Giovanni Hoffmann (c. 1770 — 1814?) was a composer and

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

ist who dwelled in Vienna, c. 1800, and has works preserved in the Austrian

Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde The (), also known as the (German for 'Viennese Music Association'), is an Austrian music organization that was founded in 1812 by Beethoven’s friend Joseph Sonnleithner, general secretary of the Court Theatre in Vienna, Austria. Overview ...

archives 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. ...

Konrad Wölki Konrad Wölki (27 December 1904 – 5 July 1983) was a German composer, mandolinist and music educator who contributed to the musically critical appreciation of the Zupforchesters (German mandolin orchestras—may also include other plucked stri ...

said that he produced an "extensive creative output," for mandolin with other instruments, to include duets, a concerto, quartets, divertimenti, sonatas and further works in different forms." Almost nothing is known of him save that several compositions for mandolin in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde bear his name. Some bear a publication date of 1799. It is presumed that "Giovanni" is an

Italianization Italianization ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is the spread of Italian culture, language and identity by way of integration or assimilation. It is also known for a process organized by the Kingdom of Italy to force cultural and ethnic assimilation of the nati ...

of the name "Johann", but this cannot be proven. A

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 ...

for

and a quartet, the latter in an arrangement, have been recorded and, in 2023, on the Brillant Classics label, four quartets with mandolin played by Federico Maddaluno, Alberto Marano, Myriam Traverso, Alessandro Parfitt.

Works

*''Three duets for mandolin and violin'' (Opus 1) *''Three duets for mandolin and violin'' (Opus 2) *''Sonata in D minor for mandolin and guitar'' *''Sonata in C major for mandolin and bass'' *''Concerto for mandolin and orchestra in D major (strings and wind)''

References

*"Giovanni Hoffmann". In

David Mason Greene David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

, ''Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers''. Garden City, New York; Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1985, . 1770s births Year of death missing Austrian male composers Austrian mandolinists Classical mandolinists {{Austria-composer-stub