Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/357

 basis for the entire Viennese school. Richter, at Mannheim from 1747 and choirmaster at Strassburg from 1769, wrote about 65 symphonies and much other music in an almost equally original and suggestive manner.

The amount of production called forth under the Mannheim stimulus was enormous, embodied not only in symphonies, but in every other variety of ensemble instrumental music. Among the composers directly connected with Mannheim were the Bohemian 'cellist Anton Filtz (d. 1760), with nearly 40 symphonies; Christian Cannabich (d. 1798), Stamitz' successor as conductor in 1759, with about 100; Ignaz Holzbauer (d. 1783), with a multitude of works, including 11 operas; the bassoonist Ernst Eichner (d. 1777), with 40 symphonies; Giovanni Battista Toeschi (d. 1800), the third member of a talented family, with over 60; the violinist Franz Beck (d. 1809), from 1777 at Bordeaux, with about 25; Karl Stamitz (d. 1801), Johann's son, early noted as a virtuoso, concertmaster at Paris from 1770, making extended tours, with 70; and his brother Anton Stamitz (d. c. 1820), also at Paris from 1770, with 13.

More or less closely under the Mannheim influence were the following:—

François Joseph Gossec (d. 1829), otherwise noted as an opera-writer (see sec. 154), was a Belgian violinist, in Paris from 1751 (see sec. 147), who wrote over 25 symphonies (from 1754) and many quartets of real value. Besides raising the orchestral standard at Paris, at the Revolution he wrote much popular patriotic music. Another Belgian was Pierre van Maldere (d. 1768), from 1755 in service to Charles of Lorraine, with quartets (from 1757) and nearly 20 symphonies (from 1769), which had vogue prior to Haydn's popularity.

Luigi Boccherini (d. 1805), born at Lucca in 1743, stands still higher. Trained as a virtuoso 'cellist, he worked first at Lucca, writing oratorios and an opera, made tours into France, Spain and Germany, securing honors at several courts, and then lived mostly at Madrid. He wrote nearly 350 chamber works (from 1768) and about 20 symphonies, often with distinction, but sometimes carelessly. His later style was influenced by Haydn.

Here belong also Johann Christian Bach (d. 1782), the youngest of the great Bach's sons, with a large number of symphonies (see sec. 151); and Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf (d. 1799), with about 50 (see sec. 154). Only Boccherini and Ditters are counted as equaling the first Mannheim masters.

A direct link between Mannheim and Vienna is furnished by Leopold Hoffmann (d. 1793), who from 1772 was choirmaster at St. Stephen's and who, besides much church music, wrote for the orchestra so cleverly as to delay the recognition of Haydn.

Joseph Haydn (d. 1809), as already stated (sec. 145), wrote in all about 125 symphonies (from 1759), the best after he had begun to feel the impress of Mozart (especially after 1790). Michael Haydn (d. 1806), his younger brother, chiefly noted as a church composer (see sec. 163), was an able orchestral writer, with 30 symphonies (from 1762) and other works. Those issued in 1785 and a quintet, long attributed to Joseph, are counted the best. For some reason he avoided publication, so that his influence was much less than his brother's.