Biography
Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz (original name Jan Václav Antonín Stamic) (June 17, 1717 – March 27, 1757) was a Czech composer and violinist. Johann was the father of Carl Stamitz and Anton Stamitz, also composers.
Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz was born in Německý Brod on June 17, 1717. He was the third child born and the first to survive past infancy. He was baptized on June 19, 1717 and probably born a day or two before the baptism. His name appears in the registry as Jan Waczlaw Antonin Stamitz. The Stamitz family was very artistic as Johann's father, Antonin Ignac, was organist at the Dean's Church before becoming a merchant, landowner and town councilor. His three brothers were very artistic as well. Joseph Fantisek was a painter and Antonin Tadeas and Vaclav Jan were both musicians at some point in their lives. Stamitz received his first schooling in Nemecky Brod and his first musical instruction most likely came from his father. In 1728, he enrolled in the Jesuit gymnasium in Jihlava where he received training from the Jesuits of Bohemia, whose high standard of musical education spawned students were the premiere musicians in Europe.
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Stamitz spend the academic year 1734 - 1735 at the University of Prague. After only one year, he left the university to pursue a career as a violin virtuoso. The six year period between Stamitz' departure from the university in 1735 and the time he was employed in Mannheim around 1741 is ambiguous.
Stamitz was appointed by the Mannheim court either in 1741 or 1742. Most likely, his engagement at Mannheim resulted from contacts made during the Bohemian campaign and coronation of Carl Albert (Carl VII), a close ally the Elector Palatine. In January 1742 Stamitz performed at Mannheim as part of the festivities surrounding the marriage of Carl Theodor, who succeeded his uncle Carl Philipp as Elector Palatine less than a year later; Carl Albert of Bavaria was a guest at the wedding.
At Mannheim, Stamitz advanced rapidly, becoming the “Erster Hoff Voilinist” or First Court violinist in 1743. He was granted an increase of salary by 200 gulden, therefore upping him to 900 gulden, the most of any instrumentalist at Mannheim. In 1745 or 1746, he was given the title Concertmeister. The academies, which featured the Mannheim school and the Mannheim orchestra, were the primary responsibility of the Concertmeister and Stamitz was required to prepare and conduct the performance, perform concertos, and provide orchestral compositions of his own. On Feb 27, 1750, he was named the instrumental music director. Stamitz’s other duties and responsibilities included supervision and performance of chamber music and performance in the orchestra for certain operas, ballet productions, balls, and church services.
Stamitz was married on July 1, 1744 to Maria Antonia Luneborn. They had five children together, Carl Phillip, Maria Francisco, Anton Thadaus Nepomuk, and two children who died in infancy.
Probably around late summer of 1754, Stamitz took a year long journey to Paris, appearing there for the first time at a Concert Spirituel of September 8 1754. Stamitz success in Paris induced him to publish his Orchestral Trios, Op. 1, and possibly other publications with various Parisian publishers.
Stamitz probably returned to Mannheim around the autumn of 1755, dying there less than two years later at the age of 39. The entry of his death reads:
“ (March 30, 1757. Buried, Jo’es Stainmiz, director of court music, so expert in his art that his equal will hardly be found. Rite provided) ”
Because at least five other musicians of the 18th century bore the surname Stamitz, including four from Johann’s immediate family, any attempt to catalog Stamitz’s works is risky at best, principally in view of the many variations in spelling. Actually, few difficulties arise in distinguishing between works by Johann Stamitz and those of his sons Carl and Anton. By contrast, the relationship of the names ‘Steinmetz’ and ‘Stamitz’ has caused substantial confusion, as at least two other musicians called ‘Steinmetz’ lived in the 18th century.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.