Eduard Stein (1818-1864) was a German conductor, composer and Music Director of the Loh-Orchester Sondershausen. Initially, he began to study theology at Leipzig University but under the influence of Heinrich Marschner and Felix Mendelssohn he abandoned this in favour of musical training. In January 1853 he was appointed Fürstlicher Hofkapellmeister in Sondershausen, a position he held until his death on 16 March 1864, at the age of 45 years.
Archives: Composers
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Lauber, Joseph
Lauber (1864-1952) studied in Munich and Paris and pursued a career as an organist, composer and teacher, subsequently becoming professor at Zurich and Geneva conservatoires. He was a prolific composer, writing in many genres, and his music has been described by harpist Alison Young as “rich, romantic and pastoral with a Swiss flavour – something tinged with the utter beauty of the landscape…”
Austrian bassist Hans Fryba (1899-1986) was Principal Bass of the Suisse Romande Orchestra in Geneva from 1929, a post he held for four decades, and his mastery of the double bass inspired the Lauber to write a number of impressive and advanced works for the double bass.
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Quantz, Johann Joachim
Johann Joachim Quantz was born in Obersheden, Hannover on 30 January 1697 and was a celebrated German flautist, composer and writer. He was a member of the Polish Chapel of Augustus III, working mainly in Dresden, and from about 1740 worked for Frederick the Great in Berlin.
Quantz was a prolific composer, writing primarily for the flute, and composed more than 200 sonatas for flute and continuo, 60 trio sonatas and over 300 fluter concertos. His works contain French and Italian elements reflecting the transition from the late Baroque to the early Classical style.
Quantz died in Potsdam on 12 July 1773.
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Mason, Douglas
Douglas began his musical training as a chorister in Gloucester Cathedral Choir under John Sanders. He subsequently read music at Durham University, and went on to train as a music teacher at Leeds University, also singing professionally as a lay clerk in the Choir of Leeds Parish Church at this time.
As a composer, Douglas focuses on choral works in particular, and he has also written and arranged music for schools. As a performer Douglas has sung on numerous television and radio broadcasts and appeared on recordings for several labels, including Abbey, Priory and ASC records. For several years he was also a member of the William Byrd Singers directed by Stephen Wilkinson.
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Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista
(1710-1736)
An Italian Baroque composer, violinist and organist, is considered to be one of the greatest Italian musicians of the first half of the 18th-century and is one of the most important representatives of the Neapolitan school. Although he died at the age of 26, he composed a wealth of music in different genres, notably operas, sacred music and instrumental music, much of which has survived to the present day.