Jan Antonín Losy
Encyclopedia
Jan Antonín Losy, Count of Losinthal (German: Johann Anton Losy von Losinthal); also known as Comte d'Logy (Losi or Lozi), (c. 1650 – August 22, 1721 ) was a Bohemia
n aristocrat, Baroque
lute
player and composer
from Prague
. His lute works combine the French style brisé
with a more Italian cantabile
style. He was probably the most significant lutenist-composer in Bohemia at a the height of the lute's popularity there.
. By 1627 he had moved to Bohemia
and purchased a house in Prague
. Losy senior had a number of business interests and was appointed a Councillor of the Exchequer and Deputy of the Salt, Beer and Wine Council by the Bohemian Court Chamber. As a result of helping to defend Prague against the assault of Swedish troops in 1648, Losy senior was ennobled, becoming a baronet in 1648 and Count von Losinthal in 1655. He also acquired the estate and castle at Steken
(Strakonitz District
, southern Bohemia) in 1638.
Johann Anton Losy was born at Steken around 1650. He was the elder of two brothers and also had four sisters. Losy's interest in music was fostered by his lute teacher and valet Achazius Kazimir Huelse who seems to have remained a lifelong friend.
Losy attended the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, gaining his baccalaureate
in 1667 and graduating as a Doctor of Philosophy on August 15, 1668. He then seems to have traveled to a number of European countries including Italy. His intimate knowledge of French lute style indicates he may have been in Paris and met lutenist such as Mouton
and Dufault
.
Following the death of his father on July 22, 1682 he inherited his title, becoming the second Count Losy. He also inherited part of the family estates and an Imperial appointment as a Councillor of the Kingdom of Bohemia
. His official position meant that, while living in Prague, he frequently had to travel to the Imperial court in Vienna
.
As an aristocrat, Count Losy's musical activities would have been expected to remain on an amateur
basis. Nevertheless he seems to have gained the admiration of a number of professional musicians for this lute-playing and compositions. In 1697 he took part in a musical contest with Leipzig
cantor Johann Kuhnau
. While working in Prague in 1715, Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel
met Count Losy who "played the lute as well as one who makes a profession of it" and also played the violin. There is no evidence he played other instruments, although there is rather rich source of transcriptions of his lute compositions for other instruments available (baroque guitar
, keyboard, angélique
, mandora
, violin
).
In spite of Losy's outstanding reputation as a player and improviser on the lute, only one of his works was published in his own lifetime. This was the Courante Extra-ordinaire, which was part of the collection Cabinet der Lauten, published in 1695 by Philippe Franz Lasage de Richée.
After Losy's death in Prague in 1721, the great German lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss paid tribute to his colleague by dedicating to his memory the work Tombeau sur la mort de Monseigneur Comte de Logi.
. Inspired by French and Italian composers, Losy mastered French lute style and his extant works demonstrate his intelligence, noblesse, bright spirit and love for the lute.
His extensive and highly creative works are scattered through various archives in the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Austria. One of his manuscripts, a collection of pieces written for the 5-string guitar, is housed in Prague's National and University Library. However, the identification and verification of Losy's works is anything but straightforward. Prague lute player Emil Vogl created a list that has been extended by further discoveries and concordances by Tim Crawford. There are no critical complete editions of Losy's works in CNRS style, so it is possible that additional works will be discovered and cataloged.
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n aristocrat, Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
player and composer
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...
from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. His lute works combine the French style brisé
Style brisé
Style brisé is a term for broken, arpeggiated texture in instrumental music. It usually refers to French Baroque music for lute, keyboard instruments or the viol. French Baroque musicians referred to this type of texture as style luthé , since it originated in lute music...
with a more Italian cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
style. He was probably the most significant lutenist-composer in Bohemia at a the height of the lute's popularity there.
Life
Count Losy's family were of Swiss origin. His father, Johann Anton Losy senior (c. 1600–1682), was perhaps born in Purz in the Swiss canton of GrisonsGraubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
. By 1627 he had moved to Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and purchased a house in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Losy senior had a number of business interests and was appointed a Councillor of the Exchequer and Deputy of the Salt, Beer and Wine Council by the Bohemian Court Chamber. As a result of helping to defend Prague against the assault of Swedish troops in 1648, Losy senior was ennobled, becoming a baronet in 1648 and Count von Losinthal in 1655. He also acquired the estate and castle at Steken
Štěkeň
Štěkeň is a market town in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.The town covers an area of , and has a population of 841 ....
(Strakonitz District
Strakonice District
Strakonice District is a district within South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Its capital is Strakonice.- Complete list of municipalities :Bavorov -Bělčice -Bezdědovice -Bílsko -Blatná -Bratronice -Březí -Budyně -...
, southern Bohemia) in 1638.
Johann Anton Losy was born at Steken around 1650. He was the elder of two brothers and also had four sisters. Losy's interest in music was fostered by his lute teacher and valet Achazius Kazimir Huelse who seems to have remained a lifelong friend.
Losy attended the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, gaining his baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1667 and graduating as a Doctor of Philosophy on August 15, 1668. He then seems to have traveled to a number of European countries including Italy. His intimate knowledge of French lute style indicates he may have been in Paris and met lutenist such as Mouton
Charles Mouton
Charles Mouton was a famous French lutenist and lute composer.There is only little information known about him. He was born probably in Rouen, studied probably with Denis Gaultier and early in his career, he worked at the court of the dukes of Savoy in Turin. In the 1660s, he taught lute Paris...
and Dufault
François Dufault
François Dufault was a French lutenist and composer.Dufault was born in Bourges, France. As a student of Denis Gaultier, he enjoyed an excellent reputation as an instrumentalist, what is demonstrated in many contemporary sources where he was described as one of the greatest lutenist of his time...
.
Following the death of his father on July 22, 1682 he inherited his title, becoming the second Count Losy. He also inherited part of the family estates and an Imperial appointment as a Councillor of the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
. His official position meant that, while living in Prague, he frequently had to travel to the Imperial court in 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...
.
As an aristocrat, Count Losy's musical activities would have been expected to remain on an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
basis. Nevertheless he seems to have gained the admiration of a number of professional musicians for this lute-playing and compositions. In 1697 he took part in a musical contest with 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...
cantor Johann Kuhnau
Johann Kuhnau
Johann Kuhnau was a German composer, organist and harpsichordist.-Biography :Kuhnau was born in Geising, Saxony. He grew up in a religious Lutheran family. At age nine, he auditioned successfully for the Kreuzschule in Dresden...
. While working in Prague in 1715, Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel
Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel was a prolific German composer.-Biography:Stölzel grew up in Schwarzenberg, Saxony in the Erzgebirge. From 1707 he was a student of theology in Leipzig, and of Melchior Hofmann, the musical director of the Neukirche. He studied, worked and composed in Breslau and Halle...
met Count Losy who "played the lute as well as one who makes a profession of it" and also played the violin. There is no evidence he played other instruments, although there is rather rich source of transcriptions of his lute compositions for other instruments available (baroque guitar
Baroque guitar
The Baroque guitar is a guitar from the baroque era , an ancestor of the modern classical guitar. The term is also used for modern instruments made in the same style....
, keyboard, angélique
Angelique
Angelique may refer to:* Angélique * Angélique , also called angelica or angel lute, a theorbo with up to 17 single strings, tuned in diatonical order* Angelique, a tree used in boatbuilding...
, mandora
Mandora
A mandora is a type of lute. The terms referred to different instruments at different periods in history.-Treble instrument:During the Renaissance, the term mandore was applied to the treble lute and in such usage it is difficult to distinguish from the mandola, the simple lute that is the ancestor...
, 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....
).
In spite of Losy's outstanding reputation as a player and improviser on the lute, only one of his works was published in his own lifetime. This was the Courante Extra-ordinaire, which was part of the collection Cabinet der Lauten, published in 1695 by Philippe Franz Lasage de Richée.
After Losy's death in Prague in 1721, the great German lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss paid tribute to his colleague by dedicating to his memory the work Tombeau sur la mort de Monseigneur Comte de Logi.
Works
Losy composed mostly dance suites, as was typical of his time, but sometimes attempted larger works such as those in the three-part overture style popularized by Jean-Baptiste LullyJean-Baptiste Lully
Jean-Baptiste de Lully was an Italian-born French composer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV of France. He is considered the chief master of the French Baroque style. Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period. He became a French subject in...
. Inspired by French and Italian composers, Losy mastered French lute style and his extant works demonstrate his intelligence, noblesse, bright spirit and love for the lute.
His extensive and highly creative works are scattered through various archives in the Czech Republic, France, Germany and Austria. One of his manuscripts, a collection of pieces written for the 5-string guitar, is housed in Prague's National and University Library. However, the identification and verification of Losy's works is anything but straightforward. Prague lute player Emil Vogl created a list that has been extended by further discoveries and concordances by Tim Crawford. There are no critical complete editions of Losy's works in CNRS style, so it is possible that additional works will be discovered and cataloged.