Queen Elisabeth of Romania: her contribution to Romanian music and her relationship with important musicians of the time

Abstract

: Princess Elisabeth Pauline Otilia Louise of Wied, the first Queen of Romania, was born in a German genuine noble family. Music and art were seriously cultivated in the House of Wied. The education she received and her models to follow contributed to the way in which the Queen involved herself in the Romanian artistic life. Queen Elisabeth published her works in Romania, but also abroad, under the pseudonym Carmen Sylva. Her composition includes a lot of genres: poems, novels, short stories, essays, theatre plays and opera librettos. She promoted the beauty of our country in her work. She had an important contribution in encouraging the literature of great Romanian writers, by translating them abroad. Her lyrics have been used in over 400 musical works, the most known being those composed by George Enescu. An important role in her musical evolution were the music lessons she took from Anton Rubinstein and Clara Schumann. The Queen involved herself in the education and promotion of Romanian artists, such as musicians George Enescu and Aurelia Cionca, also the painter Nicolae Grigorescu. She was also close to many significant figures of that time, like the Romanian writer Vasile Alecsandri, the French poet Pierre Loti, the Princess Elena Bibescu and others. Queen Elisabeth’s importance is undeniable as she used all her educational heritage and all her resources to lead the artistic life of her adoptive country and this had a significant effect on the Romanian image abroad.