Anna Mehlig

Anna Mehlig was born in [[Stuttgart]] in 1846 to Heinrich Mehlig and Emilie Mehlig (née List) as the first of five children. Her father was a choir singer at the Royal Opera House of the Court of [[Württemberg]] and he gave her the first music lessons. In 1857, Mehlig was accepted as a student at the newly-founded [[Music school|conservatory of music]] at Stuttgart; awarded a scholarship, as a pupil of Sigmund Lebert, the most prominent piano teacher at the Conservatory.{{cite news |title=Neue Zeitschrift für Musik |journal=Neue Zeitschrift für Musik |issue=52 |pages=144 |lang=de-DE }}

Anna Mehlig was born in [[Stuttgart]] in 1846 to Heinrich Mehlig and Emilie Mehlig (née List) as the first of five children. Her father was a choir singer at the Royal Opera House of the Court of [[Württemberg]] and he gave her the first music lessons. In 1857, Mehlig was accepted as a student at the newly-founded [[Music school|conservatory of music]] at Stuttgart; awarded a scholarship, as a pupil of Sigmund Lebert, the most prominent piano teacher at the Conservatory.{{cite news |title=Neue Zeitschrift für Musik |journal=Neue Zeitschrift für Musik |issue=52 |pages=144 |lang=de-DE }}

Media reports soon flowed claiming the Mehlig was one of the most promising piano students of her generation.{{cite news |date=21 February 1861 |title=Schwäbischer Merkur |journal=Schwäbischer Merkur |pages=13 |lang=de-DE }}{{cite news |date=1861 |title=Rezensionen und Mitteilungen über Theater und Musik |journal=Rezensionen und Mitteilungen über Theater und Musik |issue=7 |pages=334 |lang=de-DE }} Her first concert tours were to Munich, Frankfurt and [[Leipzig]] where she played at the prestigious [[Gewandhaus]], often performing with the violinist [[Simon E. Jacobsohn]].{{Cite web |title=Leipziger Tageblatt |date=1865-01-28 |url=https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/DNNZSDINZQ4G4OY7BORRTNO6HFRERGK2?issuepage=1 |website=Leipziger Tageblatt |via=Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek |lang=de-DE }} Her first international tours were to the Netherlands and England in 1866. In 1869 she received additional teaching from Liszt who awarded her with a manuscript of his famous [[Hexaméron (musical composition)|Hexameron]].{{Cite web |title=New York Herald |date=1871-01-30 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030313/1871-01-30/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.197,0.386,0.582,0.355,0 |website=New York Herald |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }}

Media reports soon flowed claiming the Mehlig was one of the most promising piano students of her generation.{{cite news |date=21 February 1861 |title=Schwäbischer Merkur |journal=Schwäbischer Merkur |pages=13 |lang=de-DE }}{{cite news |date=1861 |title=Rezensionen und Mitteilungen über Theater und Musik |journal=Rezensionen und Mitteilungen über Theater und Musik |issue=7 |pages=334 |lang=de-DE }} Her first concert tours were to Munich, Frankfurt and [[Leipzig]] where she played at the prestigious [[Gewandhaus]], often performing with the violinist [[Simon E. Jacobsohn]].{{Cite web |title=Leipziger Tageblatt |date=1865-01-28 |url=https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/newspaper/item/DNNZSDINZQ4G4OY7BORRTNO6HFRERGK2?issuepage=1 |website=Leipziger Tageblatt |via=Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek |lang=de-DE }} Her first international tours were to the Netherlands and England in 1866 where she played under Sie Arthur Sullivan. In 1869 she received additional teaching from Franz Liszt who awarded her with a manuscript of his famous [[Hexaméron (musical composition)|Hexameron]].{{Cite web |title=New York Herald |date=1871-01-30 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030313/1871-01-30/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.197,0.386,0.582,0.355,0 |website=New York Herald |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }}

As her fame grew, [[William Steinway|Steinway]], who was promoting his business by engaging the most brilliant performers of his time as testimonials for his [[Piano|grand pianos]], invited Mehlig to the United States.{{Cite web |date=1881 |title=Illustrated Catalogue of pianos, Steinway & Sons |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedcatal00stei |via=Internet Archive }} She was enthusiastically received by the American public in 1869, where she performed alongside with Jacobsohn.{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-05-20_31_4 |title=Dwight's Journal of Music: a Paper of Art and Literature |date=1871-05-20 |volume=31 |issue=4 |publisher=Out-of-copyright |via=Internet Archive}} Mehlig toured extensively with [[Theodore Thomas (conductor)|Theodore Thomas]] and his orchestra which led her to perform in New York,{{Cite web |title=New York Times |date=1871-01-28 |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_the-new-york-times_1871-01-28_20_6039 |website=[[The New York Times]] |via=Internet Archive}} Boston,{{Cite web |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-01-14_30_22 |title=Dwight's Journal of Music: a Paper of Art and Literature |volume=30 |issue=22 |date=January 14, 1871 |publisher=Out-of-copyright |via=Internet Archive}} Philadelphia, Wheeling, Titusville,{{Cite web |title=Titusville Herald |date=1871-02-23 |url=https://archive.org/details/titusville-herald-1871-02-23 |website=Titusville Herald |via=Internet Archive}} Portland,{{Cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83016025/1871-01-20/ed-1/?q=%22anna+mehlig%22 |title=[Article] |editor-first1=John T. |editor-last1=Gilman |editor-first2=Joseph B. |editor-last2=Hall |date=January 20, 1871|pages=3 |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] Digital Collections}} Chicago,{{Cite web |title=Chicago Tribune |date=1871-04-11 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-04-11/ed-1/?sp=4&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.287,0.422,0.247,0.151,0 |website=Chicago Tribune |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} Baltimore,{{Cite web |title=Dwight's Journal |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-02-25_30_25 |website=Dwight's Journal |via=Internet Archive }} Providence,{{Cite web |title=The Morning Star |date=1870-10-04 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021432/1870-10-04/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.361,1.151,0.734,0.356,0 |website=The Morning Star |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} Worcester,{{Cite web |title=Worcester Daily Spy |date=1870-10-15 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021205/1870-10-15/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.568,0.344,0.552,0.332,0 |website=Worcester Daily Spy |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} St. Louis,{{Cite web |title=The Morning Star |work=The Morning Star |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] |date=1870-11-24 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021432/1870-11-24/ed-1/?sp=2&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.107,0.758,0.574,0.346,0}} Louisville{{Cite web |title=The Courier Journal |date=1870-11-24 |url=https://archive.org/details/per_courier_journal_the-courier-journal_1870-11-24_41_795 |website=The Courier Journal |via=Internet Archive }} and Washington D.C. At one of her concerts in 1870 the author [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] heard her playing, which he recorded in his diary.{{Cite web |last=Longfellow |first=Henry Wadsworth |author-link=Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |title=Journal of H. W. Longfellow |url=https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/view/bsb11665627?page=178%2C179 |website=Münchener Digitalisierungszentrum }} A special highlight was her two-month stay on the U.S. west coast in 1872, where she played in San Francisco{{Cite web |title=The New York Times |date=1872-05-19 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_the-new-york-times_1872-05-19_21_6447 |website=[[The New York Times]] |via=Internet Archive }} and Portland. A decade later, her playing was still regarded as a benchmark against which other performers were measured.{{Cite web |date=December 1881 |title=The Californian |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_californian-and-overland-monthly_1881-12_4_24 |website=The Californian |via=Internet Archive }}

As her fame grew, [[William Steinway|Steinway]], who was promoting his business by engaging the most brilliant performers of his time as testimonials for his [[Piano|grand pianos]], invited Mehlig to the United States.{{Cite web |date=1881 |title=Illustrated Catalogue of pianos, Steinway & Sons |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedcatal00stei |via=Internet Archive }} She was enthusiastically received by the American public in 1869, where she performed alongside with Jacobsohn.{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-05-20_31_4 |title=Dwight's Journal of Music: a Paper of Art and Literature |date=1871-05-20 |volume=31 |issue=4 |publisher=Out-of-copyright |via=Internet Archive}} Mehlig toured extensively with [[Theodore Thomas (conductor)|Theodore Thomas]] and his orchestra for three consecutive years. This led her to perform in New York,{{Cite web |title=New York Times |date=1871-01-28 |page=10 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_the-new-york-times_1871-01-28_20_6039 |website=[[The New York Times]] |via=Internet Archive}} Boston,{{Cite web |url=http://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-01-14_30_22 |title=Dwight's Journal of Music: a Paper of Art and Literature |volume=30 |issue=22 |date=January 14, 1871 |publisher=Out-of-copyright |via=Internet Archive}} Philadelphia, Wheeling, Titusville,{{Cite web |title=Titusville Herald |date=1871-02-23 |url=https://archive.org/details/titusville-herald-1871-02-23 |website=Titusville Herald |via=Internet Archive}} Portland,{{Cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83016025/1871-01-20/ed-1/?q=%22anna+mehlig%22 |title=[Article] |editor-first1=John T. |editor-last1=Gilman |editor-first2=Joseph B. |editor-last2=Hall |date=January 20, 1871|pages=3 |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] Digital Collections}} Chicago,{{Cite web |title=Chicago Tribune |date=1871-04-11 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82014064/1871-04-11/ed-1/?sp=4&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.287,0.422,0.247,0.151,0 |website=Chicago Tribune |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} Baltimore,{{Cite web |title=Dwight's Journal |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_dwights-journal-of-music-a-paper-of-art-and-literature_1871-02-25_30_25 |website=Dwight's Journal |via=Internet Archive }} Providence,{{Cite web |title=The Morning Star |date=1870-10-04 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021432/1870-10-04/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.361,1.151,0.734,0.356,0 |website=The Morning Star |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} Worcester,{{Cite web |title=Worcester Daily Spy |date=1870-10-15 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021205/1870-10-15/ed-1/?sp=3&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.568,0.344,0.552,0.332,0 |website=Worcester Daily Spy |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] }} St. Louis,{{Cite web |title=The Morning Star |work=The Morning Star |via=[[U.S. Library of Congress]] |date=1870-11-24 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83021432/1870-11-24/ed-1/?sp=2&q=%22anna+mehlig%22&r=0.107,0.758,0.574,0.346,0}} Louisville{{Cite web |title=The Courier Journal |date=1870-11-24 |url=https://archive.org/details/per_courier_journal_the-courier-journal_1870-11-24_41_795 |website=The Courier Journal |via=Internet Archive }} and Washington D.C. At one of her concerts in 1870 the author [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] heard her playing, which he recorded in his diary.{{Cite web |last=Longfellow |first=Henry Wadsworth |author-link=Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |title=Journal of H. W. Longfellow |url=https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/view/bsb11665627?page=178%2C179 |website=Münchener Digitalisierungszentrum }} A special highlight was her two-month stay on the U.S. west coast in 1872, where she played in San Francisco{{Cite web |title=The New York Times |date=1872-05-19 |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_new-york-times_the-new-york-times_1872-05-19_21_6447 |website=[[The New York Times]] |via=Internet Archive }} and Portland. A decade later, her playing was still regarded as a benchmark against which other performers were measured.{{Cite web |date=December 1881 |title=The Californian |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_californian-and-overland-monthly_1881-12_4_24 |website=The Californian |via=Internet Archive }} She gave a number of concerts where she played alongside [[Clara Louise Kellogg]] and [[Antoinette Sterling]] who she had first met in London in 1866 and who continued to be her friends in later years.

After three years in the U.S., Mehlig returned to Stuttgart, from where she continued her extensive tours. Her regular musical partners were [[David Popper]],{{cite news |date=12 September 1866 |title=Schwäbischer Merkur |journal=Schwäbischer Merkur |pages=5 |lang=de-DE }}{{cite news |date=3 April 1875 |title=Dwight's Journal |journal=Dwight's Journal |pages=413 }} [[Friedrich Grützmacher]],{{cite news |date=27 March 1876 |title=Revue Musicale |journal=Revue musicale |pages=7}} [[Wilma Neruda|Wilma Norman-Neruda]],{{cite news |date=1 December 1875 |title=Monthly Musical Record |journal=Monthly Musical Record |pages=177 }} [[Pablo de Sarasate]], Franz Servais, [[Peter Benoit]], [[August Manns]],{{cite news |date=16 October 1875 |title=The Illustrated sporting und dramatic news |journal=The Illustrated sporting und dramatic news |page=1 |lang= }}{{cite news |date=13 November 1875 |title=The Academy |journal=The Academy |pages=516 }} [[Arthur Sullivan]],{{cite web |newspaper=[[The Scotsman]] |date=1 December 1875 |language=en-GB |via=[[The British Library]] and Findmypast |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-share/6c5c1a5b-7b5e-4e5b-99c9-7416b61cdcce |location=Edinburgh |title=Glasgow Choral Union: Third orchestral concert |access-date=12 February 2026 }} [[Robert Hausmann]], [[Sims Reeves]] and [[Julius Benedict|Sir Julius Benedict]].{{cite news |date=18 December 1875 |title=The Musical World |journal=The Musical World |pages=855 }}

After three years in the U.S., Mehlig returned to Stuttgart, from where she continued her extensive tours. Her regular musical partners were [[David Popper]],{{cite news |date=12 September 1866 |title=Schwäbischer Merkur |journal=Schwäbischer Merkur |pages=5 |lang=de-DE }}{{cite news |date=3 April 1875 |title=Dwight's Journal |journal=Dwight's Journal |pages=413 }} [[Friedrich Grützmacher]],{{cite news |date=27 March 1876 |title=Revue Musicale |journal=Revue musicale |pages=7}} [[Wilma Neruda|Wilma Norman-Neruda]],{{cite news |date=1 December 1875 |title=Monthly Musical Record |journal=Monthly Musical Record |pages=177 }} [[Pablo de Sarasate]], Franz Servais, [[Peter Benoit]], [[August Manns]],{{cite news |date=16 October 1875 |title=The Illustrated sporting und dramatic news |journal=The Illustrated sporting und dramatic news |page=1 |lang= }}{{cite news |date=13 November 1875 |title=The Academy |journal=The Academy |pages=516 }} [[Arthur Sullivan]],{{cite web |newspaper=[[The Scotsman]] |date=1 December 1875 |language=en-GB |via=[[The British Library]] and Findmypast |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-share/6c5c1a5b-7b5e-4e5b-99c9-7416b61cdcce |location=Edinburgh |title=Glasgow Choral Union: Third orchestral concert |access-date=12 February 2026 }} [[Robert Hausmann]], [[Sims Reeves]] and [[Julius Benedict|Sir Julius Benedict]].{{cite news |date=18 December 1875 |title=The Musical World |journal=The Musical World |pages=855 }}