Rott, Hans (actually, Johann Carl Maria)

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Rott, Hans (actually, Johann Carl Maria)

Rott, Hans (actually, Johann Carl Maria) , talented Austrian composer; b. Vienna, Aug. 1, 1858; d. there, June 25, 1884. He studied organ and composition with Bruckner at the Vienna Cons. (1874–77), where he also took courses with L. Landskron (piano), H. Grädener (harmony), and F. Krenn (counterpoint and composition). He then was organist at the Piarist Church in Vienna (until 1878). Rott became insane in 1880 and spent the last 4 years of his short life in the psychiatric clinic of Vienna’s General Hospital. Bruckner admired his talent, as did Mahler. His works include a Sym. for Strings (1874–75), Sym. in E major (1878–80), Pastorales Vorspiel for orch. (1880), String Quartet, String Quintet, and songs. A century after Rott’s death, interest in his music led to belated premieres of his Sym. in E major (Cincinnati, March 4, 1989) and his Pastorales Vorspiel (Vienna, Feb. 8, 2000). His extant compositions are housed in Vienna’s Österreichische Nationalbibliothek.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire