Joseph Burgksteiner (1730-1797) - Divertimento in A-Dur

★ Follow music ► Composer: Joseph Burgksteiner (1730-1797) Work: Divertimento in A-Dur Performers: János Liebener (1923-2015, baryton); Hans Pischner (1914-2016, cembalo) Painting: Unknown author (after Abraham Bosse) - Hearing and Sight HD image: Further info: Listen free: No available --- Joseph Burgksteiner (Austria, 1730 - 1797) Austrian singer, violist and composer. Almost nothing is known about his early years. In 1766 he assumed a post of bass singer at the Eszterháza castle. The same year he presumably was an all-rounder string player (violin and viola) who worked under the Esterhazy’s konzertmeister Tomasini, who was appointed just five years before. The nature of the compositions, simpler than those of Jopseh Haydn and Karl Franz, point to him perhaps being a violinist at heart who wrote trios the top line of which could be played by the Prince Nikolaus I Esterhazy, the only barytonist at the time. One gets the strong impression that a bunch of court instrumentalists, Tomasini on violin, Karl Franz on horn and Burgksteiner on violin/viola, all jumped on the bandwagon of baryton composing (along with Haydn) at the same time, with Karl Franz probably the fastest learner or the most adept.