Abraham Louis Niedermeyer

Niedermeyer was a Swiss composer who had a profound impact on the future Romantics of France. He studied piano with Moscheles, composition with Forster and he traveled to Rome to study with Fioravanti and Zingarelli. While in Rome he met fortuitously with Rossini who befriended him. It was at Rossini's urging that some of Niedermeyer's operas were produced. The operas included "Il reo per amore," "Robert Bruce," and "La fronde." The former met with success but most of the operas were received with a tepid ear at best. After the ""failure" of "La Fronde" Niedermeyer devoted himself primarily to sacred and secular vocal music whereupon he reopened the Ecole Choron as Ecole Niedermeyer. As an excellent teacher Niedermeyer readily established his school. Among the teachers was Saint-Saens and among the students was Faure. Renewed relationships between poets and musicians was part of Niedermeyer's legacy particularly with the re-establishment of song compositions. In sacred music he helped to revivify the liturgical traditions of the church and incorporated the studies of Gregorian chant and the polyphonic masters like Palestrina. ~ Keith Johnson