Jan August Vitásek

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Jan August Vitásek

Jan Matyas Nepomuk August Vitásek (German: Johann Nepomuk August Wittassek ; born February 20, 1770 in Hořín near Mělník ; † December 7, 1839 in Prague ) was a Bohemian composer and pianist .

Life

After initial musical instruction from his father, he studied composition in Prague from 1786 and then worked there as a composer and respected pianist. On April 1, 1814, he took over the position of cathedral music director at St. Vitus and continued to be the director of the Prague organ school. His reputation reached as far as Vienna , but he turned down the position of cathedral music director at St. Stephen's Cathedral there. The Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna made him an honorary member in 1837. At the beginning of the 19th century he was one of the leading figures in the musical life of Prague.

Works

He created orchestral works, instrumental concerts , chamber music , piano works and many smaller compositions. There are also a number of church music compositions by him, including some masses and requiem . His style was simple and catchy.

literature

  • Constantin von Wurzbach : Wittásek, Johann Nepomuk August . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 57th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1889, pp. 152–154 ( digitized version ).
  • Max Dietz:  Wittasek, Johann Nepomuk August . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 43, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, p. 586 f.
  • Jana Perutková-Dvořáková, a Bohemian musician Johann Nepomuk August Vittassek in the light of Czech-Austrian reciprocity in the 1st half of the 19th century , in: Colloquium. 1st edition Brno: Masarykova univerzita 1997, pp. 214-217. ISBN 80-210-1625-6 .
  • Jana Perutková-Dvořáková, Johann Nepomuk August Vittassek (1770–1839) - an important Bohemian composer of the 1st half of the 18th century , in: Musica Austriaca. Vienna, Salzburg: Institute for Musicology at the University of Vienna , 1997, pp. 163–168. 16. ISBN 3-900270-41-4 .
  • Jana Perutková, Jan Nepomuk August Vitásek (Johann Witassek) and the stylistic features of his church music work , in: Prof. Jiří Fukač - Festschrift. 1st edition. Hradec Králové: Gaudeamus, 1998, pp. 108–112. ISBN 80-7041-674-2 .
  • Jana Perutková, Johann Nepomuk August Wittassek - a forgotten church composer and Prague cathedral music director , in: Music history in Central and Eastern Europe. 1st edition Chemnitz: Technische Universität, 1998, pp. 125–129. Issue 2. ISBN 3-926196-30-0 .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Vitásek, Jan August
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Vitásek, Jan Matyas Nepomuk August; Wittassek, Johann Nepomusik August; Witassek, Johann Nepomuk August; Vittassek, Johann Nepomusk August
BRIEF DESCRIPTION bohemian composer
DATE OF BIRTH February 20, 1770
PLACE OF BIRTH Hořín
DATE OF DEATH December 7, 1839
Place of death Prague