Christian Gottlob Neefe (1748-1798) - Sonata in d-moll (1773)
Performers: Oliver Drеchsеl (clavichord)
Painting: Unbekannt - Blick nach Chemnitz (c.1840)
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German composer and keyboardist. His earliest musical education was as a
chorister at the Chemnitz cathedral, but in 1768 he arrived in Leipzig
to study law at the university there. He passed his first examination
with a work that argued whether a father had the right to disinherit his
son if the latter became a musician. In 1771 he enrolled as a pupil in
the Singspiel school of Johann Adam Hiller, eventually collaborating
with his mentor on a one-act work, Der Dorfbarbier. In 1776 he became
the musical director of the Abel Seyler troupe and toured Germany with
considerable success, establishing a reputation as a composer of
Singspiels. In 1779 he obtained a post in the national theatre in Bonn,
being appointed court organist in 1781. There he undertook the musical
education of Ludwig van Beethoven, even recommending him for further
training in Vienna. In 1794, he was dismissed from his post during the
French occupation and fruitlessly sought other employment. With the help
of his daughter, he became music director of the Dessau theatre at the
end of 1796, but fell seriously ill and died soon afterwards. As a
composer he was noted for his ability to write memorable melodies,
though his songs and arias are often strophic. His music includes 10
Singspiels (of which one, 'Adelheit von Veltheim' of 1780, achieved
considerable success), 21 keyboard sonatas, 13 violin sonatas, a
keyboard concerto, a Latin Vater unser (lost), several partitas, and a
large number of Lieder. He also arranged Mozart’s operas for keyboard
reduction during the last years of his life.
