[Born April 8, 1819, Hamburg – Died December 31, 1875, Vienna]

German pianist and composer. Born in Hamburg, Evers began studying piano at the age of six under Jakob Schmitt (1803–1853). His teacher was the brother of Aloys Schmitt, a renowned piano teacher in Frankfurt. By the age of twelve, he had progressed sufficiently to give concerts in his hometown of Hamburg, and eventually began performing in cities in neighboring countries (the Duchy of Holstein, the Duchy of Schleswig [both now German territory], Copenhagen, and Stockholm). During his travels from 1834 to the following year, he extended his reach to Denmark, Sweden, and even St. Petersburg, Russia. In Hanover, which he visited during his 1837 travels, Evers studied harmony with Heinrich August Marschner (1795–1861), who had served as court Kapellmeister there since 1830, and organ with Zieger (dates unknown). Subsequently, he studied composition with Carl August Krebs (1804–1880), who had been a conductor at the Hamburg Theater since 1827. In 1838, he visited Leipzig, where he befriended Mendelssohn and received advice. In 1841, he stayed in Paris (according to Fétis, 1839), where he was welcomed by Chopin and Auber. He gained fame in Vienna, which he is said to have visited in the same year. He visited Paris again the following year and participated in concerts (at a concert on February 27, he reportedly performed “Mendelssohn’s Scherzo” (announced as “Prelude”) and his own “Etude in Octaves” (probably Op. 8) “with unimaginable speed.” He also visited Paris in 1845 and gave concerts). He later settled in Graz in 1858 and ran a music business. He died in Vienna in 1875, but his activities until then are unknown.

Unlike many virtuosos of his generation, Evers showed no interest whatsoever in fantasies based on operatic themes; his original compositions constitute the majority of his output. Moreover, most of these are written in a large-scale and serious style. In addition to five sonatas for solo piano and two sonatas for piano four hands, he composed character pieces (such as Sunny Days and Stormy Days, Op. 24, consisting of 12 pieces), fantasies, dances (mazurkas, tarantellas, polkas), chamber music (two string quartets, one violin sonata), and lieder, with opus numbers confirmed up to Op. 107.

References

• Henri Blanchard, Annonce de concert, Revue et gazette musicale de Paris, 9e année, n° 10, 6 mars, 1842, p. 94-96
• François-Joseph Fétis, « EVERS (Charles) », Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique, vol. 3, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1878, p. 165.
• C. G., « Carl Evers und seine neueren Compositionen », Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, No 3, Januar 1845, p. 42-43.
• Ernest Pauer, A Dictionary of Pianists and Composers for the Pianoforte:With an Appendix of Manufactuers of the Instrument, London, New York, Novello, Ewer and Co., 1895.
• Anonyme, Annonce de concert, Revue et gazette musicale de Paris, 9e année, n° 9, 27 juillet, 1842, p. 73