Hummel, Johann Nepomuk 1778 - 1837
Author: Miyamoto, Yumi
Last updated：May 1, 2007
Author: Miyamoto, Yumi
Austrian pianist, composer, teacher, and conductor. During his lifetime, he was regarded as one of Europe's greatest composers and arguably its finest pianist.
He was a child prodigy, reading music at age 4, playing the violin at 5, and the piano at 6. At age 8, he moved to Vienna and studied piano with Mozart.
In 1788, he parted ways with Mozart and embarked on a long concert tour with his father. The father and son traveled through Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Göttingen, Kassel, Hanover, Celle, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Copenhagen, Odense, and other cities, living in England from 1790.
Due to the turmoil following the French Revolution, he abandoned plans to visit France and returned to Vienna in 1793 via the Netherlands and Germany. He studied counterpoint with Albrechtsberger, and Salieri vocal composition, aesthetics, and music philosophy with Salieri. In 1795, he studied organ with Haydn. During this period, he also met Beethoven.
From 1804, he served as Kapellmeister to Prince Esterházy in Eisenstadt. In 1811, he returned to Vienna and became active as a composer, later resuming his activities as a pianist and gaining fame through concert tours in Germany. Seeking financial stability, he successively held positions as Kapellmeister in Stuttgart and Weimar. In Weimar, he received favorable treatment and also met Goethe.
In the 1820s, he performed in Russia and Poland, entering his busiest period as a pianist, teacher, and composer, but his fame declined in the 1830s. He died in Weimar in 1837. In Vienna, Hummel's death was mourned, and Mozart's Requiem was performed.
Works(108)
Concerto (4)
concerto (9)
Konzert für Klavier, Violine und Orchester Op.17
Key: G-Dur Composed in: 1805 Playing time: 32 min 10 sec
rondo (4)
Le retour à [de] Londres, rondo brillant Op.127
Key: F-Dur Composed in: 1830 Playing time: 14 min 50 sec
variation (2)
Piano Solo (18)
sonata (7)
rondo (7)
pieces (9)
etude (3)
fantasy (6)
Fantasina on themes from Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro Op.124
Key: C-Dur Composed in: 1833 Playing time: 5 min 30 sec
variation (21)
Variations on march from Dalayrac: Lex deux petits Savoyards Op.15
Key: a-moll Playing time: 17 min 10 sec
caprice (2)
character pieces (3)
Various works (11)
Piano Ensemble (5)
sonata (2)
pieces (1)
Chamber Music (3)
sonata (2)