Johann Stamitz

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Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz (Czech: Jan Václav Stamic) (June 19, 1717 – March 27, 1757) was a Czech composer and violinist. Johann was the father of Carl Stamitz and Anton Stamitz, also composers.

1 Early life and education
2 Violinist
3 Founder Mannheim School
4 Death
5 References

[edit] Early life and education

Stamitz was born in Nemecky Brod (now Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic). His first music lessons came from his father, an organist. He later studied at the gymnasium in Jihlava and at Charles University in Prague.

[edit] Violinist

In 1741 he went to Mannheim, becoming first violinist of the court orchestra there in 1743 and concertmaster in 1745. He served under Kapellmeister Carlo Grua for his tenure at the Hofkapelle. He raised the level of the orchestra to a point where it was one of the most respected in Europe. In 1754-55 he spent time in Paris, where his music was well received at the Concerts Spirituels.

[edit] Founder Mannheim School

Stamitz, generally regarded as the founder and most prominent member of the so-called Mannheim School of composers, wrote a number of concertos (mainly for violin or flute, but also for organ, violoncello, trumpet (called "clarino"), clarinet, viola and viola d'amore ), a quantity of chamber music and a mass (1755). His most significant works, however, are his symphonies, of which he wrote over fifty. He was the first composer to regularly write symphonies in a four-movement form, adding the minuet and trio to the other three standard movements. In introducing a second group of contrasting thematic material to his opening movements, he also did much to develop what would become known as sonata form.

Among his compositions there are ten works for string orchestra inspired by the trio sonata and called "orchestral trios", written for two violins and basso continuo and performable also by chamber ensemble (so as to be publishable and playable widely and performed by both the home musician and Stamitz's own orchestra [1]). A similar practice was the composition of concertos as works alternately playable by piano and a small ensemble of strings, or by a full orchestra, as Mozart was later to do with his 11th through 13th piano concertos.

In common with other composers of the Mannheim School, Stamitz is also noted for giving a more prominent role to wind instruments, and making more adventurous use of dynamics, notably the crescendo. He was the first to introduce the oboe into the symphony orchestra, and introduced the clarinet into his symphonies as early as 1750 ([2]).