Hoffmeister, Franz Anton

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Hoffmeister, Franz Anton

Hoffmeister, Franz Anton, German composer and music publisher; b. Rothenburg am Neckar, May 12, 1754; d. Vienna, Feb. 9, 1812. He went to Vienna as a law student, but became greatly interested in music, and in 1785 established his publishing firm, of historic significance owing to its publications of Mozart and Beethoven. In 1800 he went to Leipzig, where he organized (with Kuhnel) a “Bureau de Musique’” which eventually became incorporated into the celebrated firm of C. F. Peters. In 1805 he returned to Vienna, where he devoted himself mostly to composition. Amazingly prolific, he composed 9 operas, more than 65 syms., 14 keyboard concertos, 25 flute concertos, various other orch. works, pieces for wind ensemble, over 150 string quartets, many trios, innumerable flute duets, numerous sonatas, songs, etc.

Bibliography

A. Weinmann, Die Wiener Verlagswerke von F.A. H. (Vienna, 1964).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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