Johann Heinrich Schmelzer

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Johann Heinrich Schmelzer

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer (* around 1623 in Scheibbs ; † between February 29 and March 20, 1680 in Prague ) was an Austrian violinist , composer and conductor ; he was one of the better known violinists in Austria. Schmelzer was the leading Austrian composer of instrumental music before Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber and had a decisive influence on the development of the sonata and suite.

Life

His father Daniel Schmelzer was a baker and citizen of Scheibbs . Schmelzer apparently grew up in the camp as his father was allegedly an officer during the Thirty Years War. When exactly JH Schmelzer came to Vienna is not known, nor is it known from whom he received his musical training, possibly Antonio Bertali , Burckhardt Kugler or Giovanni Sansoni . The earliest document in which he is mentioned is related to his first wedding on June 28, 1643; in it he is performed as a cornettist at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna . However, an imperial resolution of 1674 states that he began his service at the Vienna Court Music Band in 1635 or 1636, probably as a violinist. On October 1, 1649, he was officially hired as a violinist in the court orchestra. Its position and functions during the following two decades are not completely clear. In any case, from the very limited number of available sources, one can conclude that he was a very productive composer and also had an excellent reputation as a violinist.

In 1658 he was the director of instrumental music in the wake of Leopold I at his coronation in Frankfurt. His close relationship with the emperor brought him above all a financial advantage, but also made him his musical advisor, who helped the emperor with his compositions. In 1665 he was appointed ballet composer, which is why he had to supply the court with balletti in the future. Some of this ballet music was used as divertissements in the operas of Antonio Cesti and Antonio Draghi .

On April 13, 1671, he became vice conductor in the court orchestra of Leopold I. From this time on, he also had more and more tasks to take over from the ailing Kapellmeister Giovanni Felice Sances . His efficiency in this position, combined with previous achievements and his steadily growing fame, should have been more decisive for Leopold I in approving his ennoblement in 1673 than his father's military service, which he described in his petition. The emperor raised him to the nobility in 1673 with the nickname "von Ehrenruef", a title that was also adopted by his sons, such as his eldest son Andreas Anton (1653–1701), who was also a composer and violinist. However, it was not until November 24, 1679, after Sances' death, that J. H. Schmelzer became the first non-Italian to be officially appointed Kapellmeister. His application for the post, dated December 18, 1679 and submitted to the Emperor in Prague, where the court had fled from the plague , required his appointment retrospectively from July 1; however, it was only granted from October 1st. However, he did not hold his new position for long; because he fell victim to the plague in 1680, which had meanwhile also reached Prague.

music

Together with his older contemporaries Sances and Bertali and with the younger Draghi, Schmelzer was one of the most important musicians at the Habsburg court between 1655 and 1680. He was of great importance for the development of the sonata and suite . Without his work, the achievements of his pupil Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber or those of Johann Jakob Walther would not have been possible. His appointment there as the first German-speaking conductor in the 17th century should also be seen in this light. He left behind a very rich oeuvre, but was only influential as a composer of instrumental music (ballet music, chamber music). His numerous liturgical works (most of which have not survived ; 173 works are listed in the Distinta specificatione dell'archivio musicale per il servizio della cappella e camera cesarea , the catalog of Emperor Leopold's private collection) date from the 1670s, i.e. from his Time as Vice-Kapellmeister. The few that have survived reveal Venetian influence which was predominant among his Italian contemporaries.

Works

Stage works
  • Gli Dei concorrenti ( Nicolò Minato ), Epitalamio musicale 1676, Passau (together with Antonio Draghi )
  • Hercules and Onfale (librettist unknown), dramatic chamber music 1676, Vienna
  • L'infinità impicciolita (Minato), sepolcro, April 16, 1677, Vienna
  • Strength of love , sepolcro, 1677, Vienna
  • L'urno della sorte , ossequio musicale, June 9, 1677, Vienna
  • Le memorie dolorose (Minato), Sepolcro, April 8, 1678, Vienna
  • Le veglie ossequiose (Minato), Serenata , 1679, Laxenburg
  • The seven ages match ( Johann Albrecht Rudolph ), January 18, 1680, Vienna
Instrumental music (handwritten, selection)
  • Balletto 2do (2 violini, viola, basso di viola) for Il pomo d'oro by Antonio Cesti 1668 ( CZ-KRa A 755)
  • Balletti a 4 (violino, 2 violae, violone) 1670 ( CZ-KRa A 897)
  • Balletti francesi (4 violae, 2 clarini) 1669 ( CZ-KRa A 906)
  • Balletto di centauri, ninfe et salvatici . A 3 choris. Per la Festa à Schönbrunn 1674 (Choro 1: 5 viole radoppiati, Choro 2: 3 piffari et un fagotto, Choro 3: 2 cornetti muti et 3 tromboni) ( CZ-KRA A 764)
  • Balletto di matti (2 violini, violetta, basso) 1670 ( CZ-KRa A 762)
  • Balletto di pastori et ninfe a 5 (2 violini, 2 violettae, basso) 1673 ( CZ-KRa A 752)
  • Balletto di spiritelli (5 violae, 3 piffari, 1 fagotto con violone et cimbalo) ( CZ-KRa lost - cf. Monuments of Music in Austria , Vol. 105, * no. 6)
  • Balletto di Zefferi (2 violini, 2 violettae, harpsichord) 1675 ( CZ-KRa A 748)
  • Balletto addressed the Narrenspitall (violin, viola da gamba, theorbe) 1667 ( A-Wn Mus. Hs. 16583)
  • Balletto primo: di spoglia di pagagi (2 violini, 2 violae, basso) 1678 ( CZ-KRa A 920)
  • Balletto quarto: di 7 pianeti (2 violini, 2 violae, basso) 1678 ( CZ-KRa A 920)
  • Ciaccona a 3 Chori (Choro 1: 4 viole radoppiati, Choro 2: 1 clarino, Choro 3: 2 flauti e 1 fagotto per libito) ( CZ-KRa A 870)
  • Fechtschuel a 4 (2 violini, violetta, organo) ( CZ-KRa lost - cf. Monuments of Music Art in Austria , Vol. 56, no.12 )
  • La bella pastora (2 violini, bc) ( DW Cod.Guelf. 34.7 Aug 2 °, no. 41)
  • Lamento sopra la morte Ferdinandi III (2 violini, viola da gamba, organo) 1657 ( F-Pn Rés. Vm7 673, no.116)
  • Polish bagpipes (2 violini, bc) 1660–70 ( F-Pn Rés. Vm7 673, no. 10)
  • Serenata con altre ariae a 5 (2 violini, 3 violae) 1669 ( CZ-KRa A 905)
  • Sonata a 2 (violino, fagotto) 1673 ( CZ-KRa A 506a)
  • Sonata a 2 (violino, viola da gamba, bc) ( DW Cod.Guelf.34.7 Aug 2 °, no.25)
  • Sonata a 2 (violino, viola da gamba, bc) ( GB-Lbl Add. 31423)
  • Sonata a 2 violini dies (2 violini, bc ad lib) 1673 ( CZ-KRa A 639)
  • Sonata a 3 (violino, 2 violae con organo et violone) ( CZ-KRa A 589a)
  • Sonata a 3 (violino, trombone, fagotto) ( CZ-KRa A 610)
  • Sonata a 3 (violino, clarino, trombone) ( CZ-KRa A 632)
  • Sonata a 3 [ La Pastorale ] (2 violini è viol di gamba overo trombone) ( S-Uu Instr. Mus. I hs. 8:12)
  • Sonata a 3 [ Lanterly ] (2 violini, viola da gamba, organo ( S-Uu Instr. Mus. I hs. 8: 9)
  • Sonata a 4 detta la Carolietta (violino, cornetto, trombone e fagotto) 1669 ( CZ-KRa A 634)
  • Sonata a 5 (2 violini, clarino, fagotto, viola da gamba con cimbalo) ( CZ-KRA A 552)
  • Sonata a 5 per camera . Al giorno delle Correggie 3 June 1678 (2 violini, 2 violae, fagotto con Violone et organo) ( CZ-KRa A 496)
  • Sonata a 6 duobus Choris [ Battaglia ] (Coro 1: 2 violini, viola, Coro 2: violino, 2 violae, bc) 1680 ( CZ-KRa A 586)
  • Sonata a 7 flauti (7 flauti, bc) ( S-Uu Instr. Mus. I hs. 58: 8b)
  • Sonata a 8 per chiesa e per camera (2 trombe, 6 viole, bc) 1679 ( CZ-KRa A 551)
  • Sonata a 11 per chiesa et camera (6 viole, 5 trombe) 1675 ( CZ-KRa A 550)
  • Sonata ad tabulam a 4 (2 violini, 2 flautae con organo) 1670 ( CZ-KRa A 869)
  • Sonata amabilis a 4 (violino, 2 brazze, violone) 1665 ( CZ-KRa A 534) [= Sacro-profanus concentus musicus , Sonata 11]
  • Sonata con aria to the Serious Serenada (5 violini et 4 trombe, col timpano per libito) 1672 ( CZ-KRa A 465)
  • Sonata con tribus violinis (3 violini, organo) 1677 ( CZ-KRa A 528a)
  • Sonata Cucù (violino solo, basso) 1669 ( CZ-KRa A 572a)
  • Sonata Natalis (5 violae, 5 trombettae con violone et organo) 1680 ( CZ-KRa A 583)
  • Sonata Natalitia . A 3 Chori (Choro 1: 5 viole radoppiati, Choro 2: 3 piffari et 1 fagotto, Choro 3: 2 flauti ò 2 cornetti muti et tromboni) 1675 ( CZ-KRa A 553)
Instrumental music (in press)
  • Duodena selectarum sonatarum (Nuremberg, 1659)
  • Sacro-profanus Concentus Musicus (Nuremberg, 1662)
  • Sonatae unarum fidium, seu a violino solo (Nuremberg, 1664)
  • Arie per il balletto à cavallo (Vienna, 1667)
Other works
  • 20 German songs
  • O Jesu summa charitas for 4 voices, 2 violins, 2 violas and basso continuo, manuscript: Dübensammlung Uppsala
  • Terra triumphans jubila plaudite nymphae for 4 voices, 2 violins and basso continuo, manuscript: Dübensammlung Uppsala
  • Venito ocyus, transeamus usque for 2 tenors, 2 violins, 2 violas and basso continuo, manuscript: Dübensammlung Uppsala
  • In addition to 11 masses and 3 funeral music, around 180 sacred compositions

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Schmelzer, Johann Heinrich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmeltzer, Johann Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian violinist, composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH around 1623
PLACE OF BIRTH Scheibbs
DATE OF DEATH between February 29, 1680 and March 20, 1680
Place of death Prague