The Year of the Austrian Composer J.J. Fux
Gmunden 13. - 23. August 2010
In celebration of his 350th birthday, this year´s composer in focus at the Austria Baroque Academy will be the Austrian composer, conductor of court music, teacher and pioneer, Johann Joseph Fux.
The son of a farmer from Styria (Austria), Johann Joseph Fux was born in 1660 and died 1741, just as Marie Theresa and Friedrich II acceded to the Austrian throne. Writing under the patronage of the Holy Roman Empire, he is widely acknowledged to be the most significant exponent of the late Austro-Italian Baroque.
His music displays a thorough grasp of both Italian and French baroque style whilst at times also looking forward to the later classical style of Haydn and indeed his fellow Austrian, Anton Bruckner.
Fux influenced the course of European music through both his compositions and his didactical writings, bequeathing a large musical opus. As music director for the Austrian imperial court his main duty was to write sacred music and smaller scale secular works, especially serenatas. These attractive little operas in one act (3 act operas were usually left to the Italian composers) were occasional works, written, for instance, to celebrate the name-day of the emperor, and were often staged in open air.
Fux is recorded as having been an extremely lively and effective teacher. Many famous musicians learned with him, for example Muffat, Zelenka and Lotti. Johann Sebastian Bach ranked Fux number one on his list of composers he most admired. We will explore works by Fux in this broader context, taking time to look at works by his famous pupils as well as his deputy Caldara.
Artistic Director 2010: Maurice van Lieshout
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Fux
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