Biography
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Born
1750
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Born In
Litoměřice, Ústecký kraj, Czech Republic
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Died
30 June 1792 (aged 42)
Antonio Rosetti (c. 1750–June 30, 1792, born Anton Rössler, changed to Italianate form by 1773) was a classical era composer and double bass player, and was a contemporary of Haydn and Mozart. Rosetti was born around 1750 in Litoměřice, Czechia, and was originally called Franz Anton Rösler. He is believed to have received early musical training from the Jesuits. In 1773 Rosetti left this native country and joined the Hofkapelle of Prince von Öttingen-Wallerstein, whom he served for sixteen years, before becoming Kapellmeister to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1789. In 1777, he married Rosina Neher, with whom he had three daughters. In 1781 he was granted leave to spend five months in Paris. Many of the finest ensembles in the city performed his works. Rosetti arranged for his music to be published, including a set of six symphonies published in 1782. He returned to his post, assured of recognition as an accomplished composer. He died only half a year after Mozart on June 30, 1792.
Rosetti wrote a great deal of music, including many symphonies, concertos and vocal works. He is perhaps best known today for his horn concertos, which Mozart scholar H. C. Robbins Landon suggests (in The Mozart Companion) may have been a model for Mozart's four horn concerti. Rosetti is also known for writing the Requiem(1776) which was played at a memorial for Mozart in December 1791.
There is difficulty in attributing some music to Rosetti, since there were a couple of other composers with similar names at the same time, including Franciscus Xaverius Antonius Rössler.
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