Gabriele Speyer

Gabriele Speyer was born as Gabriele Mathilde Sander on 14 January 1897 in Cologne (Germany). Her mother was a studied musician and so Gabriele Speyer received her first piano lessons through her mother. Later she attended piano lessons by Else Wirminghaus. After her schooldays Gabriele Speyer first studied piano at the local conservatory and then moved to Berlin where she studied singing under Lilli Lehmann. Around 1925 she returned to Cologne, married the lawyer Walter Speyer in 1927 and took his surname. In the following she was known both as Gabriele Speyer and Gabriele Speyer-Sander. Gabriele Speyer gave concerts and recitals, but also worked as a singing teacher. She was of Jewish faith and for that reason left Germany in 1938 and emigrated to England. She settled in St. John's Wood (70 Carlton Hill) in London and continued her work as a singing teacher. Gabriele Speyer died on 4 November 1969 in London (Great Britain).
Gabriele Sander is the sister of interior designer Bertha Sander.

In my possession are two autograph manuscripts of compositions by Gabriele Speyer. The two works are both songs for voice and piano. The first is titled "Fragment aus Goethe: Faust 1. Teil" and uses a text by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. It was finished on 27 March 1945. The second song is titled "Meeresleuchten" and uses a text by Friedrich Hebbel. This song was completed on 12 June 1945.