Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter (1665-1742) - Missa Sancti Francisci (1712)
Performers: Neue Innsbrucker Hofkapelle; Detlef Bratschke (leitung)
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Austrian composer. His main appointment was in Passau, where he
succeeded Georg Muffat as court Kapellmeister in 1705. He spent his
early years in Vienna, where he may have been a pupil of Johannes Ebner
(a member of the well-known family of organ players and son of Wolfgang
Ebner) whom he declared his model. Apparently he came into contact with
members of the Viennese nobility, and he may have been employed at a
court. In a letter of 1724 to Prince-Bishop Lamberg, while complaining
about the quality of the violinists in Passau, Aufschnaiter claimed to
have had in Vienna, where he spent many years, ‘16–18 excellent
musicians’ at his disposal. His op.1 (of which no copy is extant) was
dedicated to Count Ferdinand Ernst von Trautmannsdorf, who may have been
his employer. In 1695 his op.2 appeared in Nuremberg with a dedication
to Archduke Joseph (later Emperor Joseph I). Under the title Concors
discordia it contains six orchestral suites which show Italian concerto
grosso structure but also an apparent French influence; they probably
followed the example of Georg Muffat. All that is known of op.3 is that
it was dedicated to Emperor Leopold I; no copy is extant. Op.4 consists
of eight church sonatas published under the title Dulcis fidium harmonia
symphoniis ecclesiasticis concinnata, which appeared in 1703 and were
dedicated to the four early fathers of the church and the four
evangelists. These are orchestral sonatas for two solo violins (which
have complicated double stops), two violins ad libitum, viola, violone
and organ; they may have been inspired by Heinrich Biber’s works. From
1705, when he became Kapellmeister at Passau, Aufschnaiter was active as
a composer of church music (although he was not officially appointed
cathedral Kapellmeister as Muffat had been). His opp.5 and 8 comprise
vespers for four voices, strings and continuo instruments (1709, 1728),
his op.6 five masses (1712) and his op.7 offertories with two solo
violas (1719). In all his church works Aufschnaiter favours a more
traditional style similar to the Roman cantata style; there are fewer
demanding violin passages and double stops than in his earlier works,
and he prefers to please with melodic charm. In his theoretical writings
he emphasizes the difference between church, chamber and theatre music.
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