A significant portion of Viennese court music from the 17th century was preserved only in manuscript form at the castle of Bishop Carl von Lichtenstein-Castelcorn in Kremsier, rediscovered in the 20th century.
Compositional Technique
Schmelzer's sonatas often feature alternating contrapuntal, homophonic, and virtuoso passages, and frequently incorporate elements of folk music, particularly dance rhythms.
Composer Biography
Giovanni Felice Sances, a court Kapellmeister, petitioned Emperor Leopold I for financial aid in 1657 due to his family's illnesses, poor finances, and considerable travel expenses.
Composer Biography
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer, a composer and violinist, was described as 'the famous violinist, almost the most distinguished in all Europe' as early as 1660.
Historical Context
Emperor Leopold I, who reigned from 1658-1705, maintained a Hofkapelle (court musical establishment) of around fifty instrumentalists and forty singers despite facing severe economic difficulties.
Composer Biography
Johann Heinrich Schmelzer served as Hofkapellmeister for only six months before dying in 1680 from the plague, which also claimed thousands of other lives.
Historical Context
Unlike other major Baroque centers, musical life in imperial Vienna received little attention due to a prohibition on printing composers' works, making them inaccessible to a wider public.
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