Daniel Steibelt

Daniel Gottlieb Steibelt ( born October 22, 1765 in Berlin, .. † 20 Septemberjul / October 2 1823greg in Saint Petersburg ) was a German pianist and composer.

Life

Daniel was born in 1765 in Berlin Steibelt the son of a Prussian officer. ( Other sources speak as a birth year of 1764 or in 1766. ) Steibelt was a pupil of the pianist Johann Philipp KirnBerger and decided, against the wishes of the father is not a military career, but the musical career to pursue.

From 1790 he lived in Paris, where he made ​​a name as a pianist and composer. From this period his most famous opera Romeo and Juliet, which premiered in 1793 in Paris. Financial problems forced him in 1796 to move to London. Again, he continued to contribute as a pianist and composer. In 1799 he began a major concert tour through Germany and Austria. It was in May 1800 in Vienna to a piano competition with Beethoven, the lost, the famous for his virtuosity Steibelt. This led to the demolition of his tour of the German-speaking countries.

Lived in the next few years, and he worked in London and Paris until 1808 he followed a call of the Czar in St. Petersburg. First Steibelt was Kapellmeister and from 1811 until his death Director of the Tsarist Opera in St. Petersburg. He died in 1823 in Saint Petersburg.

Work

Steibelt was one of the most enterprising and prolific composers of his time. Although there is a lack of originality his compositions, but he made up for this by complacency and virtuosity. His works include numerous pieces for piano and violin and some operas. So he composed seven piano concertos, 46 piano sonatas, 65 sonatas for piano or harpsichord and violin, several ballets, some trios, quartets and quintets and countless Etudes. His 1810 composed and premiered in St. Petersburg opera Cendrillon by a French fairy tale by Charles Perrault enjoyed great popularity for a time in Russian theaters.

After his death, interest in his works became extinct soon. And so far managed only his piano pieces for performance, while operas are performed as good as ever.