The Anonymous Author's Obituary "Wanhall"
Johann Wanhall, who was descended from a noble family (van Halle) in Brabant, was born of well-to-do parents on 10 May 1739 in the little market town of Neu-Nechanicz in the Königgrätzer sector of Bohemia; he received his first instruction in the school there, and from the age of eight he received instruction in singing and playing several string and wind instruments. He was endowed with an excellent soprano voice which then changed to a beautiful bass. At the beginning he showed only a little ability to play the clavier. But the suggestions of his father so fired the ambition of the nine year old boy that in a few months he advanced so far that he learned to play the organ. His parents sent him to Marscherdorf so that he could learn the German language. There he was instructed by a succession of music teachers. A certain Anton Erban was so helpful in instructing him in General-bass that he soon was able to perform the organ for masses. Also he advanced so far in playing the violin that he was considered a virtuoso. Everyone was astounded at the rapid progress he made in so many different branches of music.
At the age of seventeen he departed from his parent’s home and chose Opocžna (a community in the Königgrätz section, belonging to the lands of the Colloredo family) as the goal of his first vocational journey [Wanderung] where he sought the post of "helper-assistant" to the regens chori; it was granted to him after he took part in a examination wherein he sightread a mass. His stay there was, however, very short and he returned to his father’s house. Here during a musical performance at the castle he attracted the attention of Novak, the Dechant of Nievczowes, who immediately hired him as choirmaster. He supported himself in this way for some years and he seized the opportunity in his leisure hours to practice diligently on the viole d’amour. The aforementioned Dechant, himself a composer and excellent player (of the viol d’amour) provided cassations which Wanhall performed on that charming instrument to the delight of the Countess [Colloredo]. She decided to take him with her household when they returned home. They stopped in Vienna at the home of the Count’s sister, the wife of the Portuguese ambassador Frera, and Wanhal remained there when they continued their homeward journey.
In Vienna, at approximately twenty-four years of age, he began his career as composer. He wrote cassations (at that time a very popular [gangbar] genre of instrumental music, symphonies, concertos, and among other things, a six-voice cantata with chorus. He took part in all the performances of his compositions; in this way the young composer [Tonsetzer], who, furthermore, was a very attractive, well-behaved man, soon was known and loved throughout all the great city of Vienna.
When Leopold Mozart, with his child prodigy the later recognized great Wolfgang Amadeus, came to Vienna, [Wanhal] once performed with him at a private concert an improvised four-hand Phantasie at the Pianoforte, and was one of the first, who prophesied that the little virtuoso, who made no mistakes, would in the future be a great man.
Among the many musical friends, who were attracted to Wanhall, especially Count Erdödy, and Baron Riesch should be noticed, who alternately invited him to their homes so that he could conduct [zu dirigieren] his symphonies. The latter [Baron Riesch], had his Scolaren, the Baron Elsnitz, deliver a proposal whether he [Wanhal] might be interested to go on a artistic journey, for which the Baron would help with active support [thätige Unterstützung behülflich seyn wolle]. With delight he accepted the generous offer [grossmüthige Erbiethen] of the generous Baron Riesch who immediately tendered to him 2,000 fl. [gulden] cash, and furthermore promised to send him as much as subsequent circumstances might require.
So, armed with letters of introduction from Cardinal Migazzi to all the cities of Italy, Wanhall departed Vienna in May, just at the time of the election of Pope Ganganelli, and traveled first to Venice where he spent a year in the company of his countryman Gluck. Here he learned the Italian and also the French languages, wrote several Italian songs and made a good impression on everyone. Leonardo Venieri, a great patron of music, asked Wanhall, whom he had invited to dinner, for some tobacco; Wanhall excused himself saying that he did not bring his tobacco-box with him. Immediately his [Venieri’s] chamber-servant was told to bring a gold-enameled box and to give it to Wanhall. On the next day, when Wanhall sought to return the box, Venieri refused to accept it with the expression: Quel che un Cavaliere veneziano offre una volta, resta offerto. (What a Venetian nobleman once offers, he never takes back).
From Venice Wanhall traveled to Bologna, where he arrived on the same day as Kaiser Joseph [who was traveling through Italy]. He [Wanhal] was frequently invited to be a guest of Field Marshal Palavicini, and there enjoyed the good fortune to speak at some length with the Kaiser upon his return from Naples.
From Bologna he went to Florence and from there to Rome where he remained for five months. During this time he composed the two operas Il trionfo di Clelia and Demofonte (texts by Metastasio). During the same time he was several times able to help his fellow Bohemian countryman, Gassmann. The latter was living in Rome and was hard pressed to fulfill the demand for his compositions.12 With the latter he [Wanhal] returned, after an almost two year stay in the home of the musical art, to Vienna. He would have preferred to have visited and spent some time in Naples. But most important for him was not to abuse the good will of his patron, the Baron, who impatiently awaited his return. The Baron released his beloved Wanhall (only now returned from his long wanderings) from the requirement that he repay the 2000 fl. travel advance as though it had been from the outset a gift, and that he would only have to repay the money which had thereafter been sent to him from time to time. And, furthermore, the Baron also accepted some of his compositions in lieu of cash payment.
At this time Wanhall was supposed to, as result of a contract he had made before going on his trip, go to Dresden where he was to assume the position of Kapellmeister for the highly-regarded Baron. However, at this time he was seized by his bigoted obsessions, which he previously had suffered only moderately, so badly that he was overwhelmed; his entire nature was shattered and his mind was distraught; only after a long time were the doctors able to heal him. In this condition of mania he had the strangest visions. One of them persuaded him to tear his clothes, cut his hair and throw into the fire a symphony and several other compositions which he had just completed, etc.
Upon his [Wanhal’s] recovery from this misfortune the Baron was induced to free Wanhall of his obligation to undertake the Kapellmeister’s position, and Wanhall now again found support in the family Erdödy. He wrote his quartets, which he produced on subscription (auf Pränumeration . . . herausgab) for 6 Dukats apiece, and in this manner he often received 300 and more Dukats. His most important work, however, from now on consisted of music for the church which he offered to his Creator as an offering in gratitude for his restored health.
His compositions consist of 25 masses, 3 requiems, (of which two were written for his parents), up to 100 symphonies, and an equal number of quartets and trios, and a still far greater number of sonatas, variations and the like; Wanhall himself could not give a precise number [wuste selbst nicht näher] of his pieces of church music, such as Offertories, Salve Reginas etc., just as with the number of concertos he had composed for the organ and almost all of the string and wind instruments. His restless activity did not cease even in the last period of his seventy-four year life. Four masses, which had been ordered from him, were completed just shortly before his death which occurred on 20 August 1813, after a sickness which lasted only 16 days.
Wanhall, the person, always enjoyed the sincerest [innigste] esteem of all who knew him. Strict principles [Rechtlichkeit], integrity [Biedersinn], true religion, which could be seen not merely in his conviction, but also in his multifarious beneficence, were the hallmarks of his character which, combined with a sincerity, unpretentiousness and an always cheerful nature [Gemüthstimmung], opened all hearts to him. As an artist his knowledge and his diligence were greater than his actual musical genius. In another period of time than the one in which he lived, his works might have appealed more to the taste of his contemporaries; so they were overshadowed by the inspired products of the greatest composers there ever were, by Gluck’s, Haydn’s, Mozart’s in all categories. [The best among his works] are his church works in whose style he preserved a fortunate skill and inventiveness; these were, however, little known to the general public because they were not published, but were the private property of individuals. His comprehensive theoretical knowledge and his acquaintance with the idiosyncracies of every instrument, especially the clavier, made him firstly dedicated to write practice pieces for young people to play on all instruments; and in this sphere his talent shaped an important epoch [machte sein Talent eine bedeutende Epoch]. As much of such music as he wrote for this purpose during his long life span, it still found a ready market, and he never had any difficulty finding publishers for such works and beyond this he found himself continuously pressed by them to provide such pieces. So Wanhall pursued his career according to his best judgement and passed into the next life with the joyful knowledge that he had been able to accomplish more than should have been expected from the talent which had been entrusted to him.
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