Anna von Schaden

Anna von Schaden was born 1763 in Austria, the illegitimate daughter of Count Leopold von Pranck. Raised in the home of an aristocratic benefactor, she received piano lessons and a general education. In 1779, Anna married Joseph von Schaden. The couple had 4 children. Unlike most women of that time, Anna became a respected pianist and gave concerts. She was a friend and penpal of Nannette Streicher, the woman who built pianos for Beethoven. Her husband held a variety of positions which required the struggling household to move frequently. From 1781 the princely court in Vienna awarded Anna an annual pension of 200 guilders, a rare privilege for a married woman. This allowed Anna to separate from her husband and move to Regensburg where she remained until her death in 1834. Anna composed piano concertos in collaboration with her musical mentor and composition teacher, Antonio Rosetti. The Rondo #4 in C Major is her only other known surviving work.