Joseph Weigl

This Austrian conductor and composer is most noted for his production of operas. He was afforded the opportunity of studying in Vienna with Witzig and <a href="spotify:artist:49Aq12YWwKS5hg8pgInIRW">Albrechtsberger</a> who was teaching at the grammar school when Weigl was in attendance. Weigl studied with <a href="spotify:artist:49Aq12YWwKS5hg8pgInIRW">Albrechtsberger</a> until 1782 but two years before their departure, Weigl's first opera "Die unnuntz Vorsicht" was praised by both <a href="spotify:artist:4zAMiCvE5KTXuTHxi56cPE">Salieri</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7vfydQ0nVBVgJ0ajs8EtRM">Gluck</a>. They helped to bring about the performance at the Burgtheater where Weigl was gratefully introduced to the music of <a href="spotify:artist:5aIqB5nVVvmFsvSdExz408">Bach</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1QL7yTHrdahRMpvNtn6rI2">Handel</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4RCCipjKTeizg2kHWlIHvG">Graun</a>. When Weigl was nineteen <a href="spotify:artist:4zAMiCvE5KTXuTHxi56cPE">Salieri</a> convinced the father to allow him to give composition lessons to the young man. Through <a href="spotify:artist:4zAMiCvE5KTXuTHxi56cPE">Salieri</a> Weigl was introduced to the court theater. This is important to understand and appreciate for Weigl became the vice-Kapellmeister in 1790 and Kapellmeister and court composer in 1792. During his visits to various cities, Weigl was offered positions at the Stuttgart Opera and the Milan Conservatory both of which he refused because of his loyalty and life-time appointment to the court. Weigl's operas include "Der Schweizerfamilie," "Das Waisenhaus," "La Principessa d'Amalfi," hailed by his godfather <a href="spotify:artist:656RXuyw7CE0dtjdPgjJV6">Haydn</a> as a masterpiece, and "Pigmalione." Few of Weigl's operas received less than forty performances. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi