Josef Woelfl, a native of Salzburg, though less known today, enjoyed a reputation during his lifetime and posthumously comparable to that of his compatriots Mozart and Haydn. Considering his achievements, he must be counted among the important composers, especially in the genre of piano music, who should not be forgotten.

It can be said that Woelfl's musical experience up to his youth was indebted to his birthplace, Salzburg. This is because, during his time in Salzburg, he had the opportunity to receive education in various musical fields from excellent local musicians. He received violin and piano lessons from the Mozart family—interestingly, not only from Leopold and Wolfgang but also from Mozart's sister, Nannerl—and established a truly intimate relationship with the family. From 1783, he joined the Kapellhaus orchestra of Salzburg Cathedral, gaining choral experience, and acquired excellent teachers in addition to Leopold Mozart: Michael Haydn. This luxurious environment for musical acquisition became the fertile ground that bore much fruit for Woelfl's later career as a performer and composer.

His connection with Mozart yielded valuable results for Woelfl soon after his arrival in Vienna in 1790. This event, which also testifies to Wolfgang's trust in Woelfl as a musician, led to Woelfl becoming the piano teacher for Prince Michał Kleofas Ogiński (1765-1833) in Warsaw, at Mozart's recommendation. Thus, soon after leaving his hometown, he established his reputation in Warsaw. Even after returning to Vienna following the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, he steadily progressed as a pianist and composer. His prowess as a performer is evidenced by a piano competition held in 1798. Although he finished as runner-up, Woelfl demonstrated performance ability and improvisational skill comparable to Beethoven.

After concert tours to Germany, Bohemia, and Paris from 1799 to 1801, he moved to London in 1805, which would become his permanent residence. Here, Woelfl taught piano to numerous pupils who would later support the development of British piano history. The significance of his influence can be gauged from the fact that he is considered the founder of the British piano school. Woelfl passed away in 1812 at the age of 39, just seven years after his arrival. That he had already garnered much respect and recognition in London during his lifetime is conveyed not only by contemporary critical articles but also by the high regard his pupils held for their teacher.

Performance and Compositional Activities

Woelfl's activities as a musician extended beyond the genre of piano works, where he distinguished himself as a performer, to encompass a wide range of genres. Observing the scope of his activities, one senses how crucial the musical education he received during his Salzburg period was as a foundation for him. His mastery of the violin likely held great significance for his chamber music for string instruments, and his participation in the cathedral choir for his vocal compositions. Furthermore, his experience as a continuo player, entrusted to him by Leopold, is noted as having supported his stage works. However, here we shall focus on the genre of piano music, which can be considered central both from the perspective of the composer's activities during his lifetime and from a music-historical standpoint.

As a pianist, Woelfl was said to possess outstanding performance techniques, such as the clear touch and brilliant passages inherited as a pupil of Mozart, and excelled in improvisation, which was likely one of the proofs of a virtuoso's ability at the time. It is largely due to these performance techniques that he gained the admiration of his contemporaries soon after leaving his hometown. On the other hand, the reasons Woelfl was respected by later generations likely extend beyond mere technical skill. It is largely thought to be due to the fact that Woelfl did not remain a mere virtuoso but established his own style and dedicated himself to teaching pupils. Among those he tutored was Ph. Cipriani H. Potter, who would later become the director of the Royal Academy of Music in England. Furthermore, Woelfl is said to have served as a model for Liszt and Mendelssohn, who composed many representative piano works of the 19th century. Merely looking at these figures reveals the magnitude of Woelfl's contributions to the development of piano music.

As mentioned, Woelfl also employed advanced techniques in his playing. These include the free use of the left hand and the so-called “Woelfl jump,” a technique that continues in Britain to this day. This is considered a technique that connects to Liszt's famous La Campanella, making it a noteworthy point. Turning to his piano teaching, he is said to have adopted highly progressive methods in his teaching activities in London. Woelfl was devoted to J. S. Bach, which is evident in his compositional style and his use of The Well-Tempered Clavier in lessons (though using The Well-Tempered Clavier in lessons itself was not uncommon). Perhaps due to the depth of his respect, it is reported that he required all his pupils to memorize the entire Well-Tempered Clavier. Furthermore, according to his pupil Charles Neate, Woelfl was the first piano teacher in England to incorporate the teaching of musical form into his instruction. Among Woelfl's pedagogical works for piano is Op. 56, Méthode de Pianoforte.