978 . 0-8108-1138-3 . Metuchen, N.J. . 148 . 3844725.
5. Web site: Women in Czech Music. 2023-03-07 . kapralova.org.
6. Book: Liszt . Franz . Franz Liszt and Agnes Street-Klindworth: A Correspondence, 1854-1886 . Street-Klindworth . Agnes . 2000 . Pendragon Press . 978-1-57647-006-0 . en.
7. Web site: Maria Elisabeth, Gräfin von Schlik zu Bassano und Weisskirchen (1790 - 1855). 2023-03-07 . lieder.net.
8. Book: Stewart-Green, Miriam . Women composers: a checklist of works for the solo voice . 1980 . G.K. Hall . 1980 . 0-8161-8498-4 . Boston, Mass. . 64 . 6815939.
9. Book: Anya, Laurence . Women of notes: 1,000 women composers Born Before 1900. . 1978 . Richards Rosen Press, Inc . 1978 . New York . 73 . 1123454581.