Franz Asplmayr
Encyclopedia
Franz Asplmayr was an Austrian composer
and violin
ist. There are many variants of his name, including Franz Aspelmayr, Franz Aschpellmayr and Franz Appelmeyer. He is best known for an opera on Greek myths, and for a few symphonies and string trios of his which were attributed to Joseph Haydn
at one time. Among the few scholars who have studied his music, there are many differing opinions as to the quality. J. Murray Barbour, for one, deems Asplmayr's 80 minuet
s "scored mostly for oboes, horns, and strings, without violas," that "all are extremely boring, as if written between beers." Temperly, on the other hand, finds advances "with respect to harmony and developmental techniques."
Asplmayr was born in Linz. His father taught him violin and by the 1750s he had steady employment playing violin in Vienna. In 1761 he took over Christoph Willibald Gluck
's duty of writing ballet music for the German troupe. Although he was paid to write symphonies, few of those scores have survived to our time.
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 violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist. There are many variants of his name, including Franz Aspelmayr, Franz Aschpellmayr and Franz Appelmeyer. He is best known for an opera on Greek myths, and for a few symphonies and string trios of his which were attributed to Joseph 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...
at one time. Among the few scholars who have studied his music, there are many differing opinions as to the quality. J. Murray Barbour, for one, deems Asplmayr's 80 minuet
Minuet
A minuet, also spelled menuet, is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in 3/4 time. The word was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet, and may have been from French menu meaning slender, small, referring to the very small steps, or from the early 17th-century popular...
s "scored mostly for oboes, horns, and strings, without violas," that "all are extremely boring, as if written between beers." Temperly, on the other hand, finds advances "with respect to harmony and developmental techniques."
Asplmayr was born in Linz. His father taught him violin and by the 1750s he had steady employment playing violin in Vienna. In 1761 he took over Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
's duty of writing ballet music for the German troupe. Although he was paid to write symphonies, few of those scores have survived to our time.