Gassmann, Florian Leopold

(b Brx [now Most], 3 May 1729; d Vienna, 20 Jan

1774). Bohemian composer. He may have been educated at the
Jesuit Gymnasium in Komotau (now Chomutov). The most reliable
biographical sources name the regens chori at Brx, Johann
Woborschil (or Jan Voboil), as his teacher in singing, the violin
and the harp. Against his fathers wish he decided to make music
his profession and left home as a boy, making his way to Italy
where he may have studied with Padre Martini. No details of his
service under Count Leonardo Veneri in Venice are known. The
first datable musical event of Gassmanns life was the production
of his opera Merope at the Teatro S Mois, Venice, in Carnival
1757. His operatic success in Italy led to his being called to Vienna
as ballet composer and successor to Gluck (1763). During the
year of mourning on the death of Franz I (17656) the Viennese
theatres were closed, and Gassmann again visited Venice, where
his opera Achille in Sciro was produced at the Teatro S Giovanni
Grisostomo. On this trip he met Salieri and brought him back to
Vienna as a pupil. To the end of his life Salieri held Gassmann in
high esteem. In 1770 Gassmann wrote La contessina, his most
popular opera, for a meeting of Joseph II and Frederick the Great
in Mhrisch-Neustadt; earlier in the same year he had been to
Rome for the production of his opera Ezio.
Gassmann was the founder of the oldest Viennese musical
society, the Tonknstler-Societt, of which he was the first vicepresident. His oratorio La Betulia liberata was written for one of the
societys first public performances (29 March 1772). On 13 March
1772 he succeeded Georg von Reutter (ii) as Hofkapellmeister,
immediately beginning an important reorganization of the court
chapels personnel and library. Burney, who already knew some of
Gassmanns operas from productions in Italy, attended a
performance of I rovinati in Vienna in 1772, and he published
praise of the manuscript string quartets he brought back to
England. Gassmann died as a result of a fall from a carriage in
1774. Empress Maria Theresa was godmother to his second

daughter, born after his death.

Gassmanns music was generally highly regarded by such 18thcentury musicians as Burney, Gerber and Mozart; his operas were
quite popular, receiving performances in places as far apart as
Naples, Lisbon, Vienna and Copenhagen. Particularly in his two
most famous comic operas, Lamore artigiano and La contessina,
Gassmanns orchestra carries on the music in a continuous
fashion, directing the dramatic action strongly toward the
ensemble finale. In Vienna, his name was closely associated with
Glucks. Several writers mention the overriding importance of the
orchestra in Gassmanns operas. Although the characters and
situations in his librettos (many by Goldoni) are generally stock
types with links to the commedia dell'arte, Gassmann's music
imbues them with a dramatic vividness that is far from
conventional. His choices of tempo and metre, and the melodic
and rhythmic design of his themes, all aim to define character and
further the drama. In the early operas, Gassmann favoured
tuneful, italianate melodies with simple chordal accompaniments,
but the orchestra plays an increasingly important role in his later
work, contributing rhythmic and melodic figures that help to
delineate the dramatic action. The sinfonia of La casa di
campagna even provides a programmatic sketch of the opera's
plot. Gassmann's use of woodwind is especially varied and
resourceful, and the ritornellos in the da capo arias of his opere
serie are often extensive. Particularly in his ensembles, Gassmann
turned the relative formal freedom of opera buffa to dramatic
effect. He often used a multi-sectional ensemble finale, for
example, with sudden shifts of tempo, key and metre, to mark the
stages in a dramatic crescendo. He lavished particular care on the
large-scale planning of these dramatic climaxes; in L'amore
artigiano, for instance, the finales of all three acts are greatly
expanded from Goldoni's original libretto. In his memoirs, Salieri
describes his own first attempt at composing an opera, remarking
that he followed the procedures he had seen Gassmann employ;
in composing the first finale, he claims to have spent three hours
sketching the sequence of metres and keys before writing a single
note.

Apart from the operas and 24 of the concert symphonies,

Gassmanns works can be placed in only approximate
chronological order. From the distribution of the extant manuscript
copies it seems reasonable to assume that the trios come from his
Italian period. Kosch believed that Gassmann wrote most of the
church works during his first Viennese years. Most of the concert
symphonies seem to have been written in 1765 or later, and at
least some of the quartets and quintets are also late works.
Besides his operas, Gassmanns greatest achievements seem to
be among his symphonies; the chamber music appears to be in a
more conservative vein. The concert symphonies are divided
almost evenly between three- and four-movement works, of which
most of the three-movement ones are the earlier. In some respects
a distinctly original composer, Gassmann experimented in his
symphonies in a number of ways. His choice of keys sometimes
includes rare ones (A major, B minor), and one three-movement
symphony in D (h7) has a middle Andante in G minor. Gassmanns
experimental attitude also extended to formal designs; in a first
movement, the recapitulation often occurs in the subdominant or
relative minor. Among other instances of unconventional treatment,
examples can be found of a first-movement coda (h86), the
harmonic connection of one movement to the next (h3, 86, 157)
and a fugal first movement (h65). Five concert symphonies (and
the overture toAmore e Psiche), all written before 1770, have slow
introductions to their first movements.
Gassmanns lyric gift was considerable, as can be seen from ex.1,
the first theme of one of his late symphonies (h85), and the
similarity between the first theme of his Requiem (ex.2) to that of
Mozarts is close enough to be striking. In spite of his ability to
write memorable melodies, Gassmann often reduced the number
of themes in his expositions by means of thematic derivations,
including repetitions of a fragment of the primary theme (h153),
transposition with a new accompaniment (h137) or rhythmically
related motifs (h161). Although rhythmically Gassmanns early
works strongly reflect the influence of the Italian opera overture,
his later works exhibit more rhythmic planning. For example,

successive sections in the exposition of the first movement of h86

(1769) show a progressive increase in the proportion of
semiquavers, resulting in heightened rhythmic tension throughout
the exposition. It would perhaps be overstating the case to
characterize Gassmann as a brilliant orchestrator; but he was
consistently sensitive to the possibilities of the orchestral
ensemble, such as giving obbligato passages to the wind or lower
strings (as in h15) or dividing statement-and-answer ideas
between two instruments (h1).

Gassmanns two daughters, Maria Anna Fux (b Vienna,

1771; d Vienna, 27 Aug 1852) and (Maria) Therese Rosenbaum
(bVienna, 1 April 1774; d Vienna, 8 Sept 1837), studied music with
his protg, Salieri, and became opera singers of repute. Therese
was soprano soloist for the premire of Haydns Die Sieben letzen
Worte unseres Erlsers am Kreuze in 1797, and sang the Queen
of Night at the first Krntnertortheater production of Die
Zauberflte in 1801. She married Joseph Carl Rosenbaum (1770
1829), a secretary to Prince Esterhzy, in 1800.
WORKS
Edition: Florian Leopold Gassmann: Kirchenwerke, ed. F. Kosch, DT, lxxxiii, Jg. xlv
(1938/R) [K]

operas
Merope (os, 3, A. Zeno), Venice, S Mois, carn. 1757, music lost except ov. and 1
aria, I-MAav, S-Skma, US-Wc; ov. ed. in The Symphony 17201840, ser. B, x (New
York, 1981)
Issipile (os, 3, P. Metastasio), Venice, S Mois, carn. 1758, A-Wn; ov. ed. H.C.R.
Landon, Diletto musicale, no.28 (1966)
Gli uccellatori (dg, 3, C. Goldoni), Venice, S Mois, carn. 1759, Wn, I-Fc, P-La
Filosofia ed amore (dg, 3, Goldoni), Venice, S Mois, carn. 1760, A-Wn, I-Fc
Catone in Utica (os, 3, Metastasio), Venice, S Samuele, 29 April 1761, music lost
except 1 aria, D-Dl

Ezio (os, 3, Metastasio), Florence, Pergola, 1761; rev. Rome, Dame, carn. 1770, AWn
Un pazzo ne fa cento (dg, 3), Venice, S Mois, aut. 1762, A-Wn, DK-Kk
L'olimpiade (os, 3, Metastasio), Vienna, Krntnertor, 18 Oct 1764, A-Wn, I-Nc, USWc
Il trionfo damore (azione teatrale, 1, Metastasio), Vienna, Schnbrunn, 25 Jan
1765, D-Bsb, A-Wn
Achille in Sciro (os, 3, Metastasio), Venice, S Giovanni Grisostomo, spr.
1766, Wn,P-La, US-Wc
Il viaggiatore ridicolo (dg, 3, Goldoni), Vienna, Krntnertor, 25 May 1766, A-Wn, CZK, D-Bsb, W, DK-Kk, F-Pn, I-Nc
Lamore artigiano [Die Liebe unter den Handwerksleuten] (ob, 3, Goldoni), Vienna,
Burg, 26 April 1767, A-Wn, CZ-K, D-Bsb, Rtt, DK-Kk, H-Bn, I-Fc, Nc, P-La
Amore e Psiche (os, 3, M. Coltellini), Vienna, Burg, 5 Oct 1767, A-Wgm, Wn (facs.
in IOB lxxxvii, 1983), I-Nc
La notte critica [Die unruhige Nacht] (ob, 3, Goldoni), Vienna, Burg, 5 Jan 1768, AWgm*, Wn
Lopera seria (commedia per musica, 3, R. de Calzabigi/Metastasio), Vienna, Burg,
1769, Wn (facs. in IOB, lxxxix, 1982), P-La
La contessina [Die junge Grfin] (dg, 3, Coltellini, after Goldoni), Mhrisch-Neustadt,
3 Sept 1770, Wn, B-Bc, CZ-K, D-SWl, F-Pn, I-Fc, MOe, Nc, P-La; ed. in DT, xlii
xliv, Jg.xxi/1 (1914/R)
Il filosofo inamorato (dg, 3, Coltellini, after Goldoni: Filosofia ed amore), Vienna,
Burg, 1771, A-Wn
Le pescatrici (dg, 3, Goldoni), Vienna, Burg, 1771, Wn
Don Quischott von Mancia [Act 3] (commedia, 3, G.B. Lorenzi), Vienna, Burg, 1771
[Acts 1 and 2 by Paisiello]
I rovinati (commedia, 3, G.G. Boccherini), Vienna, Burg, 23 June 1772, Wn, IFc(inc.)
La casa di campagna (dg, 3, Boccherini), Vienna, Burg, 13 Feb 1773, A-Wn
Contribs. to: B. Galuppi: Il villano geloso; N. Piccinni: Le finte gemelle; P. Anfossi: Lo
sposo di tre e marito di nessuna; A. Sacchini: L'isola d'amore

other vocal
thematic catalogue of sacred music in Kosch, 1924

Sacred: La Betulia liberata (orat, Metastasio), Vienna, 29 March 1772, AWgm, Wn(facs. in IO, xxvi, 1987), H-Bn; 5 masses, incl. Missa S Cecilia, ed. in
MacIntyre, 2 Missa solemnis, Missa brevis, 34vv, orch, org, 1 in K; Requiem, inc.,
4vv, orch, org, K; 10 grads, 7 offs, some with insts, 2 in K; Stabat mater, 4vv, bc
(org), K; Vespers, double choir, orch, org; 5 settings of Ps cxii: Laudate pueri, 58vv,
orch; 2 ants, 4vv, insts, 1 in K; 3 hymns, 4vv, insts, 1 in K; 8 motets with orch; 12
other single works
Secular: Amore e Venere (cant., D. Volpi), 2vv, insts, A-Wgm (Vienna, 1768); Lamor
timido (cant., Metastasio), 1v, insts; other arias and single vocal works

instrumental
thematic catalogue in Hill, 1976 [H]

Orch: 33 syms., 1 ed. K. Geiringer (Vienna, 1933), 1 ed. L. Somfai, Musica rinata, xviii
(1970), 6 ed. in The Symphony 17201840, ser. B, x (New York, 1981); 27 op ovs.; fl
conc.; 6 orch minuets arr. from str qts; 3 sets of ballet music, 1 inc.; 12 other works known

only from incipits; 24 syms., 17659 (h216, 416, 616, 816), CZ-Bm (autographs),
copies in A-Wn, CZ-Bm, Pnm
Chbr: 10 wind qnts; 8 str qnts (h5016 pubd as op.2, 1772); 37 str qts (h4316 pubd as
op.1, 4412, 435, 4446 as op.2, 4516 pubd 1804), 1 ed. K. olc (Prague, 1957), 1 ed.
in MVH, xlv (1980), 3 ed. in RRMCE, xvi (1983); 26 fugues, str qt; 9 qts, fl/ob, str (h4816
pubd as op.1, 1769), 3 ed. MVH, xxvii (1971), 1 ed. H. Tttcher (Hamburg, 1962) and F.
Schroeder (Berlin, 1967), 2 ed. in RRMCE, xvi (1983); 37 str trios, 1 ed. E. Schenk,
Hausmusik, no.161, 1954 (= Diletto musicale, no.454, 1969), 2 ed. in HM, ccxlvii (1988),
3 ed. in RRMCE, xvi (1983); 12 fugues, str trio; 7 trios, fl, str, 6 ed. H. Albrecht, Organum,
xlv, xlviii, li, liii, lv, lviii (195057), 1 ed. F. Nagel, Hausmusik, no.156 (1977); wind trio ed.
K. Janetzky (Adliswil, 1982); 7 str duos; 16 arrs. for qnt; 5 other works; principal MS
sources: A-Sca, Wgm, Wn, CZ-Pnm, D-Bsb, Mbs, H-Bn, I-Mc, MOe, Vnm, S-Skma, USWc

BIBLIOGRAPHY
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ES (W. Bollert)
GerberL
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Gassmann (17291774) (diss., New York U., 1975)

G.R. Hill: A Thematic Catalog of the Instrumental Music of

Florian Leopold Gassmann (Hackensack, NJ, 1976)
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im 18. Jahrhundert (Wilhelmshaven, 1979), 27890
B.C. MacIntyre: The Viennese Concerted Mass of the Early
Classic Period: History, Analysis and Thematic
Catalogue (diss., CUNY, 1984)
D.C. Bradley: Judith, Maria Theresa, and Metastasio: a
Cultural Study Based on Two Oratorios (diss., Florida State
U., 1985)
M.J. Suderman: Florian Leopold Gassmann's Requiem: a
Critical Edition and Conductor's Analysis (DMA diss., U. of
Iowa,1990)
A. Sommer-Mathis: Tu felix Austria nube: Hochzeitsfeste der
Habsburger im 18. Jahrhundert (Vienna, 1994)
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1780 (New York, 1995)
GEORGE R. HILL (with JOSHUA KOSMAN)