Weber, Friedrich Dionys

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Weber, Friedrich Dionys

Weber, Friedrich Dionys (actually, Bedrich Diviš), Bohemian pedagogue, writer on music, and composer; b. Velichov, near Carlsbad, Oct. 9, 1766; d. Prague, Dec. 25, 1842. He began his musical studies with F. Beier in Velichov; after studies at the Doupov Gymnasium and courses in theology, philosophy, and law in Prague, he completed his musical training with Abbé Vogler and also met Mozart. Weber devoted himself mainly to pedagogy: he was one of the founders of the Prague Cons., which he served as its first director from 1811 until his death, and was also was director of the Prague Organ School (1839-42). Among his extant works is the opera König der Genien (Prague, June 1, 1800), the cantata Böhmens Errettung (Prague, April 22, 1797), various dance pieces for Orch., 3 quartets for 4 Horns, 3 Sextets for 6 Horns, and a number of piano pieces.

Writings

(all publ. in Prague): Das Konservatorium der Musik zu Prag (1817); Allgemeine theoretisch-praktische Vorschule der Musik (1828); Lehrbuch der Harmonielehre und des Generalbasses (1830-34); Vollständige Theorie der Musik (1840); Allgemeine musikalische Zeichenlehre (2nd ed., 1841); Harmonielehre (2nd ed., 1841); Notenbeispiele zu F.D. Webers Vorschule der Musik (1843); Theoretisch-praktisches Lehrbuch der Tonsetzkunst (2nd ed., 1843).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire