Otto (first name unknown, sometimes referred to as ''Luigi Otto'' or ''Johann Otto''; fl. 18th century) 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 ...

of the early classical period.

Life and work

The composer Otto is known for his

trumpet concerto A trumpet concerto is a concerto for solo trumpet and instrumental ensemble, customarily the orchestra. Such works have been written from the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Although comp ...

in E-flat Major, which is dated about 1770.Manfred Fechner: Liner notes to LP ''Klassische Trompetenkonzerte, Vol. 2.'' ETERNA 7 25 147, 1988.

Ludwig Güttler Ludwig Güttler (born 13 June 1943) is an internationally known German virtuoso on the Baroque trumpet, the piccolo trumpet and the corno da caccia. As a conductor, he founded several ensembles including the chamber orchestra Virtuosi Saxoniae. Hi ...

: ''Preface.'' In: ''Concerto in Es für Trompete (Clarino) und Orchester / dell Sig^e Otto.'' Piano reduction (= FH 2427). Friedrich Hofmeister, Hofheim 1998, . The original performing parts are indicated ''dell Sign^e Otto'' on the title page. The only surviving copy of the composition is held in the ''Fürst zu Bentheimsche Musikaliensammlung

Burgsteinfurt Steinfurt (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Steinfurt (district), district of Steinfurt. From –1806, it was the capital of the County of Steinfurt. Geography Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münst ...

'', now in the custody of the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster.Edward H. Tarr, Arne Thielemann: ''Prefece.'' In: ''Johann Otto (Mitte 18. Jhdt.): Concerto Es-Dur (um 1770) für Trompete, 2 Hörner, 2 Oboen, Streicher & Basso continuo.'' Score (= ''Brass collection.'' 50372). Musikverlag Martin Schmid, Nagold 2014. It is documented that the copies were acquired on behalf of Count Louis of Bentheim and Steinfurt by the court chapel's trumpeter named ''Preger''. Together with another trumpet concerto from a likewise unknown composer named '' Signor Laue'', the sheet music arrived in December 1803 from

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

. However, as Preger left the chapel already in 1804, and the parts are in an almost untouched condition, it seems possible that both concertos may have never been performed in the concert hall of the '' Steinfurter Bagno''. Nothing is currently known about Otto's life. Since the first recording of his concerto in 1981, he is referred to as ''Luigi Otto'' in most releases, although there seems to exist no source for the first name. The

Répertoire International des Sources Musicales The Répertoire International des Sources Musicales (RISM, English ''International Inventory of Musical Sources'', German ''Internationales Quellenlexikon der Musik'') is an international non-profit organization, founded in Paris in 1952, with ...

(RISM) associates Otto with a certain ''Johann (Giovanni) Otto'', of whom performing parts of two

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 ...

have survived in the

Herzog August Library The Herzog August Library ( — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, known also as ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', is a library of international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and early modern Europe. The library is overseen ...

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...

, although the attribution is conjectural. Other musicians named "Otto", who have been proposed, include the composer Franz Otto (1730–1805) from Glatz (Silesia), the song composer Carl Otto from Mainz or the Augustinin canon Laurentius Justinianus Ott (1748–1802) from Weyarn. The concerto has been recorded by notable trumpeters like

Maurice André Maurice André (21 May 1933 – 25 February 2012) was a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field. He was professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris where he introduced the teaching of the pic ...

Otto Sauter Otto Sauter (born 1961) is a German trumpet soloist, who specializes in the piccolo trumpet . Biography From 1988 until 1998 Sauter was principal trumpet in the Bremen State Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1991 he founded the annual Bremen Interna ...

and Krisztián Kováts.Johan van Veen
''The Mystery of the Natural Trumpet'' (Review)
musicweb-international.com, 2020, accessed 4 January 2023.

Works

* ''Concerto a trompete solo, violino primo, violino secondo, oboe primo, oboe secondo, corno primo, corno secondo, viola et basso.'' (it can be played on the piccolo and also the trumpet)

Editions

* Ludwig Güttler (ed.): ''Concerto in Es für Trompete (Clarino) und Orchester / dell Sig^e Otto.'' Piano reduction (= FH 2427). Friedrich Hofmeister, Hofheim 1998, . Also performing material (= FH 15046, only on hire). * John Wallace, Simon Wright (Hrsg.): ''Luigi Otto: Trumpet Concerto in E.'' Score. (= ''BWP'' 4104S). Brass Wind Publications, Oakham 1998 (also piano reduction, ''BWP'' 4104D, orchestral parts ''BWP'' 4104SP).brasswindpublications.co.uk
accessed 7 January 2023 * Edward H. Tarr, Arne Thielemann (eds.): ''Johann Otto (mid-18th century): Concerto in E-Flat Major (c. 1770) for Trompet, 2 Horns, 2 Oboes, Strings & Basso continuo.'' Score (= ''Brass collection.'' 50372). Martin Schmid, Nagold 2014 (also piano rduction, ''Brass collection.'' 50373).

Discography

* ''Four Trumpet Concertos.'' Luigi Otto / Francesco Barsanti / Giovanni Albinoni / Georg Friedrich Händel. Maurice André, Württembergisches Kammerorchester, Jörg Faerber.

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

1C 067-03 974 T, 1981. * ''Classical Trumpet Concertos, Vol. 2.'' Luigi (?) Otto, Johann Melchior Molter, Franz Xaver Richter, Johannes Matthias Sperger. Ludwig Güttler, Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum zu Leipzig, Max Pommer. ETERNA 7 25 147, 1988. Auch: Capriccio 10 051, 1988. * ''Wiederentdeckter Barock – Fünf Trompetenkonzerte aus der Minter Sammlung Vol. 1.'' Joh. Samuel Endler, Joseph Riepel, Luigi (?) Otto, Franz Xaver Richter. Otto Sauter, John Wallace, Rudolf Köpp, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Bremen, Simon Wright. G.I.B. Classics 383 7501 2, 1996. * ''World of Baroque (Vol. 2)''. Works by Johann Melchior Molter, Johann Georg von Reutter, Luigi Otto, Joseph Riepel, Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch. Otto Sauter, Kenji Tamiya, Capella Istrapolitana, Volker Schmidt-Gertenbach. EMI Classics 7243 5 57021 2 2, 2000. * ''The Mystery of the Natural Trumpet.'' Works by Johann Stamitz, Joseph Riepel, Johannes Matthias Sperger, Laue (here referred to as Johann Georg Lang), Johann Otto. Krisztián Kováts, L’arpa festante, Christoph Hesse, Rien Voskuilen. cpo 555 144-2, 2020.

External links

*
Database reference to Johann Otto
in

(RISM) * * * * * * *

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otto 18th-century births Male composers 18th-century composers Year of birth missing Year of death missing