Franz Anton Hoffmeister
Born: 12 May 1754, Rothenburg am Neckar (Austria)
Died: 9 February 1812, Wien (Austria)
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Whilst today Hoffmeister is best known for his activities as a music publisher of many prominent Viennese comoposers of the era (including Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart), in the early 1780’s he was one of Vienna’s most popular composers in his own right.
Hoffmeister’s compositions are not yet completely documented, but he certainly worked in most genres with the exception of large orchestral works. Nevertheless, he is known to have composed 10 stage works, at least 44 symphonies, and many flute concertos as well as a few for the clarinet and a notable viola concerto.
In chamber music, he wrote a considerable amount of music for the flute, plus string quartets, quintets and piano sonatas. Hoffmeister also experimented with unusual chamber combinations, and recently recordings of double bass quartets, Notturnos with oboe, 2 violas, bassoon or violin (on Tudor) have emerged. Dieter Klocker has recorded clarinet quartets by Hoffmeister and his recording of the clarinet concerti is due out in January 2006.
To try and summarise Hoffmeister’s contribution to 18/19th century compositions, whilst many works are relatively light in nature, they are all well crafted and certainly well worth listening to. Some of the better works approach the ambiance of Haydn and Mozart in their lighter moods, and for this reason alone Hoffmeister deserves to sit near the front of the “also-rans” of the time.
(Contribution by <adrian.housentlworld.com>)
His “La Festa Della Pace” was composed to commemorate Balkan’s treaty with Ottoman Turks.
(Contribution by <peterblonline.co.uk>)
Wrote 9 operas, 66 symphonies and overtures (if not more), 150 string quartets, 5 piano quartets, 11 piano trios, 18 string trios and 12 piano sonatas. In addition, he wrote a great many flute concertos and works for flute with various instruments.
Biography
Born in Rothenburg some two years before Mozart, Hoffmeister went to Vienna when he was just 14 to study law. However, he soon devoted himself entirely to music and, by 1785 had, in addition to producing successful compositions, set up a music publishing business. Hoffmeister’s business acumen, however, did not equal his compositional ability, and his publishing activities were financially precarious over the next few years.
In 1799 Hoffmeister befriended the organist Ambrosiuis Kuhnel in Leipzig and founded the “Bureau de Musique”, which later became the well known firm of CF Peters – still active today. The Bureau published collections of Haydn’s string quartets and Mozart’s quartets and quintets and was an early champion of J.S. Bach’s keyboard works. They also succeeded in acquiring Beethoven’s First Symphony and Second Piano Concerto.
In 1805, Hoffmeister sold out to Kuhnel, and the Viennese publishers (run by his wife) the next year, and until his death in 1812 he devoted himself to composition.
(Contribution by <adrian.housentlworld.com>)
Hoffmeister started as a law student, but became interested in music, so he opened a publishing house. He published works of Mozart and Beethoven as well as his own works. His publishing house became part of the well known C.F. Peters.
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