March 14, 2020
Josephine Lang's 205th Birthday






Today’s animated Doodle celebrates German composer and singer Josephine Lang on her 205th birthday. With over 100 songs published and around 300 composed throughout her lifetime, Lang established herself as one of the most prolific female composers of the Romantic period.


Lang was born on this day in 1815 into a talented musical family in Munich, her father, an orchestra violinist, and her mother, a professional opera singer. She played her first notes of the piano as a toddler on her mother’s lap, and by the age of just five, began to compose her own music.
Her public debut at a museum concert at age 11 only bolstered her reputation as a child prodigy, and in 1830, the famed composer Felix Mendelssohn was so impressed with Lang’s talent that he personally volunteered to give her lessons.


The 1830s marked a period of great creative success for Lang, establishing her amongst Europe’s most influential artistic circles. Her original compositions continued to garner the admiration of some of Germany’s most famous musical figures, including Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Ferdinand Hiller, the latter two of whom provided support in publishing her later work,


In addition to releasing over 40 collections of songs and piano music, Lang sang professionally at the Munich court and was a prized music teacher, counting among her students notable members of German royalty.