Florian Leopold Gassmann
About the composer
Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729-1774) was born in Brüx, nowadays Czechia. This is a German name of a Czech town named Most. The word “most” means “bridge” in Czech language and German name Brüx comes from this. (Mr. Pivonka from Czechia explained this to me). Soon after his education in a Jesuit convent, studying singing, violin and harp, he went to Italy, where he finished his studies in Bologna.
In 1963 he was asked to come to Vienna where he became Chamber-Musician for Joseph II and later, in 1772, director of the Court Chapel. In his compositions Gassmann mixed the neapolean style with German influences. Especially in opera buffa and sacred music, he is seen as the initiator of the classical viennese school.
About the Stabat Mater
| Date: | ca. 1765 |
| Performers: | Mixed choir and continuo |
| Length: | 12.09 minutes |
| Particulars: | The composition is divided into 4 parts. After a slow opening follow some faster parts, returning to a slow pace in the last part. The melodies are simple but effective, mostly in two-four time. The singing is strictly homophonic, with the exception of the final Amen. All in all, a very nice work. |
| Textual variations: | The "Analecta"-text is used, with two deviations: |
| Colour bar: |
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CD information
| CD : | Radio Österreich 1 ORF CD 092: Musik der Wiener Hofkapelle |
| About this CD: | Sacred works by composers who all worked with or for the Vienna Court Orchestra in the first half of the 18th century. |
| Orchestra: | cappella nova graz |
| Choir: | cappella nova graz |
| Conductor: | Otto Kargl |
| Other works: | Johann Joseph Fux: Laudate Dominum + Missa Pro Gratiarum Actione |
| Code: | 2003 GAS-01 |
