This glittering bijoux of violin literature is well known among violinists, but less so among concertgoers. Nor can any well-known German composer be associated with Ludwig Maurer. Therefore, it is advisable to look into musicology, and one learns that Maurer was one of the best violinists of his time.

"The life and work of Ludwig Wilhelm Maurer (1789-1878), one of the best German violinists of his time, was linked to Russia for many years. A member of the Berlin Hofkapelle since 1803, he was prompted by the warlike events of 1806 to travel to Russia, where, through the mediation of Pierre Marie François Baillot, he obtained the post of Kapellmeister to Count Vsevolod A. Vsevoložskij. In 1817 he gave it up and went travelling. After concerts in Germany, France and Austria, he returned to his former position in 1833, this time in Petersburg. He later became director of the French Theatre and held leading posts in Petersburg musical life. Maurer became known as a composer mainly for creating vaudeville operas.

Maurer also paid due tribute to the fashionable genre of Russian folk song with variations. He wrote, among others, Trois airs russes, variés pour Violon avec accomp. de 2 Violons, Alto, Violoncello et Contrabasse, op. 14 and a Trio for Strings. But these works show little originality, while his violin concertos and the highly successful Concerto for Four Violins were very popular in Russia and played frequently. (from: Ernst Stöckl (Jena), Der Beitrag deutscher Komponisten zur russischen instrumentalen Kammermusik (von 1777 bis Anfang der 1920er Jahre) s.17)."

And also the encyclopaedia MGG "Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart" wrote already in its second edition about Ludwig Maurer as a violinist and composer: "Maurer, one of the best German violinists of his time, was appreciated for his beautiful variable tone and great technical skill. A grandson of Franz Benda and the most outstanding representative of the younger Berlin violin school, his later studies with Rode led him to show in his playing a particularly pronounced tendency towards the French V. style, whereby he incorporated not only the tradition of the Viotti school but also the achievements of the Baillot-Lafont direction. In his V. works, he shows himself to be a born virtuoso who has the entire range of pre-Paganin V. techniques at his disposal, including, going beyond Spohr, jumping string types (spiccato, tremolo). Personal idiosyncrasies are string change passages with frequent bariola effects, wide leaps, complicated triple and quadruple stops as well as irregular compound stroke types. The almost exclusively brilliant instrumental works show Maurer's sense for rhythmic and special tonal effects, varied harmonies, but only a slight formal life of their own. The Konzertante for four violins, which has been played by the most important violinists, became a famous success piece".  (Folker Göthel in: MGG Article Maurer, Ludwig Wilhelm)

For my part, it only remains to add that it is worth watching the videos on youtube, because the interplay of the four violins comes across better visually than if you only hear the music. Of course, a performance in a concert hall would be even better, but where do 4 violin soloists get together just like that?

Here to see and hear!

Listening companion: