This Week in Classical Music: October 28, 2024. Dittersdorf.Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, an Austrian with a funny-sounding name, was a serious composer. Born Carl Ditters in Vienna on November 2nd of 1739, he acquired the noble title “von Dittersdorf” years later, while serving at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Breslau. His full surname became Ditters von Dittersdorf and since then he has been known as Dittersdorf. As a child, Carl studied the violin, and as a boy of 11, he was recruited to the orchestra of Prince Sachsen-Hildburghausen, one of the best in Vienna. When the prince left Vienna and disbanded his orchestra, Carl found employment with Count Giacomo Durazzo, director of Burgtheater, the imperial court theatre. Ditters played in the Burgtheater orchestra and soloed, often playing his own violin concertos. By that time a recognized virtuoso and composer, he accompanied Christoph Willibald Gluck on a trip to Italy. In 1765 he left the Burgtheater to accept the position of Kapellmeister for the Bishop of Grosswardein, succeeding Michael Haydn, Franz Joseph’s younger brother. He stayed there for four years, composing orchestral music and operas for the court theater.
In 1769, after the bishop got into legal troubles, Ditters found employment with Count Schaffgotsch, Prince-Bishop of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland, at that time a part of Silesia). The prince lived in exile in the castle of Johannisberg and built a theater next to it. Ditters, for all purposes a Kapellmeister except for the title, was tasked with improving the court orchestra, hiring the singers, and composing operas. During that time (in 1772) Ditters’ employer successfully petitioned Empress Maria-Theresia to have Ditters ennobled; thus, he became “von Dittersdorf.” Through trials and tribulations (in 1778 Austrian politics forced the prince to flee Johannisberg, leaving the composer to administer part of his estate), Dittersdorf continued to manage the orchestra and compose. While Schaffgotsch was out of the picture, Dittersdorf offered some of his operas to Prince Esterházy, Haydn’s employer.
With the prince temporarily gone and musical life in Johannisberg in decline, Dittersdorf spent much of his time in Vienna. His oratorio Giob, the twelve symphonies, and the opera Der Apotheker und der Doktor (here is the Overture and the first scene) were all well received. In 1785, while in Vienna, he played a quartet with Franz Joseph Haydn, Mozart, and his pupil, Johann Baptist Wanhal (Dittersdorf played the first violin, Haydn the second violin, while Mozart played the viola). Dittersdorf returned to Johannisberg in 1787, but musical life there was in shambles. Dittersdorf attempted to find a position with Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, who liked his music, but an offer never came. He was formerly dismissed from Johannisberg in 1785. By the end of his life, Dittersdorf, penniless and suffering from gout, continued to compose; some of his best work was written during those years. He died in 1779 in the castle of one of his patrons.
Dittersdorf was a prolific composer of concertos, operas, symphonies, oratorios and chamber music. Some of his concertos were written for unusual instruments: for example, there are four (!) concertos for the double bass. Let’s listen to one of them, Concerto no. 2 for Double Bass and orchestra. Ödön Rácz is the soloist, he plays with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra.
Dittersdorf, 2024
This Week in Classical Music: October 28, 2024. Dittersdorf. Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf, an Austrian with a funny-sounding name, was a serious composer. Born Carl Ditters in Vienna on
November 2nd of 1739, he acquired the noble title “von Dittersdorf” years later, while serving at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Breslau. His full surname became Ditters von Dittersdorf and since then he has been known as Dittersdorf. As a child, Carl studied the violin, and as a boy of 11, he was recruited to the orchestra of Prince Sachsen-Hildburghausen, one of the best in Vienna. When the prince left Vienna and disbanded his orchestra, Carl found employment with Count Giacomo Durazzo, director of Burgtheater, the imperial court theatre. Ditters played in the Burgtheater orchestra and soloed, often playing his own violin concertos. By that time a recognized virtuoso and composer, he accompanied Christoph Willibald Gluck on a trip to Italy. In 1765 he left the Burgtheater to accept the position of Kapellmeister for the Bishop of Grosswardein, succeeding Michael Haydn, Franz Joseph’s younger brother. He stayed there for four years, composing orchestral music and operas for the court theater.
In 1769, after the bishop got into legal troubles, Ditters found employment with Count Schaffgotsch, Prince-Bishop of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland, at that time a part of Silesia). The prince lived in exile in the castle of Johannisberg and built a theater next to it. Ditters, for all purposes a Kapellmeister except for the title, was tasked with improving the court orchestra, hiring the singers, and composing operas. During that time (in 1772) Ditters’ employer successfully petitioned Empress Maria-Theresia to have Ditters ennobled; thus, he became “von Dittersdorf.” Through trials and tribulations (in 1778 Austrian politics forced the prince to flee Johannisberg, leaving the composer to administer part of his estate), Dittersdorf continued to manage the orchestra and compose. While Schaffgotsch was out of the picture, Dittersdorf offered some of his operas to Prince Esterházy, Haydn’s employer.
With the prince temporarily gone and musical life in Johannisberg in decline, Dittersdorf spent much of his time in Vienna. His oratorio Giob, the twelve symphonies, and the opera Der Apotheker und der Doktor (here is the Overture and the first scene) were all well received. In 1785, while in Vienna, he played a quartet with Franz Joseph Haydn, Mozart, and his pupil, Johann Baptist Wanhal (Dittersdorf played the first violin, Haydn the second violin, while Mozart played the viola). Dittersdorf returned to Johannisberg in 1787, but musical life there was in shambles. Dittersdorf attempted to find a position with Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, who liked his music, but an offer never came. He was formerly dismissed from Johannisberg in 1785. By the end of his life, Dittersdorf, penniless and suffering from gout, continued to compose; some of his best work was written during those years. He died in 1779 in the castle of one of his patrons.
Dittersdorf was a prolific composer of concertos, operas, symphonies, oratorios and chamber music. Some of his concertos were written for unusual instruments: for example, there are four (!) concertos for the double bass. Let’s listen to one of them, Concerto no. 2 for Double Bass and orchestra. Ödön Rácz is the soloist, he plays with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra.