Wolff Jakob Lauffensteiner
Encyclopedia
Wolff Jakob Lauffensteiner (1676–1754) was an eminent Austrian
lutenist active in the Bavaria
n court where he spent much of his career in service to the Elector of Bavaria in Munich
. Some of Lauffensteiner's compositions for lute have survived.
Wolff Jacob Lauffensteiner was born in Steyr
. Only his baptism date is known - 28 April 1676. He died in Munich
26 March 1754. His father, who bore the same name, was the towerkeeper in Steyr.
Ca. 1709 he had obtained a position of a lutenist in Graz, and from 1712 he was in the service of the Bavarian court. In 1715 he entered the private service of the Duke Ferdinand. In 1739, on the duke Ferdinand's death, he was granted a pension. He was later appointed a chamber counsellor (Hofkammerrat) by the Duke Clemens August, Archbishop of Cologne, for his services to the electoral House of Bavaria.
Lauffensteiner's extant works for both solo lute and chamber ensembles typically take the forms of suite or partita. His music is generally highly idiomatic for the lute, in the German style (i.e. uniting traditional French forms, textures and ornaments with italianate cantabile melody over a basso continuo line. In total over 100 movements survive.
Lauffensteiner is seen as a stylistic precursor to Silvius Leopold Weiss, to whom his music is frequently misattributed in manuscript sources – illustrative of its high quality in the estimation of his contemporaries.
doubtful
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
lutenist active in the 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...
n court where he spent much of his career in service to the Elector of Bavaria in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. Some of Lauffensteiner's compositions for lute have survived.
Wolff Jacob Lauffensteiner was born in Steyr
Steyr
Steyr is a town, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria....
. Only his baptism date is known - 28 April 1676. He died in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
26 March 1754. His father, who bore the same name, was the towerkeeper in Steyr.
Ca. 1709 he had obtained a position of a lutenist in Graz, and from 1712 he was in the service of the Bavarian court. In 1715 he entered the private service of the Duke Ferdinand. In 1739, on the duke Ferdinand's death, he was granted a pension. He was later appointed a chamber counsellor (Hofkammerrat) by the Duke Clemens August, Archbishop of Cologne, for his services to the electoral House of Bavaria.
Lauffensteiner's extant works for both solo lute and chamber ensembles typically take the forms of suite or partita. His music is generally highly idiomatic for the lute, in the German style (i.e. uniting traditional French forms, textures and ornaments with italianate cantabile melody over a basso continuo line. In total over 100 movements survive.
Lauffensteiner is seen as a stylistic precursor to Silvius Leopold Weiss, to whom his music is frequently misattributed in manuscript sources – illustrative of its high quality in the estimation of his contemporaries.
Ensemble
- Concerto in g, lute, 2 vn, vc, B-Br II 4089 (also for solo lute attrib. S.L. Weiss, lost; see BrookB);
- Concerti in F, lute, vn/fl, b, US-NYp Harrach 11;
- 2 concerti, in B and F, P-Wu Rps.mus.37 (lute pt only);
- Concerto in, F, lute, vn, b, A-Su M.III.25 (lute pt only)
- Sonata in A, 2 lutes (or lute, vn/va da gamba, vc), D-As Tonk.2°, inc., ed. H. Neeman (Berlin, 1927)
- 12 Symphonie da camera, 1750, lost [mentioned in Munich court document]
Solo lute
- Suites: 4 suites, D, b, F, A, A-GÖ (variants of nos.1 and 2, KR L77), ed. in MAM, xxx (1973); suite, c, CZ-Bm A.13.269, ed. in MAM, xxx (1973); suite, B , D-Mbs 5362 (inc.), GB-HAdolmetsch II.B.2 (attrib. Weiss), US-NYp Harrach 14; 2 suites, D, B , GB-HAdolmetsch II.B.2; suite, D, Harrach family's private collection, Vienna; suite, B , GB-Lspencer, ed. P. Lay and R. Spencer (Harrow, 1987)
- Suite movements: 2 menuets, bourée, D-Mbs 5362; 2 menuets, gay, Mbs 5362; sarabande, E, Mbs 5362; gigue, courante, menuet, A, GB-HAdolmetsch II.B.2; 3 preludes, d, A-Wgm 7763/92, 2 ed. in MAM, xxx (1973); menuet, d, D-KNu 1.P.56, ed in F. Giesbert, Lautenbuch ‘Livre pour le lut’ Köln, 18. Jahrhundert (Mainz, 1965)
doubtful
- Bourée, B , lute, CZ-POm (attrib. Weiss, A-Su M.III.25); Sonata à 5, 2 vn, 2 va, ‘basso viola’, lost (listed in 1710 catalogue; see Flotzinger)
Recordings
- Suite for Lute in D major played by Joachim Held (Hänssler Classic 8232)
- Sonata for Two Lutes in A major both lute parts played by John Schneiderman (Vgo Recordings VG1008