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. 

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Josephine Lang! (“Happy birthday, Josephine Lang!”)

Doodler Q&A

Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Alyssa Winans.
Below, she shares some thoughts on the making of the Doodle:
 

Q: What aspect of Josephine Lang’s story most resonated with you?

A: I’m impressed that even though Josephine often struggled with her health, she still managed to write so much music in her lifetime, much of which we can still enjoy today.
 

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A: I mainly relied on drawings of Josephine, as well as sheet music itself.
 

 Q: What was your creative approach for this Doodle? Why did you choose this approach?

A: Too often we depict writers or composers in a static pose, so I tried to bring in the active joy of composing.
 

Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: I hope people feel inspired to persevere in their creative pursuits.

Early concepts and draft of the Doodle