Mayer, Charles

1799-1862

 

Piano virtuoso, teacher and composer; born in Konigsberg. He received his first lessons from his mother, a piano-teacher, and later from Field. In 1814, with his father, he went to Warsaw, Germany and Holland, finally to Paris, playing his variations on God Save the King, in Amsterdam during this tour. He returned to St. Petersburg and began to teach in 1819, leaving in 1845 to tour through Stockholm, C9penhagen, Hamburg, Leipsic and Vienna, and settling in Dresden in 1850. He taught, composed, and gave concerts in Dresden until his death in 1862. His compositions number nearly nine hundred, among them being his concerto with orchestra in D; variations and fantasias on opera airs; Polka Bohemienne in A; concerto symphonique; a mazurka in F sharp major, supposed for a time to have been written by Chopin; Concert Polonaise; Valse fitudes, and Toccata in E. His compositions are considered exceeding well fitted to the instruments for which they are written, and are correctly and effectively composed.