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master. His melodrama or 'duodrama' Ariadne auf Naxos (1774) made a sensation, and was followed by nearly 15 other stage-works, including the opera Romeo und Julia (1776), the melodrama Medea (1777?) and the 'monodrama' Pygmalion (1780). The text of these melodramas was not sung, but spoken, while music was supplied by the orchestra. From 1778 Benda moved from place to place, writing many church works, secular cantatas, symphonies, clavier-sonatas and concertos, etc.

Johann Friedrich Reichardt (d. 1814) was early taught the lute, the violin and theory, and had a good general education. At 23 (1775) he became royal choirmaster at Berlin, succeeding Agricola, but was too progessive to be wholly popular and was often away, chiefly in France and England. In 1783 he established Concerts spirituels at Berlin. In 1794 he lost his place because of his radical politics. From 1807 for a time he was choirmaster to Jerome Bonaparte at Cassel. He was interested in new ideas, as in Gluck's innovations, and had decided musical gifts, though not always happy in their use. He wrote over 20 stage-works, including singspiele like ''Hänschen und Gretchen (1773), Jery und Bätely (1789, text by Goethe), Erwin und Elmire'' (1793), and several operas, mostly for Berlin, with two for Paris (not given); also very many fine songs, including 60 by Goethe, solo cantatas and odes, a Passion (1784), psalms, Te Deums, sacred cantatas, several symphonies, including the Schlachtsymphonie (on the battle of Leipsic, 1813), chamber music, concertos for piano and for violin, etc. As a critic he was fertile and keen (see sec. 165).

Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (d. 1800), a pupil and later the assistant of Kirnberger, after travel as tutor, in 1773 settled in Berlin, at first teaching and collaborating upon Sulzer's 'Theorie.' From 1776 he conducted at the French Theatre, from 1780 was director for Prince Heinrich at Rheinsberg, and from 1787 choirmaster at Copenhagen, resigning in 1795 because of ill-health. His first and best reputation came from his beautiful Lieder im Volkston (1782-90), but he also wrote about 10 successful singspiele and operas (from 1775), several of them to Danish texts and produced at Copenhagen, such as Aline (1789), Hoest-Gildet (1790), Peters Bryllup (1791), etc. His sacred songs, cantatas, Passions, etc., were many and popular.

Johann Rudolph Zumsteeg (d. 1802), the fellow-student of Schiller at Stuttgart, at first destined to be a sculptor, was formed by the choirmaster Poli into a fine 'cellist and song-writer, succeeding his teacher in 1792. He wrote several singspiele (from about 1784), like Die Geisterinsel, ''Das Pfauenfest, Elbondokani and Zalaor'', over 20 sacred cantatas, many songs and important ballades, dramatically conceived and often finely set, including Burger's Lenore and Die Entführung, Goethe's Colma, Schiller's ''Ode an die Freude, Maria Stuart (one scene), Johannen's Lebewohl, with Die Büssende'', Des Pfarrers Tochter, Ritter Toggenburg, etc., by lesser poets. In these he was the precursor of Schubert and Löwe.

Less important were Franz Andreas Holly (d. 1783), with about 15 singspiele (from about 1768); Christian Gottlob Neefe (d. 1798), long associated with Hiller at Leipsic and from 1781 organist at Bonn, with many melodious works, including singspiele (from 1772); Karl David Stegmann (d. 1826), a singer and playwright, chiefly at Hamburg, with over 10 singspiele (from 1773),