Johannes Matthias Sperger

Johannes Matthias Untersperger ( born March 23, 1750 in Feldberg, † May 13 1812 in Ludwigslust ) was a double-bassist and composer.

Life and work

Johannes Matthias Untersperger was in Feldberg - then Lower Austria, today Valtice, Czech Republic - born and educated in Vienna from 1767 to double bassist and composer. 1776, he married Anna Tarony from Linz. He worked from 1777 in the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Pressburg. From 1778 he was a member of the Viennese Composers firm in whose concerts he performed with his own works and as a soloist. From 1783 to 1786 Untersperger was a member of the court orchestra of Count Ludwig von Erdődy in Kohfidisch. From 1786 to 1789 he toured and made ​​an effort to steady employment, including at the Prussian court. In early April 1788, he played Duke Friedrich Franz I in front of Ludwig 's content. After a trip to Italy Untersperger took place in April 1789 in front of his employment decree and entered the first bassist of Mecklenburgisch - Schwerin Court Orchestra in Ludwig lust in June 1789 his service. In 1792, a concert trip to Lübeck in 1793 and 1801 to Berlin to Leipzig, where he performed with the Gewandhaus Orchestra. In 1812 he died in Ludwigslust nervous fever.

John Untersperger wrote more than 44 symphonies, instrumental concertos ( Concerto for Viola, Cello Concerto, 18 double bass concertos, a concerto for flute, two concertos for trumpet, three concertos for horn, Symphony Concertante ), Sonatas, Rondos and dances, cantatas, choruses and arias. His " box lots " mentioned harmony music for winds mostly come from his Pressburger creative period.

Others

In the book The Double Bass by Patrick Süskind there is a remark about Untersperger and his double bass compositions, in which the protagonist of the book is to speak for their " unplayable " on these works rather poorly.

Johann Matthias Untersperger Competition

To order, pay tribute to the important work Sperger, written for double bass and make it known again, the International Johann Matthias Untersperger Society is founded. This is based biennial "International Johann Matthias Untersperger Competition for Double Bass " from which is endowed with 5,000 euros for first place and € 3,500 for second place. On the first competition in 2000, 65 participants from over 20 countries. Patrons were from 2000, Zubin Mehta and Anne- Sophie Mutter, since 2010 it is Nikolaus Harnoncourt.