Giovanni Henrico Albicastro
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Henrico Albicastro was the pseudonym
of Johann Heinrich von Weissenburg (c. 1660 — after 1730), a talented amateur musician who published his compositions pseudonymously. Albicastro came from the village of Bieswangen, near Pappenheim
in central Bavaria
, not far from the village of Weissenburg ("White Castle", thus "Albicastro"). Johann Gottfried Walther
included Albicastro in his Musicalisches Lexicon (1732) under the mistaken supposition that Albicastro came from Switzerland
; consequently he has often been included in lists of Swiss musicians. He might be classified as a Bavarian-born composer of Italian music that was published in both the Protestant and Catholic Low Countries
.
In 1686 Weissenburg arrived in Leiden, in the Netherlands
, where he registered at the University of Leiden as a Musicus Academiae, but his name does not appear in the university's archives.
In 1696 a collection of twelve of his trio sonata
s appeared, entitled Il giardino armonico sacro-profano ("The sacred-profane harmonic garden"), Opus 3. Edited by Francois Barbry, it was published in Bruges
by Francois van Heurck; no copies of the last six, or of Albicastro's opus 1 or opus 2 from Bruges seem to have survived. In Amsterdam
a separate set of opus numbers were published by Estienne Roger
: collections of violin sonata
s (opp. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9), trio sonatas (opp. 1, 4 and 8), and string concertos (op. 7) in a Corellian
idiom.
During the last phases of the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701–1713), he served as a captain of cavalry. He remained active in this position until 1730, the last that is heard of him.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Johann Heinrich von Weissenburg (c. 1660 — after 1730), a talented amateur musician who published his compositions pseudonymously. Albicastro came from the village of Bieswangen, near Pappenheim
Pappenheim
Pappenheim is a town in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Altmühl, 11 km south of Weißenburg in Bayern.- Notable people :The architect and professor Eduard Mezger was born in Pappenheim....
in central Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, not far from the village of Weissenburg ("White Castle", thus "Albicastro"). Johann Gottfried Walther
Johann Gottfried Walther
Johann Gottfried Walther was a German music theorist, organist, composer, and lexicographer of the Baroque era.Walther was born at Erfurt...
included Albicastro in his Musicalisches Lexicon (1732) under the mistaken supposition that Albicastro came from Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; consequently he has often been included in lists of Swiss musicians. He might be classified as a Bavarian-born composer of Italian music that was published in both the Protestant and Catholic Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
.
In 1686 Weissenburg arrived in Leiden, in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he registered at the University of Leiden as a Musicus Academiae, but his name does not appear in the university's archives.
In 1696 a collection of twelve of his trio sonata
Trio sonata
The trio sonata is a musical form that was popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries.A trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata...
s appeared, entitled Il giardino armonico sacro-profano ("The sacred-profane harmonic garden"), Opus 3. Edited by Francois Barbry, it was published in Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
by Francois van Heurck; no copies of the last six, or of Albicastro's opus 1 or opus 2 from Bruges seem to have survived. In Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
a separate set of opus numbers were published by Estienne Roger
Estienne Roger
Estienne Roger was a francophone printer and publisher working in the Netherlands.-Life:...
: collections of violin sonata
Violin sonata
A violin sonata is a musical composition for violin, which is nearly always accompanied by a piano or other keyboard instrument, or by figured bass in the Baroque period.-A:*Ella Adayevskaya**Sonata Greca for Violin or Clarinet and Piano...
s (opp. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9), trio sonatas (opp. 1, 4 and 8), and string concertos (op. 7) in a Corellian
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
idiom.
During the last phases of the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1701–1713), he served as a captain of cavalry. He remained active in this position until 1730, the last that is heard of him.