Wranitzky, Paul

Wranitzky, Paul, distinguished Bohemian violinist, conductor, and composer, brother of Anton Wranitzky; b. Neureisch, Moravia, Dec. 30, 1756; d. Vienna, Sept. 26, 1808. After studying in Moravia, he went in 1776 to Vienna, where he was a pupil of Joseph Martin Kraus and Haydn. Around 1785 he was named music director to Count Johann Nepomuk Esterházy; from about 1790 he served as director of the orchs. at the Court Theaters in Vienna. His opera Oberon, König der Elfen was given with excellent success in Vienna on Nov. 7,1789; other operas and Singspiels produced by him in Vienna were Rudolf von Felseck (Oct. 6,1792), Merkur, der Heurat-Stifter (Feb. 21,1793), Das Fest der Lazzaroni (Feb. 4, 1794), Die gute Mutter (May 11, 1795), Johanna von Montfaucon (Jan. 25, 1799), Der Schreiner (July 18, 1799), Das Mitgefühl (April 21, 1804), and Die Erkenntlichkeit (July 22, 1805). He also produced several successful ballets, wrote incidental music to plays, and composed a great deal of instrumental music, including 51 syms., 5 concertos for various instruments with orch., various quintets, over 80 string quartets, quartets for flute and strings, piano quartets, string trios, keyboard sonatas, and vocal works.

Bibliography

J. Pesková, Vranického Oberon a jeho vliv na rozvoj singspielu (W.’s Oberon and Its Influence on the Development of the Singspiel; diss., Univ. of Prague, 1955); M. Vysinova, Ke komorni tvorb Pavía Vranického (P. W.’s Chamber Works; diss., Univ. of Prague, 1969).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire