Johann Petzmayer

Johann Petzmayer , lithograph by Erich Correns , 1849

Johann Petzmayer (born March 18, 1803 in Zistersdorf , Lower Austria , † December 29, 1884 in Munich ) was a zither virtuoso of the 19th century.

life and work

Johann Petzmayer grew up in Vienna as the son of an innkeeper and first learned the violin , and then the zither at the age of 16. His modified instrument included three melody and 15 accompanying strings. Around 1823 he invented the string zither. From 1826 he performed on the zither with a steadily growing radius of action, for example for the Austrian archdukes and in 1827 even in the private rooms of Emperor Franz of Austria . On his second tour of Germany in 1836/37, the Bavarian Duke Max heard him in Bavaria , who hired him as a private tutor and in 1838 awarded him the title of “ chamber virtuoso ”. It was through these two people that the zither became the Bavarian national instrument, but they also made the instrument known in Northern Germany and the Mediterranean region. Petzmayer left numerous zither compositions and songs behind on his death. His estate is in the Bavarian State Library in Munich.

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Petzmayer, Johann . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 22nd part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1870, pp. 152–154 ( digitized version ).
• Hyacinth Holland :  Petzmayer, Johann . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 25, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1887, pp. 547-551.
• Christa Harten:  Petzmayer Johann. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 8, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1983, ISBN 3-7001-0187-2 , p. 15.
• Hamberger, Petra: Johann Petzmayer. The first zither player of its time. A biography in texts, pictures and notes from ... 3 volumes. Frankfurt et al. 2006, music publisher R. Grünwald

Web links

Commons : Johann Petzmayer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Entry on Johann Petzmayer in the database of the state's memory for the history of Lower Austria ( Museum Niederösterreich )
• The estate in the Bavarian State Library