Traugott Maximilian Eberwein (27 October 1775 – 2 December 1831), was a German composer and conductor, who is attributed with the start of early musical history in

Rudolstadt Rudolstadt is a town in the German federal state Thuringia, within the Thuringian Forest, to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north. The former capital of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the town is built along the River Saale inside a wide ...

Family

Eberwein was born into a musical family, his father Alexander Bartholomäus Eberwein (1751-1811) was a court musician and his brother Carl Eberwein was a composer who frequently worked with

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

, putting his work into music such as

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

. Eberwein had three children with his wife Catharina Bianchi, Caecilie Eberwein (1800-1800), Julius Eberwein (1802-1870) and Ludwig Eberwein (1805-1884).

Biography

Eberwein was taught music at an early age by his father, where he learned all sorts of instruments and already started composing music at the age of seven with a

Timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion instrument, percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a Membranophone, membrane called a drumhead, ...

. In 1782, he was already making money for the family by playing music at weddings and funerals. In 1791, after his father thought he gained a basic understanding of music, he stopped teaching him. He later continued getting taught by Johann Matthäus Rempt. Eberwein later went to study musicology and violin and became a pupil of F.L.Æ. Kunzen in

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, and Ernst Johann Christoph Schick in

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

. While visiting Johann Christian Eberwein in 1799, he gathered the attention of

Louis Frederick II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Louis Frederick II, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (Rudolstadt, 9 August 1767 – Rudolstadt, 28 April 1807) was from 1793 to 1807 reigning Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. Life Louis Frederick was born on 9 August 1767 in Rudolstadt and ...

which led to him getting invited to his residence, to which he at first politely declined. Once he had returned back to

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

, he met and later married Catharina Bianchi, the daughter of Andreas Giorgio Maria Bianchi, a wealthy Italian businessman. After his marriage, in 1803 he got the opportunity for a Study trip throughout Italy, where he studied under

Fedele Fenaroli Fedele Fenaroli (25 April 1730, Lanciano – 1 January 1818, Naples) was an Italian composer and music educator. Fenaroli entered the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, one of the music conservatories of Naples, becoming a pupil of Frances ...

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. After his return from the Study trip, he went to

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. ...

where he visited

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 ...

, whom he impressed after showing him some of his work. After this, he also visited other composers such as

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

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian composer and teacher of the classical period (music), classical period. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subje ...

. In 1810, he went back to Vienna to visit Beethoven and Selieri where he then met

Anton Reicha Anton (Antonín, Antoine) Joseph Reicha (Rejcha) (26 February 1770 – 28 May 1836) was a Czech-born, Bavarian-educated, later naturalization, naturalized French composer and music theorist. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Ludwig van Be ...

. On 18 October 1831, he performed his last public Opera "Das befreite Jerusalem", at the Theater Rudolstadt. He died on 2 December 1831 due to an illness.

Works

Operas

* Piedro und Elvira * Claudine von Villa Bella * Das befreite Jerusalem * Ferdusi * Das goldene Netz

Singspiele

* Die hohle Eiche * Das Storchnest * Der Mond * Die Fischerin * Das Schachtournier

Songs

* Ergo bibamus (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) * Der Jahrmarkt zu Plundersweilen (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Other

* Overture in C-Dur * Symphony No. 3 in Es-Dur op. 84 * Mass in As-Dur op. 87