Franz Anton Hoffmeister
Encyclopedia
Franz Anton Hoffmeister (May 12, 1754 – February 9, 1812) was a German composer
and music publisher.
Born in Rottenburg am Neckar
, he went to Vienna
at the age of fourteen to study law. Following his studies, however, he decided on a career in music and by the 1780s he had become one of the city’s most popular composers, with an extensive and varied catalogue of works to his credit.
Hoffmeister’s reputation today however rests almost exclusively on his activities as a music publisher. By 1785 he had established one of Vienna’s first music publishing businesses, second only to Artaria & Co
which had ventured into the field just five years earlier.
Hoffmeister published his own works and those of many important composers of the time, including Haydn
, Mozart
, Beethoven
, Clementi
, Albrechtsberger
, Dittersdorf, and Vanhal
. These famous composers were also among Hoffmeister's personal friends: Mozart dedicated his String Quartet in D (K.499) to him, and Beethoven addressed him in a letter as "most beloved brother".
Hoffmeister’s publishing activities reached a peak in 1791, but thereafter seemed to take a back seat to composition. Most of his operas were composed and staged during the early 1790s, and this, combined with an apparent lack of business sense, led to a noticeable decline in production.
In 1799 Hoffmeister and the flautist Franz Thurner set off on a concert tour which was to have taken them as far afield as London. They got no further than Leipzig
however, where Hoffmeister befriended the organist Ambrosius Kühnel. The two must have decided to set up a music publishing partnership for "within a year" they had founded the Bureau de Musique which would eventually be taken over by the well-respected firm of C.F. Peters
, still active today. Among their publications was the first edition of Johann Sebastian Bach
's Keyboard Works in 14 volumes, in 1802. Until 1805 Hoffmeister kept both the Viennese firm and the newer Leipzig publishing house going, but in March 1805 he transferred sole ownership of the Bureau de Musique to Kühnel. His interest in the Viennese firm was waning too, for in 1806, apparently to allow time for composition, he sold his 20-year-old business to the Chemische Druckerey.
As a composer Hoffmeister was highly respected by his contemporaries, as can be seen in the entry, published in the year of his death, in Gerber
's Neues Lexikon der Tonkünstler:
Prominent in Hoffmeister’s extensive oeuvre are works for the flute, not only concertos but also chamber works with the flute in a leading role. Many of these works would have been composed with Vienna’s growing number of amateur musicians in mind for whom the flute was one of the most favoured instruments. Besides flute music Hoffmeister also composed at least eight operas, over 50 symphonies, numerous concertos (at least 25 of these are for the flute, and including an often-played concerto for the viola), a large amount of string chamber music, piano music, and several collections of songs.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music publisher.
Born in Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar is a medium-sized town in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It rests about 50 km southwest of the provincial capital Stuttgart and about 12 km southwest of the district town Tübingen...
, he went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
at the age of fourteen to study law. Following his studies, however, he decided on a career in music and by the 1780s he had become one of the city’s most popular composers, with an extensive and varied catalogue of works to his credit.
Hoffmeister’s reputation today however rests almost exclusively on his activities as a music publisher. By 1785 he had established one of Vienna’s first music publishing businesses, second only to Artaria & Co
Artaria
Artaria and company was one of the most important music publishing firms of the late 18th and 19th century. Founded in the 18th century in Vienna, the company is associated with many leading names of the classical era.- History :...
which had ventured into the field just five years earlier.
Hoffmeister published his own works and those of many important composers of the time, including Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
, Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, Clementi
Muzio Clementi
Muzio Clementi was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum...
, Albrechtsberger
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger was an Austrian musician who was born at Klosterneuburg, near Vienna.He originally studied music at Melk Abbey and philosophy at a Benedictine seminary in Vienna and became one of the most learned and skillful contrapuntists of his age...
, Dittersdorf, and Vanhal
Johann Baptist Vanhal
Johann Baptist Vanhal also spelled Wanhal, Waṅhall or Wanhall was an important classical music composer born in Nechanice, Bohemia to a Czech family.- Biography :...
. These famous composers were also among Hoffmeister's personal friends: Mozart dedicated his String Quartet in D (K.499) to him, and Beethoven addressed him in a letter as "most beloved brother".
Hoffmeister’s publishing activities reached a peak in 1791, but thereafter seemed to take a back seat to composition. Most of his operas were composed and staged during the early 1790s, and this, combined with an apparent lack of business sense, led to a noticeable decline in production.
In 1799 Hoffmeister and the flautist Franz Thurner set off on a concert tour which was to have taken them as far afield as London. They got no further than Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
however, where Hoffmeister befriended the organist Ambrosius Kühnel. The two must have decided to set up a music publishing partnership for "within a year" they had founded the Bureau de Musique which would eventually be taken over by the well-respected firm of C.F. Peters
Edition Peters
Edition Peters, also known as C.F.Peters Musikverlag, is a German music publishing house, founded in Leipzig in 1800.From the 1860s it was largely run by members the Hinrichsen family, who were Jewish. The company was confiscated by the Nazis and administered by the "Trustee of Jewish Property"....
, still active today. Among their publications was the first edition of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's Keyboard Works in 14 volumes, in 1802. Until 1805 Hoffmeister kept both the Viennese firm and the newer Leipzig publishing house going, but in March 1805 he transferred sole ownership of the Bureau de Musique to Kühnel. His interest in the Viennese firm was waning too, for in 1806, apparently to allow time for composition, he sold his 20-year-old business to the Chemische Druckerey.
As a composer Hoffmeister was highly respected by his contemporaries, as can be seen in the entry, published in the year of his death, in Gerber
Ernst Ludwig Gerber
Ernst Ludwig Gerber was a German composer and author of a famous dictionary of musicians....
's Neues Lexikon der Tonkünstler:
If you were to take a glance at his many and varied works, then you would have to admire the diligence and the cleverness of this composer.... He earned for himself a well-deserved and wide-spread reputation through the original content of his works, which are not only rich in emotional expression but also distinguished by the interesting and suitable use of instruments and through good practicability. For this last trait we have to thank his knowledge of instruments, which is so evident that you might think that he was a virtuoso on all of the instruments for which he wrote.
Prominent in Hoffmeister’s extensive oeuvre are works for the flute, not only concertos but also chamber works with the flute in a leading role. Many of these works would have been composed with Vienna’s growing number of amateur musicians in mind for whom the flute was one of the most favoured instruments. Besides flute music Hoffmeister also composed at least eight operas, over 50 symphonies, numerous concertos (at least 25 of these are for the flute, and including an often-played concerto for the viola), a large amount of string chamber music, piano music, and several collections of songs.
With opus number
- Duets for Violin & Violoncello 1-3 Op. 6
- Duets for Violin & Viola 1-3 Op. 7
- String Quartets 1-6 Op. 7?
- String Quartets 1-6 Op. 10
- Duets for Violin & Viola 1-6 Op. 13
- String Quartets 1-3 Op. 14
- Duets for Violin & Viola 1-6 Op. 19
- Quartetti Concertanti 1-3 Op. 29
- String Quintet Op. 62
- Duets for Violin & Viola 1-6 Op. 65
Without opus number
- 6 Airs for 2 flutes
- 6 Caprices for Violin
- 12 Etudes for Viola
- 12 Variations for Flute and Strings