Un portal on escoltar i gaudir de l'art musical dels segles XVI, XVII, XVIII i XIX. Compartir la bellesa de la música és l'objectiu d'aquest espai i fer-ho donant a conèixer obres de compositors molt o poc coneguts és el mètode.
Augustinian friar, keyboardist, and composer. Few details of his life
are known. Associated with the Augustinian Monastery in Prague’s Lesser
Town (Malá Strana), he gained recognition as harpsichordist whose works,
characterized by a progressive style featuring virtuosic flourishes,
were preserved in contemporary manuscript copies alongside those of
notable figures like Antonín Reichenauer. Between approximately 1734 and
1737, he served the noble Morzin family, likely as a domestic tutor for
either Václav Morzin or his son Karl Josef. His tenure at the Morzin
court concluded around the time of Václav’s death in 1737.
Austrian organist and composer. Primarily active in Graz, where he
served as the city parish organist (Stadtpfarrorganist) starting in
1740. Although his exact dates of birth and death remain unconfirmed,
records of his family life suggest he was born before 1710, and his
professional trail fades after 1741, though he may have later joined the
court of Count Joseph Bernhard Attems at Schloss Dornau. As a composer,
he is historically significant for his five harpsichord concertos,
early Austrian examples of the genre that adhere to the Vivaldian formal
model, and a collection of six partitas. The modest range of the solo
parts in his concertos suggests they may have been originally conceived
for the organ, marking an important stylistic link in the development of
keyboard literature within the regional Baroque tradition.
Bohemian composer. Nephew and pupil of Joseph Rejcha (1752-1795), in
1785 the family moved to Bonn, where he became a member of the
Hofkapelle of Max Franz, Elector of Cologne, playing violin and second
flute in the court orchestra under his uncle's direction. The young
Beethoven entered the Hofkapelle as violist and organist in 1789 and he
befriended him. From about 1785 he studied composition secretly, against
his uncle's wishes, composing and conducting his first symphony in 1787
and entering the University of Bonn in 1789, where he studied and
performed until 1794, when Bonn was attacked and captured by the French.
He managed to escape to Hamburg. In 1799 he moved to Paris, hoping to
achieve success as an opera composer but in 1801 he moved on to Vienna.
Once there, he studied with Antonio Salieri and Johann Georg
Albrechtsberger. Reicha's life and career in Vienna were interrupted by
Napoleon's November 1805 occupation of the city by French troops. Then
Reicha decided to move back to Paris. He was soon teaching composition
privately, future prolific composer George Onslow being one of his
pupils by 1808. This time three of his many operas were produced, but
they all failed; yet his fame as theorist and teacher increased
steadily, and by 1817 most of his pupils became professors at the
Conservatoire de Paris. The following year, Reicha himself was appointed
professor of counterpoint and fugue at the Conservatoire with the
support of Louis XVIII. In 1818 he married Virginie Enaust, who bore him
two daughters. Reicha stayed in Paris for the rest of his life. He
became a naturalized citizen of his adopted country in 1829 and
Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1835. That same year, he succeeded
François-Adrien Boieldieu at the Académie française. Though a prolific
composer, he was of particular importance as a theorist and teacher in
early 19th-century Paris.
Alsatian priest and composer. After preliminary studies in Sélestat he
entered the Benedictine convent of Ebersmünster, where he became master
of the novices, teacher, and in 1745 prior, at the same time acquiring
sufficient reputation as a harpsichordist to play before Louis XV during
the king's visit to Strasbourg in 1744. His knowledge of the organ led
to invitations to examine new instruments. As a superior he insisted
upon strict adherence to the rule of his order, but he could also be
amusing and entertaining. At his death he was provost of the convent of
St Marx near Gerberschweier. Harst's only known work is his 'Recueil de
différentes pièces de clavecin' (1745). He was one of the very few
composers to use François Couperin's term ordre for a group of pieces in
the same key, and his style is an amalgam of Couperin, Jean-Philippe
Rameau and Jean-François Dandrieu.
Brazilian composer, instrumentalist, and conductor in the Captaincy of
Minas Gerais. A bassoonist and timpanist for the Regiment of Dragoons,
he also served as a contralto singer and eventually succeeded José
Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita as music director at the Matriz do
Pilar in 1800. In addition to his musical professional career, he held
administrative roles, including treasurer and clerk, within several
religious brotherhoods. While historical estimates suggest a prolific
output of approximately 200 compositions, only a small number of
manuscripts have been preserved. His extant catalog is defined by sacred
works for voices and chamber orchestra, most notably the Novena de
Nossa Senhora do Pilar (1789) and the Matins Spiritus Domini (1795).
German composer. He was the ninth child of Carl Wagner, a clerk in the
Leipzig police service. Richard’s father died six months after his
birth. Soon after, Richard’s mother started living with her late
husband’s friend named Ludwig Geyer. After a while, she and her family
moved to Geyer’s residence in Dresden. Richard lived here until he
turned 14. Geyer loved theater and this interest was shared by Richard
who took part in his performances. In 1820, Richard was enrolled at
Pastor Wetzel’s school near Dresden. Here, he received piano instruction
from a Latin teacher. After Geyer’s death in 1821, Richard was sent to a
boarding school of Dresdner Kreuzchor, which was paid for by Geyer’s
brother. When Richard turned nine, he was impressed by the Gothic
elements of Carl Weber’s opera Der Freischutz. During this time, Richard
entertained ambitions as a playwright. By 1827, the family went back to
Leipzig. His first lessons in harmony were taken between 1828 and 1831.
In January of 1828, he heard Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and later in
March, the same composer’s 9th Symphony. In 1831, Richard joined Leipzig
University. He became a member of the Saxon student fraternity. Richard
also took composition lessons from Thomaskantor Weinlig. In 1833,
Richard’s brother managed to get a position for him as a choir master at
a theatre in Wurzburg. When he turned 20 that same year, Richard
composed his first complete opera entitled Die Feen, which means The
Fairies. In 1834, he went back to Leipzig where he held a short
appointment as a musical director at the Magdeburg opera house. During
this time, he wrote Das Liebesverbot, or The Ban on Love. This
composition was based on Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. In 1840,
Richard completed Rienzi. With a lot of support from Giacomo Meyerbeer,
this was accepted for performance by the Dresden Court Theatre in 1842.
Richard lived in Dresden for the next six years.
During his time here, he was appointed the Royal Saxon Court-Conductor.
However, his involvement with left-wing politics terminated his stay in
Dresden. After leaving Dresden, Richard was unable to enter Germany for
the next 11 years due to great political instability. During this time,
he wrote Opera and Drama and then started developing his popular Ring
Cycle. This work combined literature, music, and visual elements in a
way that would anticipate the future of film. In 1843, Wagner completed
The Flying Dutchman, which was considered one of the greatest works of
the time. In 1845, Richard produced Tannhauser and then started working
on Lohengrin. In 1862, Richard returned to Germany. He was invited by
the king to settle in Bavaria. In 1869 and 1870, Richard’s first two
operas were presented in Munich. Richard died of a heart attack on
February 13, 1883. He was 69 years old and died while on vacation in
Venice. His body was shipped back to Bayreuth where he was buried. Until
his final years, Richard’s life was characterized by political exile,
poverty, turbulent love affairs and repeated flight from creditors. His
controversial music, drama and politics have attracted extensive comment
in the recent decade. The effect of his ideas can actually be traced in
many arts throughout 20th century. Their influence spread beyond
composition to philosophy, visual arts, theatre and literature. During
his lifetime, his work was deeply loved by many and influenced other
composers. He was able to revolutionize opera through his concept of
Gesamtkunstwerk, which translates to “total work of art.” His
compositions, and especially those of later years, are notable for their
complex textures, orchestration, rich harmonies and elaborate use of
leitmotifs. His musical language composed of extreme use of chromaticism
and shifting tonal centers greatly influenced the development of
classical music.
French composer. Born into a family of woodwind instrument makers,
instrumentalists and composers, he was son of Martin Hotteterre
(c.1635-1712). He served in the hautbois et musettes de Poitou. On his
father's death in 1712 he succeeded to the business, continuing the
workshop on the rue de Harlay until his death. His only extant
collection of 'Pièces pour la muzette qui peuvent aussi se jouer sur la
flûte, sur le haubois etc... oeuvre posthume' was published by his
brother Jacques Hotteterre (1673-1763) in 1722. During the 17th century
various members of the family moved to Paris, where they gained fame as
instrument makers and players, serving royal music-making. They are
credited with developing early prototypes of the Baroque oboe, bassoon,
musette and flute. Their talents in instrument making, playing,
composition and pedagogy converged to form the foundation of the French
school of woodwind playing.
Italian violinist and composer. He was probably trained in the city of
Milan, by 1758 was named solo violinist to the court of the Duke of
Wurttemberg in Stuttgart. He also commenced touring as a virtuoso,
appearing with great success in Vienna (c.1760) and at the Concert
Spirituel in Paris (1764, 1766). As a result of incurring debts, the
Stuttgart court allowed him to tour extensively in order to recoup his
losses. His tours took him to Frankfurt am Main and Utrecht (1769),
Italy (1771), and northern Germany (1773). Lolli's Stuttgart contract
was abrogated due to his debts in 1774. He then went to St. Petersburg,
where he was a favorite of Catherine II in the capacity of chamber
virtuoso (1774-83). He also found favor with Grigori Potemkin. Lolli
continued to tour, and absented himself from the court between 1777 and
1780. Having dissipated 10,000 florins he had accumulated from gambling,
he returned to St. Petersburg in 1780 and succeeded in regaining his
social and artistic position. He appeared in concerts at Potemkin's
palace there, and also in Moscow. Despite his frequent derelictions of
duty, he was retained at the court until his contract was terminated in
1783. In 1784 he gave his last public concerts in Russia. He then
appeared in Stockholm, Hamburg, and Copenhagen (1784), London (1785),
and Italy. After visits to Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Stettin (1791),
Palermo (1793), and Vienna (1794). In 1794 he was engaged as maestro di
cappella to the court of Naples. After retirement, he settled in
Palermo, where he spent his last years in poverty. As a performer, he
was greatly admired for his commanding technique as a virtuoso and he
was even known as 'the Shakespeare among violinists', but as a composer
critics such as Charles Burney found his music bizarre. Lolli had little
if any formal training in composition, nor did he ever realize his
intentions of studying counterpoint with Padre Martini. Such study might
not have made him a better composer, but identification as a Martini
pupil might have mitigated contemporary criticism of his works. His
music consists of 12 violin concertos, 28 violin sonatas, six duos, and
36 solo violin capriccios. His main claim to fame is a treatise,
'L’école du violon en quatuor' (1784).
French composer and organist. On 14 June 1621, Henry Du Mont and his
brother Lambert entered the choir school of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in
Maastricht and continued through the Jesuit college. Henry became
organist of the church there in 1629. In Paris, on 4 April 1643, he
signed a contract to be organist at the church of St. Paul. He took
French nationality in 1647. In 1652, he published his first volume of
motets and became the harpsichordist to the Duke of Anjou, brother of
King Louis XIV. In July 1660, he was appointed organist to the queen,
then as sous-maître of the Chapelle Royale in July 1664, for one quarter
of the year under the court system, then for half the year in 1668.
Thereafter, he continued to acquire appointments and benefices, all the
while continuing at St. Paul and making frequent trips to Maastricht. He
retired in Paris in 1683. The dominant figure in sacred music in
mid-17th-century Paris, he published 114 petits motets between 1652 and
1681 and also composed 26 grands motets, as well as 37 French psalm
settings. His most remarkable and often performed sacred music is the
collection of five original plainchant masses, an early effort at
restoring what was considered a corrupt tradition. His secular music
includes 21 songs, 5 symphonies, and a few dance movements for ensemble.
As a professional organist, he must have composed or improvised a
significant body of organ music, but very little survives.
German composer and sculptor. She was born the third of five children
and eldest daughter of wealthy pharmacist, Johann August Friedrich
Mayer, and wife Henrietta Carolina. Her mother died when she was two
years old. When she was five, she received a grand piano and was given
music lessons but, seemingly destined for a domestic life, at the age of
28 her circumstances changed when her father committed suicide, leaving
Mayer with a large inheritance. In 1841, she moved to the regional
capital city of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) and sought to study
composition with Carl Loewe, a central figure in the musical life of the
city. In 1847, after the premiere of her first two symphonies by the
Stettin Instrumental Society, and with the urging of her tutor, she
moved to Berlin to continue her compositional studies. Once in Berlin,
she studied fugue and double counterpoint with Adolph Bernhard Marx, and
instrumentation with Wilhelm Wieprecht. She began publishing her works
and performing in private concerts. Then, on 21 April 1850, Wieprecht
led his 'Euterpe' orchestra in a concert at the Royal Theatre
exclusively presenting compositions by Mayer, including a concert
overture, string quartet, a setting of Psalm 118 for chorus and
orchestra, two symphonies and some piano solos. Shortly after this, she
was awarded the gold medal of art from the Queen of Prussia, Elisabeth
Ludovika of Bavaria. With critical and popular acclaim, she continued
composing works for public performance. She traveled to attend
performances of her works, including concerts in Cologne, Munich, Lyon,
Brussels and Vienna. As Mayer’s instrumental works were being
increasingly performed and her fame grew, she was appointed co-director
of the Berlin Opera. Even so, she was often forced to meet the costs
involved herself. While her male counterparts would often receive an
honorarium from their publishers, Mayer still had to pay for publication
of her works. In 1876, she returned to Berlin where her music was still
frequently performed. Mayer’s new Faust Overture became a hit and she
re-established herself as a significant figure in the city’s cultural
circles. As a composer, her output includes the singspiel 'Die
Fischerin', several sinfonias and overtures, choral settings and lieder.
Among her instrumental works are 9 sonatas for violin and 13 for cello,
11 piano trios and 7 string quartets. She was initially influenced by
the Vienna classic style, whilst her later works were more Romantic.
Mayer’s harmonies are characterized by sudden shifts in tonality and the
frequent use of seventh chords, with the diminished seventh allowing
Mayer to reach a variety of resolutions. Her rhythms are often very
complex, with several layers interacting at once. Besides composing, she
worked as a sculptor, and some of her works were retained in royal
collections.
German composer and music publisher. He attended the University of
Vienna in law beginning in 1768, but shortly thereafter he decided to
pursue a career in music. In 1783 he began to publish his own music, and
by 1785 he had established a firm in Vienna to compete with Artaria.
Well educated, erudite, and congenial, he was a welcomed guest in
intellectual circles in the Austrian capital for the next several
decades, while his publishing business thrived with a branch in Linz and
collaborations with others such as Bösseler in Speyer. After 1790 he
began to devote himself more to his music, and in 1799 he undertook a
concert tour as a keyboardist to Germany and France. In Leipzig he
formed a partnership with Ambrosius Kühnel, which became one of the
early progenitors of the firm of C. F. Peters. The international success
of particularly his Singspiel Der Königssohn aus Ithaka made it
possible for him to divest himself from his businesses by 1805. As a
composer, he concentrated mostly upon instrumental works, since these
were the most publishable and salable music. He was extraordinarily
prolific and many of his Viennese works were also popular in foreign
cities: by 1803 his most successful opera, 'Der Königssohn aus Ithaka'
(Vienna, 1795), had been performed in Budapest, Hamburg, Prague,
Temesvár (now Timişoara), Warsaw and Weimar; his numerous chamber works
were published in Amsterdam, London, Paris and Venice, as well as
throughout German-speaking regions. Although his symphonies were admired
for their flowing melodies and his pedagogical works for being both
pleasant and instructive, his style is generally lacking in originality
and depth. His works include nine Singspiels, two cantatas/oratorios, an
offertory, 66 symphonies, 11 serenades, 54 sets of dances, 59 concertos
(25 for fortepiano, 14 for flute, and 20 for other instruments,
including five sinfonia concertantes), 30 quintets (string, flute, and
other), 57 string quartets, 46 flute quartets, nine piano quartets, 18
string trios, 12 flute trios, 76 string duets, 130 flute duets, 50
violin sonatas, five flute and viola sonatas, 26 piano sonatas, and
numerous other pieces for winds and keyboard.
Bohemian composer, pianist and organist. He was the youngest son of
Václav František Voříšek (1749-1815) who taught him the piano and
singing. He later studied the organ and the violin and began to compose.
As a child prodigy, he started to perform publicly in Bohemian towns at
the age of nine. After settled in Prague, he studied at a grammar
school and later he went on at the Prague University. At the same time,
he took piano and composition lessons from Václav Tomášek. In 1813 he
moved to Vienna to study law at the university as well as music under
Johann Nepomuk Hummel. In Vienna he personally met Ludwig van Beethoven
(1814) and many other important personalities of European musical life;
among others Franz Schubert, with whom they became good friends. He
finished his law studies only in 1821 and for a short time made his
living as a clerk; at the same time he composed, conducted and taught
piano. In 1824 he was appointed the first court organist in Vienna. At
that time, however, he suffered from tuberculosis; his treatment in Graz
did not help and he died in his age of 34. As a composer, he mainly
wrote piano works; he started in the classical style but soon romantic
elements predominated. He also composed, among others, a Symphony
(1821), several chamber works and a Solemn Mass. Although he was born in
Bohemia, Voříšek's music bears hardly a trace of what was later
considered to be Czech national style. Well versed in Viennese
classicism, he was among the last of the many Bohemian émigrés of his
time to compose in the internationalized late-Classical style associated
with Vienna. Voříšek's music provides a remarkably accurate picture of
the musical trends prevalent in Biedermeier Vienna, especially during
the decade 1815-1825. His brother František Voříšek (1785-1843), a
priest, was also a musician, and the two daughters, Eleonora Voříšek and
Anna Voříšek, were pianists.
Bohemian composer. He studied law at the University of Prague, and took
private lessons in piano with Benedikt Zavora and in composition with
Václav Jan Tomášek. He was employed at first by the Czech financial
procurators in Prague, but in 1836, after a concert of his compositions,
he devoted himself to music. His 'Jagdsinjonie' was premiered by Ludwig
Spohr (1839), and subsequently performed widely in Germany. In 1843 he
succeeded Bedřich Diviš Weber as director of the Prague Conservatory.
Soon after the successful première of his fourth symphony (1858),
written to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Prague
Conservatory, his health and energy declined. This, together with
financial embarrassments, forced him to resign from the conservatory at
the end of 1865. His last years were spent in exile. As a composer, he
wrote at least four operas, two masses, several choral works, and songs,
as well as four symphonies, three overtures and chamber music. Jan
Bedřich Kittl should be considered as one of the first bohemian
Romantics.
Johann David Hermann (c.1760-1846)
- Deuxieme Concerto pour la Harpe avec accompagnement de deux Violons, Alto, Basse, Bassons, Cors et Hautbois (ad Libitum)
German composer and teacher. Nothing is known about his youth. In 1785,
he settled in Paris where he published his 'Trois sonates pour le piano
forte et accompagnement de violon ad libitum' (1785) and performed as
keyboardist at the 'Concert Spirituel' with great success. After that,
he was appointed the Queen Marie Antoinette private teacher. Since then
he was devoting himself as a keyboard teacher the rest of his life. That
years in Paris he was highly praised as keyboardist, being comparable
to Daniel Steibelt with whom competed at the Paris salons. As a
composer, he wrote at least five piano concertos, two harp concertos,
chamber and keyboard pieces. After a long career as a musician, he died
in Paris in 1846.
Walloon flautist and composer. Born into a family of musicians, he
probably studied with his father, a flautist, before entering the
service of the Bishop of Strickland in London at the age of 15. By 1737
he had returned to Namur, but two years later he moved to Amsterdam,
where he performed frequently and toured Germany. On 20 July 1751 he
obtained a privilege permitting him to publish his own works. He visited
Dresden, Augsburg and Paris as well as returning regularly to Namur.
His acquaintance with the flautist Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin in Dresden
resulted in the dedication of six trio sonatas and possibly two
concertos. About 1760 he settled in Paris. He probably returned to his
hometown to retire. As a composer, his music consists of 31 flute
concertos, 20 symphonies, 26 trios, 29 flute sonatas, and around 50
Lieder, mostly in Dutch. Mahaut's compositions were published
extensively during his lifetime. He also wrote one of the first
treatises on flute performance in Dutch. It marked a considerable
advance on the methods of Jacques Hotteterre, Michel Corrette and Johann
Quantz, particularly with regard to technique; it was the only work of
its time to distinguish between the French and Italian ways of executing
the trill and appoggiatura.
Moravian composer. He attended the schools in Opava and Freiberg where
was considered a proficient student, but the origins of his musical
education remain unknown. He arrived in Częstochowa after graduating. On
21 September 1814 he entered as a 'novititate' and one year later he
took his monastic vows and assumed the name Cyril. As a monk he attended
the lectures of philosophy and theology in the General School of the
Polish province in Jasna Góra and in the monastery of Warsaw. After two
years he was ordained and he assumed the cantor post of the order in
Jasna Góra. In 1817 he was transferred to the St. Sigismund monastery in
Częstochowa and later to the church in Konopiska. From there he came
back to Jasna Góra where he resumed his musical activity until 1819.
Since 1820 he assumed a post of preacher and confessor of the Francis
Xavier German Brotherhood in Warsaw. There he translated his surname to
Gieczyński. In 1823 he left the order and assumed a priest post in
Niegów, where he remained the rest of his life. As a composer he mainly
wrote sacred music when he was active at Jasna Góra. His extant output
comprises 2 masses as well as other minor religious works.
German composer. Son of Johann Jacob Bach (1655-1718), nothing is known
of his musical training, but he probably received some early instruction
from his father before attending the Gotha Gymnasium in 1688-1693. At
the age of 22 he moved to Meiningen eventually being appointed cantor
there, and later Kapellmeister. He wrote a large amount of music and
regularly oversaw performances, both at Meiningen and neighbouring
courts. He was a third cousin of Johann Sebastian Bach, who made copies
of several of his cantatas and performed them at Leipzig. The cantata
'Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen', BWV 15, once
thought to be by Johann Sebastian, and listed as BWV 15 in Wolfgang
Schmieder's catalogue of his works, is now thought to be by Johann
Ludwig.
