Georg August Griesinger
Encyclopedia
Georg August von Griesinger (1769–1845) was a tutor and diplomat resident in Vienna during the late 18th and 19th centuries. He is remembered for his friendships with the composers Joseph Haydn
and Ludwig van Beethoven
, and for the biography he wrote of Haydn.
on 8 January 1769. His father was Georg Christoph Griesinger (1734/5 - 1782), who was a lawyer and civil servant. He grew up in Stuttgart and attended university, studying theology, in Tübingen. He later worked as a tutor in an aristocratic home in Morges
, Switzerland. In 1799, he moved to Vienna, in order to work as the tutor of the son of Count Johann Hilmar Adolph Schönfeld, the ambassador of Saxony
to the Austrian Empire. He remained in Vienna for the rest of his life, but changed careers there in 1804, becoming a diplomat at the Saxon embassy. He first held the rank of secretary, then counsellor and finally (1831) chargé d'affaires
.
publishing firm of Breitkopf & Härtel
. When he moved to Vienna, the firm asked him to help negotiate a publishing agreement with Joseph Haydn. These negotiations were fully successful, and resulted in Breitkopf & Härtel producing a "complete works" edition of Haydn's compositions. Griesinger became Haydn's friend, and often visited him after his efforts were no longer needed for business reasons.
, then, after revisions, as an independent work in 1810 (Biographische Notizen über Joseph Haydn, Leipzig).
Particularly in comparison to work of other Haydn biographers of the same time (e.g. Giuseppe Carpani
and Albert Christoph Dies
), Griesinger's stands out for its careful writing, thoughtfulness, care with facts, and reluctance to embellish. Haydn scholar Vernon Gotwals considered it a clear first choice among the early biographies for obtaining facts about Haydn's life.
The letters that Griesinger sent to Breitkopf & Härtel also serve as a valuable source for the lives of both Haydn and Beethoven.
. As with the earlier Haydn negotiations, these were successful and led to a long-term friendship between Griesinger and Beethoven.
The relationship between Beethoven and Breitkopf & Härtel began not at all smoothly. Beethoven offered the firm his String Quintet in C
, published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1802 as Opus 29. However, to Breitkopf & Härtel's surprise, the rival publishing firm of Artaria
also issued an edition of this work, which would have reduced Breitkopf & Härtel's profits from it. Gottfried Härtel initially felt that Beethoven was responsible for this, and there was acrimonious correspondence between the two. Beethoven's brother Kaspar
urged the company to bring in Griesinger onto the case, knowing that Beethoven liked and trusted him. On intervening, Griesinger wrote to the firm, insisting that Beethoven "is a man devoid of duplicity and deceit." The dispute was resolved. Beethoven later published with the firm again, and during the years 1809-1812 they were his primary publishers, with Griesinger again serving as intermediary.
Beethoven at one point read Griesinger's biography of Haydn, and he admired it. A note he wrote to Griesinger in 1822 expressing his appreciation is preserved.
In 1823, Griesinger helped Beethoven find aristocratic patronage for the Missa Solemnis
.
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
and Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
, and for the biography he wrote of Haydn.
Early life and career
He was born in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
on 8 January 1769. His father was Georg Christoph Griesinger (1734/5 - 1782), who was a lawyer and civil servant. He grew up in Stuttgart and attended university, studying theology, in Tübingen. He later worked as a tutor in an aristocratic home in Morges
Morges
Morges is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Vaud, located in the district of Morges and is also the seat of the district.-History:...
, Switzerland. In 1799, he moved to Vienna, in order to work as the tutor of the son of Count Johann Hilmar Adolph Schönfeld, the ambassador of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
to the Austrian Empire. He remained in Vienna for the rest of his life, but changed careers there in 1804, becoming a diplomat at the Saxon embassy. He first held the rank of secretary, then counsellor and finally (1831) chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
.
Relations with Haydn
In Saxony Griesinger had become acquainted with Gottfried Härtel, head of the LeipzigLeipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
publishing firm of Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
. When he moved to Vienna, the firm asked him to help negotiate a publishing agreement with Joseph Haydn. These negotiations were fully successful, and resulted in Breitkopf & Härtel producing a "complete works" edition of Haydn's compositions. Griesinger became Haydn's friend, and often visited him after his efforts were no longer needed for business reasons.
Haydn biography
Griesinger eventually conceived the idea of writing a biography of Haydn, and when he came home from his visits to the composer, he wrote down the words he remembered, in hopes of increasing the accuracy of his work. The book appeared first as a sequence of eight installments in the Breitkopf & Härtel journal Allgemeine musikalische ZeitungAllgemeine musikalische Zeitung
The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung was a German-language periodical published in the 19th century. Comini has called it "the foremost German-language musical periodical of its time"...
, then, after revisions, as an independent work in 1810 (Biographische Notizen über Joseph Haydn, Leipzig).
Particularly in comparison to work of other Haydn biographers of the same time (e.g. Giuseppe Carpani
Giuseppe Carpani
Giuseppe Carpani was an Italian poet and writer born at Vill'albese, in Brianza .His father wanted him to study law, which he did in Milan and Padua, but after practicing briefly in Milan, he instead followed artistic pursuits...
and Albert Christoph Dies
Albert Christoph Dies
-As painter:He was born at Hanover , and began his studies there. For one year he studied in the academy of Düsseldorf, and then he started at the age of twenty with thirty ducats in his pocket for Rome, studying briefly on the way in Mannheim and Basel. In Rome he lived a frugal life till 1796;...
), Griesinger's stands out for its careful writing, thoughtfulness, care with facts, and reluctance to embellish. Haydn scholar Vernon Gotwals considered it a clear first choice among the early biographies for obtaining facts about Haydn's life.
The letters that Griesinger sent to Breitkopf & Härtel also serve as a valuable source for the lives of both Haydn and Beethoven.
Relations with Beethoven
In 1802 the Breitkopf & Härtel asked Griesinger to negotiate for them with the newly-prominent composer Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
. As with the earlier Haydn negotiations, these were successful and led to a long-term friendship between Griesinger and Beethoven.
The relationship between Beethoven and Breitkopf & Härtel began not at all smoothly. Beethoven offered the firm his String Quintet in C
String Quintet, Op. 29 (Beethoven)
The String Quintet, Op. 29 in C major composed by Ludwig van Beethoven was first published in 1801. This work is a "viola quintet" in that it is scored for string quartet and an extra viola . As the String Quintet, Op. 4 is an extensively reworked arrangement of the earlier Octet for Winds, Op....
, published by Breitkopf & Härtel in 1802 as Opus 29. However, to Breitkopf & Härtel's surprise, the rival publishing firm of Artaria
Artaria
Artaria and company was one of the most important music publishing firms of the late 18th and 19th century. Founded in the 18th century in Vienna, the company is associated with many leading names of the classical era.- History :...
also issued an edition of this work, which would have reduced Breitkopf & Härtel's profits from it. Gottfried Härtel initially felt that Beethoven was responsible for this, and there was acrimonious correspondence between the two. Beethoven's brother Kaspar
Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven
Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven is remembered to history as the brother of the celebrated composer Ludwig van Beethoven.-Youth:...
urged the company to bring in Griesinger onto the case, knowing that Beethoven liked and trusted him. On intervening, Griesinger wrote to the firm, insisting that Beethoven "is a man devoid of duplicity and deceit." The dispute was resolved. Beethoven later published with the firm again, and during the years 1809-1812 they were his primary publishers, with Griesinger again serving as intermediary.
Beethoven at one point read Griesinger's biography of Haydn, and he admired it. A note he wrote to Griesinger in 1822 expressing his appreciation is preserved.
In 1823, Griesinger helped Beethoven find aristocratic patronage for the Missa Solemnis
Missa Solemnis
Missa Solemnis is Latin for solemn mass, and is a name which has been applied to a number of musical settings of the mass, especially particularly serious or large-scale ones.The following are notable examples:...
.