Johann Schobert (c. 1720, 1735 or 1740 – 28 August 1767) was a

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 ...

and

harpsichordist A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied son ...

. His date of birth is given variously as about 1720, about 1735, or about 1740, his place of birth as

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

, or

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

. He died after eating poisonous mushrooms that he insisted were edible.

Career

In 1760 or 1761, Schobert moved to Paris where he served in the household of

Louis François I de Bourbon, prince de Conti Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

. He composed many books of

sonatas In music a sonata (; pl. ''sonate'') literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the Music history, history of music, designating a variety of ...

for his instrument, most of them with an accompanying part for one or more other instruments. Schobert also wrote harpsichord

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 ...

s, symphonies and the

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

''Le Garde-Chasse et le Braconnier''. In Paris, Schobert came into contact with

Leopold Mozart Johann Georg Leopold Mozart (November 14, 1719 – May 28, 1787) was a German composer, violinist, and music theorist. He is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook ''Versuch einer grün ...

during the family's grand tour. Reportedly, Schobert was offended by Mozart's comments that his children played Schobert's works with ease. Nevertheless, Schobert was a significant influence on the young

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 ...

, who arranged a number of movements from Schobert's sonatas for use in his own piano concertos. Mozart biographer

Dyneley Hussey Dyneley Hussey (27 February 1893 – 6 September 1972) was an English war poet, journalist, art critic and music critic. Life Hussey was born in Deolali, India, the son of Colonel Charles Edward Hussey. He was educated at St Cyprian's School Ea ...

writes that it was Schobert's music that opened up Mozart to the possibility of adopting a poetic stance in his music. Citing

Téodor de Wyzewa Téodor de Wyzewa, born as Teodor Wyżewski (12 September 1862 – 15 April 1917), was a writer, critic, and translator of Polish descent, born in Kałusik in the Russian sector of Poland near Kamieniec Podolski (Кам'янець-Подільс ...

and Georges de Saint-Foix's work on Mozart, Hussey points out that the four piano concertos, "which are deliberate studies from Schobert", have a "typically Mozartian" stylized nature which is actually present in the Schobert works that he was emulating. Hussey concludes, "So we may regard Schobert, to whom Wolfgang owes so much of the 'romantic' element which appears in his work alongside of its 'classic' grace and vigor, as being the first of his real masters." In 1767, Schobert went mushroom picking with his family in

Le Pré-Saint-Gervais Le Pré-Saint-Gervais (; simply known by locals as Le Pré, i.e. "the meadow") is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. With a density of 25,643 inhabitants per square kilometres as of 2 ...

near Paris. He tried to have a local chef prepare them, but was told they were poisonous. After unsuccessfully trying again at a restaurant at

Bois de Boulogne The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park that is the western half of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by the Em ...

, and being incorrectly told by a doctor acquaintance of his that the mushrooms were edible, he decided to use them to make a soup at home. Schobert, his wife, all but one of their children, and his doctor friend died.

Works

*op. 1 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violine ad libitum *op. 2 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord, with violin obbligato *op. 3 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violin ad libitum *op. 4 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord *op. 5 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violin ad libitum *op. 6 – 3 Triosonatas for Harpsichord, Violin and Violoncello ad libitum *op. 7 – 3 Sonatas en quatuor, Harpsichord, 2 Violins and Violoncello ad libitum *op. 8 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord with Violin obbligato *op. 9 – 3 Sinfonies for Harpsichord, Violine and 2 Horns ad libitum *op. 10 – 3 Sinfonies for Harpsichord, Violin and 2 Horns ad libitum *op. 11 – Concerto I for Harpsichord, 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello, 2 Horns ad libitum *op. 12 – Concerto II for Harpsichord, 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello, 2 Oboes, 2 Horns ad libitum *op. 13 – Concerto III pastorale for Harpsichord, 2 Violins, 2 Horns ad libitum, Viola, Violoncello *op. 14 – 6 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violine ad libitum (Nr. 1 with Violin and Viola ad libitum) *op. 15 – Concerto IV for Harpsichord, Violine and 2 Horns ad libitum *op. 16 – 4 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violin and Violoncello *op. 17 – 4 Sonatas for Harpsichord, Violin *op. 18 – Concerto V for Harpsichord and 2 Violins *op. 19 – 2 Sonatas for Harpsichord or Pianoforte, Violin (posthumous) *op. 20 – 3 Sonatas for Harpsichord and Violin (probably by T. Giordani) (''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'')

Sources

*Article on Johann Schobert in the German Wikipedia *Article on Johann Schobert in the French Wikipedia *''The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music'', Oxford University Press 1994. *Herbert C. Turrentine. "Schobert, Johann." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed November 7, 2013, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/25017.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schobert, Johann 18th-century births 1767 deaths German harpsichordists German opera composers German male opera composers Deaths from foodborne illnesses German Classical-period composers Accidental deaths in France 18th-century classical composers 18th-century keyboardists 18th-century German composers 18th-century German male musicians