Joseph Labitzky

Joseph Labitzky ( Czech Josef Labický, born July 4, 1802 in Schoenfeld, Bohemia; † August 18, 1881 in Karlsbad, Austria - Hungary) was Kapellmeister and composer dance.

Joseph Labitzky grew up in Petschau and earned his livelihood after the early death of his parents by first joined a group of itinerant musicians, then found a job at Bath in Marienbad Orchestra and the following year in Carlsbad Saisonorchster. Being only in the spa season had regular occurrence and income opportunities with this appointment, he was looking for other opportunities to perform in winter, which he also used his musical training. So he spent the winter of 1821/22 in Bern, where he was a guest at the opera and held in winter 1822/23 in Munich, where he received a further training by Peter von Winter. He then undertook a self-composed chapel in the winters 1825/26 and 1826/27 first trips to Vienna, where he personally met also Lanner and Strauss, more tours with his band then led him to Warsaw and Prague.

1835 Labitzky was entrusted with the management of the Karlovy Vary spa orchestra, which he enlarged in the coming years and led to more sophisticated services. This position gave him the opportunity to appear before prominent spa guests so that his reputation quickly spread throughout Europe. So the Emperor Ferdinand of Austria sent for him when he was looking at a meeting with the Tsar of Russia and the King of Prussia at Teplitz a suitable musicians to entertain his guests. In 1838 he was invited to St. Petersburg at the Tsar's court. Labitzky founded in 1842 the Carlsbad Music Association and was music director. He promoted from this position the regional music scene very much.

Joseph Labitzky ran the Carlsbad Orchestra until 1868 and agreed by contract with the City of Carlsbad that his son August is to get as his successor over as director of the orchestra. Labitzky able to acquire through the performances with its spa orchestra in front of the fashionable crowd in Carlsbad, through his travels through Europe and through his genius dance compositions a Europe-wide reputation, which left him standing next to Strauss and Joseph Lanner, so that he was known as Bohemian Waltz King.

Except dances he composed string quartets and Variations for violin, flute, clarinet and horn, as well as some church music. So he gave in 1845 the Carlsbad church choir as a large mass, a requiem and a "German misery ".

Even one of his ten children - August Labitzky (1832-1903) - emerged as a composer. His daughter, opera singer Antonie Labitzky (1833-1894), married in 1871 in Frankfurt the entrepreneur and banker Sigismund Kohn -Speyer.