Franz Xaver Süssmayr facts for kids
.jpg)
Franz Xaver Süssmayr (born in 1766, died September 17, 1803) was an Austrian composer and conductor. A composer writes music, and a conductor leads a group of musicians, like an orchestra. Süssmayr was quite famous during his lifetime. Today, he is mostly remembered for finishing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's last piece of music, the Requiem. This was a very important job!
Süssmayr also wrote many other musical pieces. Some of his operas have been performed, and one of his special songs, called a cantata, was performed again in 2012 after more than 200 years. You can also find recordings of his unfinished clarinet concerto and some of his other religious music.
Musical Works
Franz Xaver Süssmayr created many different types of music during his life. He wrote pieces for churches, like masses and requiems, which are special musical services. He also wrote music for the stage, including operas and ballets.
Church Music
Süssmayr composed several pieces for church services. These include:
- Two masses (SmWV 101–102)
- Two requiems (SmWV 103–104)
- Seven offertories (SmWV 112–115, 117–119, 123, 125, 144–145, 156)
- A gradual (SmWV 143)
- Psalms
- A magnificat
- Hymns
Concertos and Other Pieces
One of his most interesting works is a clarinet concerto (SmWV 501). A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument, like a clarinet, and an orchestra. It is believed that Süssmayr wrote this concerto for Anton Stadler, who was a famous clarinet player and a friend of Mozart. This concerto was special because it was written for a "basset clarinet," which is a type of clarinet that can play lower notes.
Recordings of this clarinet concerto are available. Some recordings use a regular clarinet, while others use a reconstructed version for the basset clarinet. In 2021, a new completed version of the concerto was published, making it suitable for old-style basset clarinets.
Süssmayr also wrote other pieces, such as:
- Agonia e morte di Mozart (a fantasy piece for piano)
- Nicht mehr als sechs Schüsseln (SmWV 205)
Operas and Ballets
Süssmayr composed several operas, which are plays set to music. Some of his operas include:
- Moses oder der Auszug aus Ägypten (SmWV 209)
- Der Spiegel von Arkadien (SmWV 213)
- List und Zufall (SmWV 224)
He also contributed to ballets. A ballet is a story told through dance and music.
- Il noce di Benevento was a ballet by Salvatore Viganò that premiered in 1812. Süssmayr's music for this ballet later inspired another famous composer, Niccolò Paganini, to create his well-known piece Le Streghe (The Witches).
See also
In Spanish: Franz Xaver Süssmayr para niños
