Jan Antonín Losy

Johann Anton Graf Losy of Losinthal, and Logi of Losymthal or Losynthal or January Antonín Logy z Lozimtál (* about 1645 at Castle Steken at Strakonitz / Bohemia, † September 3, 1721 in Prague) was an imperial official, composer and one of the most famous lutenist of his generation.

Origin and life

Count Losys ancestors believed to originate from the area around Poschiavo in the canton of Grisons. His father John Anton Losy of Losinthal beginning of the 17th century in the imperial service in Bohemia settled down and was raised to the earldom on August 14, 1655 due to its merits as " Inspector of the wine tax and the beer and salt gradient in Bohemia ". 1661-1668 studied the often " Count Losy " said son music at the Prague Conservatory, was like his father imperial chamberlain and privy councilor, was also music director of the Viennese court and earned high reputation for his lute as well as for the stimulation and promotion of musical life. He was co-owner of the manors Tachau, Winternitz and Steinitz, lived in Prague in a palace, the Carlo Lurag had three houses on the north side of the Hyberner built for him, with an annual income of 80,000 florins entirely for his music.

From his father, Johann Anton the Younger inherited significant assets in 1682 and has traveled to Italy and France. One year after the death of his father died unmarried and his twin brother Johann Baptist, located on Insert, Rzepicz and Czenicz. 1697 he lived in Leipzig, where a now famous rivalry between himself on the lute, Johann Kuhnau on the piano and Pantaleon Hebenstreit held at the Pantaleon named after him, and multiplied his fame.

Count Losy was a great admirer of Jean -Baptiste Lully, and written mainly lute and guitar compositions in an elegant melody, initially in the " French style ", which he brought to Prague and the so-called " mixed German-style " evolved. This merge the more cantabile elements of the Italian and the rather rhetorical of the French style. In the evenings in his palace in Prague pieces from the printed operas and compositions of Jean -Baptiste Lully and Johann Joseph Fux were brought to the stage. He was married to Claudia Franziska Countess of Strassoldo. After his death in 1721 at the age of 83, his son Adam Philipp Losy of Losinthal stepped up to the legacy.

Works

About 150 compositions and lute tablature from his pen have been preserved, including:

• Suite II in A minor
• Suite IV F major
• Suite V in D minor
• Suite VI in C major
• VII Suite in A minor
• Suite VIII in A major
• Suite IX A Minor

Literature on the history of music

• Johann Anton Graf Losy: 19 Pieces for Lute. edited by Tim Crawford, Tree Edition, Lübeck 2002
• Johann Anton Losy of Losymthal: Pieces for Baroque Lute: from the manuscript MS S- Klm21072, foreword by Michael Treder, Tree Edition, Lübeck 2012
• Jaroslav Pohanka: Jan Antonín Losy: Pièces de guitare. In: Musica antiqua bohemica 38, no 13, ZDB - ID 1100186-0, p 11
• Emil Vogl: Johann Anton Losy. Lutenist of Prague. In: Journal of the Lute Society of America 13, 1980, ISSN 0076-1524, pp. 58-86.
• Emil Vogl: The lute music of Johann Anton Losy. In: Journal of the Lute Society of America 14, 1981, p 5-58, and Thematic Catalogue page 79
• Tim Crawford: New Sources of the Music of Count Losy. In: Journal of the Lute Society of America 15, 1982, p 52-83.

Literature on life history

• Josef Stocklöw: history of the city Tachau with partial account of the reign Tachau ( Tachov), Volume 1, Tachau, 1879, page 209
• Emil Vogl: For Biography Losys. In: The Music Research 14, 1961, ISSN 0027-4801, pp. 189-192.
• Novel by Prochazka: Losy of Losimthal ( Losi of Losinthal, Logi ), in: Genealogical Handbook of extinct Bohemian Lord class families, Dietersheim 1973, ISBN 3 7686 5002 2, page 171
• Heribert Sturm: Biographical Dictionary of the History of the Czech lands. Published on behalf of the Collegium Carolinum (Institute ), Volume II, 1984, R. Oldenbourg Verlag, Munich, ISBN 3486 52551 4, page 502 f
• Joan of Herzogenberg: Prague. A leader, Prestel - Verlag, Munich, 1966, 293 f