LÖhlein, Georg Simon

LÖhlein, Georg Simon, German music theorist and composer; b. Neustadt an der Heide, near Coburg (baptized), July 16, 1725; d. Danzig, Dec. 16, 1781. On account of his tall stature (6 feet, 2 inches), he was seized on a journey and forced into the Prussian Guard when he was 16; he was stationed at Potsdam and served at the palace of Frederick the Great. He was severely wounded at the battle of Collin (1757) during the Seven Years’ War, but recovered. He then studied at the Univ. of Jena (1760), where he was made director of its Academy Concerts and principal of the Collegium Musicum (1761); subsequently studied philosophy, ethics, and poetry at the Univ. of Leipzig (1763), and also received instruction in music from J.A. Hiller. He served as music director of the Grosses Konzert there. He became Kapellmeister at Danzig’s Marienkirche (1781), but suffered from the rigors of the climate, and died a few months after his arrival. Löhlein wrote a Singspiel, Zemire und Azov (Leipzig, 1775), several instrumental concertos, chamber music, etc., but he became known mainly through his pedagogical work, Clavier-Schule (2 vols., Leipzig and Züllichau, 1765 and 1781; many subsequent eds.). He also publ. Anweisung zum Violinspielen...mit 24 kleinen Duetten erläutert (Leipzig and Züllichau, 1774; 3^rd ed., aug., 1797 by J. Reichardt).

Bibliography

F. von Glasenapp, G.S. L.(Halle, 1937).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire