Georg Christoph Wagenseil - silhouette 1776

Georg Christoph Wagenseil (29 January 1715 – 1 March 1777) was an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. He was born in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and became a favorite pupil of the Vienna court's

Kapellmeister ( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...

Johann Joseph Fux Johann Joseph Fux (; – 13 February 1741) was an Austrian composer, music theorist and pedagogue of the late Baroque era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on counterpoint, '' Gradus ad Parnassum'', which ha ...

. Wagenseil himself composed for the court from 1739 to his death. He also held positions as

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

ist and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

. His pupils included Johann Baptist Schenk (who was to teach

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

), and

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...

. He traveled little, and died in Vienna having spent most of his life there. Wagenseil was a well-known musical figure in his day — both

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

and

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

are known to have been familiar with his works. His early works are

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

, while his later pieces are in the Classical style. He composed a number of

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

works,

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

,Kucaba, John.: "Thematic Index" in ''The Symphony 1720 - 1840'' Series B - Volume III, ed. Barry S. Brooks (New York & London, 1981) pp. xxxvii - l

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

and

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

pieces.

Compositions

Operas *''La generosità trionfante'' (1745) *''Ariodante'' (1745) *''La clemenza di Tito'' (1745) *''Demetrio'' (1746) *'' Alexander der Grosse in Indien'' (1748) *'' Il Siroe'' (1748) *''L'olimpiade'' (1749) *''Andromeda'' (1750) *''Antigono'' (1750) *''Euridice'' (1750) *''Armida placata'' (1750) *''Vincislao'' (1750) *''Le cacciatrici amanti'' (1755) *''Prometeo assoluto'' (1762) *''Catone'' (?) *''Merope'' (1766) Concertos *Concerto for alto trombone in E-flat major *Concerto for cello & orchestra in A major, WV 348 *Concerto for cello & orchestra in C major, WV 341 *Concerto for flute, strings & continuo in D major, WWV 342 *Concerto for flute, strings & continuo in G major, WWV 347 *Concerto for fortepiano, violin & strings in A major, WWV 325 *Concerto for harpsichord/organ & strings No. 1 in C major *Concerto for harpsichord/organ & strings No. 2 in A major *Concerto for harpsichord/organ & strings No. 4 in E-flat major *Concerto for harpsichord/organ & strings No. 5 in B-flat major *Concerto for harpsichord/organ & strings No. 6 in B-flat major *Concerto for oboe, bassoon, winds, strings & continuo in E-flat major, WWV 345 *Concerto for trombone & orchestra in E-flat major *Concerto for harp & orchestra in G major *Concertor for harp & strings in F major, WWV 281 Symphonic Works *Sinfonia in G minor *Symphonia in C major *Symphony in A major, WV 421 *Symphony in A major, WV 432 *Symphony in B-flat major, WV 441 *Symphony in C major, WV 351 *Symphony in C major, WV 361 *Symphony in D *Symphony in D (WV 374, D10), Op. 3/1 *Symphony in E major *Symphony in E major, WV 393 *Symphony in F major, WV 398 *Symphony in G major, WV 413 *Symphony in B-flat major, WV 438 Chamber Works *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.4 in A major *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.6 in G major *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.3 in C major ("Suite des pièces") *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.1 in D major *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.2 in F major *Sonata for 3 cellos & double bass (or 2 violas, cello & double bass) No.5 in B major *Suite de pièces, for 2 clarinets, 2 horns, 2 bassoons & piano in E-flat major *Flute Sonata in E minor Keyboard Works *Divertimento for keyboard in F major( from 6 Divertimenti, Op 3) *Suite for organ in C major Vocal Works *Confitebor, for trombone and voice

References

External links

HOASM
*
Sonatas Op. 2
– Score from Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Wagenseil, Georg Christoph 1715 births 1777 deaths Austrian Classical-period composers Austrian opera composers Austrian male opera composers Pupils of Johann Joseph Fux 18th-century Austrian classical composers 18th-century Austrian male musicians Von Möller family