Kapellmeister (pronounced [kəˈpɛlmaɪstər]) is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle (“choir”, “orchestra”, or originally, “chapel”) and Meister (“master”). Thus, the word was originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel. However, the term has evolved considerably in its meaning in response to changes in the musical profession.

Equivalent terms in other European languages: maestro di cappella (Italian), maître de chapelle (French), chapel master (English), kapelmeester (Dutch), mestre de capela (Portuguese), and maestro de capilla (Spanish).

Historical usage[link]

In German-speaking countries during the approximate period 1500-1800, the word Kapellmeister often designated the director of music for a monarch or nobleman. For English speakers, it is this sense of the term that is most often encountered, since it appears frequently in biographical writing about composers who worked in German-speaking countries.

A Kapellmeister position was a senior one and involved supervision of other musicians. Johann Sebastian Bach worked from 1717 to 1723 as Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Joseph Haydn worked for many years as Kapellmeister for the Eszterházy family, a high-ranking noble family of the Austrian Empire. George Frideric Handel served as Kapellmeister for George, Elector of Hanover (who eventually became George I of Great Britain).

A Kapellmeister might also be the director of music for a church. Thus, Georg Reutter was the Kapellmeister at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, where his young choristers included both Joseph and Michael Haydn.

Becoming a Kapellmeister was a mark of success for professional musicians of this time. For instance, Joseph Haydn once remarked that he was glad his father (a wheelwright) had lived long enough to see his son become a Kapellmeister.^[1]

By the end of the 18th century, many of the nobility had declined in their economic power relative to the newly prosperous middle class. Eventually, the maintenance of a Kapelle became too expensive for most nobles, which lead to a decline in the number of Kapellmeister positions. A well-known instance occurred in 1790, when Prince Anton Esterházy succeeded his father and dismissed almost all of the latter's extensive musical establishment.^[2] But as Jones (2009) points out, Esterházy was hardly alone in doing this; during this same period, "the steady decline in the number of orchestras supported by aristocratic families represented a ... change that affected all composers and their works."^[3] This was a difficult time for musicians, who needed to find new ways to support themselves. For instance, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) never worked as a Kapellmeister, but was supported by a mixture of noble patronage, publication, and concert income.

The case of Mozart[link]

Mozart never was a Kapellmeister in the sense given above. In 1787, he was given a paid position in the court of the Austrian Emperor, as Kammercompositeur ("chamber composer"), but authority in matters musical at the court was exercised primarily by Antonio Salieri. However, in reviews, diaries, and advertising, Mozart was commonly referred to as "(Herr) Kapellmeister Mozart". It seems that Mozart's prestige, along with the fact that he frequently appeared in public directing other musicians, led to the use of "Kapellmeister" as a term of respect.^[4]

In April 1791, Mozart did apply to become the Kapellmeister at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and was in fact designated by the City Council to take over this job following the death of the then-ailing incumbent, Leopold Hofmann. However, this never took place, since Mozart died (December 1791) before Hofmann did (1793).^[5]

Contemporary usage[link]

In contemporary German, the term “Kapellmeister” has become less common in favor of the term Dirigent (“conductor”). When used today, however, it designates the director or chief conductor of an orchestra or choir. It suggests involvement in orchestra or choir policy (for example, selecting repertoire, concert schedules, choosing guest conductors and so on) as well as conducting. In military settings it refers to a bandmaster.^[6] The music director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra traditionally holds the old-fashioned title Gewandhauskapellmeister.^[7][8] In other German opera houses, the term generally refers to a deputy conductor reporting to the Generalmusikdirektor (General Music Director, usually also the chief conductor). An opera company may have several Kapellmeisters, ranked as Erste Kapellmeister, Zweite Kapellmeister, etc.

Variant spellings capellmeister and capelle, to refer to the orchestra or choir,^[9] are sometimes encountered in English language works about composers who held the title.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Similar terms and equivalents[link]

The word Hofkapellmeister specified that the Kapellmeister worked at a nobleman's court (Hof); a Konzertmeister held a somewhat less senior position.^[14]

Composers who held the post of Kapellmeister[link]

(listed chronologically by date of birth)

• Arnold von Bruck (c. 1500–1554) was Kapellmeister in Vienna for Archduke Ferdinand from 1527 to 1545.
• Jacob Regnart (1540s – 1599) was Kapellmeister at Innsbruck from 1585 to about 1596.
• Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) was Kapellmeister at Wolfenbüttel from 1604.
• Heinrich Schuetz (1585–1673) was Kapellmeister to Johan Georg I, Elector of Saxony from 1619.
• Samuel Scheidt (1587–1653) was Kapellmeister to the Margrave of Brandenburg.
• Heinrich Ignaz Biber (1644–1704) was Kapellmeister in Salzburg from 1684.
• Georg Muffat (1653–1704) was Kapellmeister to the bishop of Passau from 1690 to his death.
• Agostino Steffani (1653–1728) was Kapellmeister from 1688 to 1698 at the court of Hanover.
• Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer (died 1746) was Kapellmeister to Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden from at least 1695.
• Johann Ludwig Bach (1677–1731), a second cousin of J. S. Bach, was Kapellmeister at Meiningen.
• Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) served as Kapellmeister for 16 years, starting in 1705, for the court of Count Erdmann II in Hamburg.
• Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729) held the position of Kapellmeister at the electoral Saxon court in Dresden from 1717 until his death.
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) worked from 1717 to 1723 as Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen.
• George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) served as Kapellmeister from 1710 to 1712 for George, Elector of Hanover.
• Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was maestro di cappella at St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome from 1715 to 1719.
• Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688–1758) was Kapellmeister from 1722 at Zerbst.
• Carlo Grua (ca. 1700–1773) was Kapellmeister at the court of Mannheim under the Electorship of Karl III Philip.
• Carl Heinrich Graun (1704–1759) was Kapellmeister starting in 1740 for Frederick II of Prussia (Frederick the Great)
• Giuseppe Bonno (1711–1788) was Kapellmeister to the Prince of Saxe-Hildburghausen in the 1750s and 1760s.
• Giacomo Matteo Ignazio Cirri (1711–1787) was Kapellmeister (Maestro di Cappella) in the Cathedral of Forlì, in Italy, from 1759.
• Ludwig van Beethoven (Lodewijk) (1712–1773), grandfather of the celebrated composer Ludwig van Beethoven, served as Kapellmeister in the Electoral court of Bonn.
• Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787) was Kapellmeister starting 1754 for Maria Theresa of Austria in Vienna.
• Niccolò Jommelli (1714–1774) served Duke Karl-Eugen of Württemberg in Stuttgart from 1753 to 1768.
• Giovanni Battista Cirri (1724–1808) was Kapellmeister (Maestro di Cappella) in the Cathedral of Forlì, in Italy: from 1780, with Ignazio Cirri; after his death, alone.
• Christian Cannabich (1731–1798), Kapellmeister of the legendary Mannheim court orchestra from 1774.
• Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) had two Kapellmeister positions: first, from (probably) 1757 to 1761 for Count Morzin, then from 1761 on for the Eszterházy family. (He was Vice-Kapellmeister from 1761 to 1766.)
• Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736–1809) was Kapellmeister at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
• Michael Haydn (1737–1806) was Kapellmeister at Großwardein and, starting in 1762, at Salzburg.
• Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799) was Kapellmeister to the Prince-Bishop of Breslau from 1770 to 1795.
• Andrea Luchesi (1741–1801) was the last Kapellmeister in the Electoral court of Bonn from 1774 to 1794.
• Antonio Salieri (1750–1825) was Royal and Imperial Kapellmeister to Joseph II of Austria from 1788 to 1824.
• Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792) was Kapellmeister (Ordinarie Capellmästere) in Stockholm at the court of king Gustav III of Sweden.
• Christian Kalkbrenner (1755–1806) was Kapellmeister of the Prussian Queen (1789) and since 1790 Kapellmeister of Prince Henry of Prussia at Rheinsberg castle.
• Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) was Kapellmeister at the Bresault theater (1804-1807) and Kapellmeister at Dresde for Count Heinrich Vitzthum (1816-1826).
• Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was Kapellmeister to Frederick Augustus II of Saxony.

See also[link]

• Cantor (church)
• Collegium Musicum

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Jones, David Wyn (2009) "Reception," in David Wyn Jones, ed., Oxford Composer Companions: Haydn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Deutsch, Otto Erich (1965) Mozart: A Documentary Biography. English translation by Eric Blom, Peter Branscombe, and Jeremy Noble. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1965.
• Griesinger, Georg August (1810) Biographical Notes Concerning Joseph Haydn. Leipzig: Breitkopf und Härtel. English translation by Vernon Gotwals, in Haydn: Two Contemporary Portraits, Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin Press.

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Sven Väth
Background information
Also known as	Astral Pilot, Barbarella
Born	(1964-10-26) 26 October 1964 (age 47) Obertshausen, Germany
Genres	Techno Trance Ambient techno House
Occupations	Disc jockey Record producer
Years active	1982–present
Labels	Cocoon Recordings Warner Bros. Records (1993–1996) Virgin/EMI Records
Website	http://www.cocoon.net/

Sven Väth (born 26 October 1964, Obertshausen, Germany) is a Frankfurt-based DJ who has produced an extensive range of work since his career began in 1982. From 1985, he was part of the band OFF (acronym for Organization for Fun) which released the hit "Electrica Salsa" in 1986. He was also one of the founders of trance music labels Harthouse and the now-defunct Eye Q,^[1] as well as being among the first DJs to play trance records. In 1995 Mixmag rated his album Accident in Paradise one of the top-50 dance albums of all time^[2]; although the title track is a fast techno piece, the rest is far more sedate, such as the track "Coda," which features merely a flute and a harpsichord.

Väth is also known as "RU Ready" and "Sam Vision". He has been a member of the groups 16 Bit, Astral Pilot, Barbarella, the Essence of Nature, Metal Master, Metal Masters, Mosaic, and Off. Today he is the owner of the Cocoon Music Event GmbH, which contains his Label, Cocoon Recordings. He is also a shareholder of the Cocoon Club in Frankfurt.

Sven Väth is mentioned in the song Hyper Hyper by German hard dance band Scooter.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Accident in Paradise (Eye Q, 1992) (Warner Bros. Records, 1993, U.S.)
• The Harlequin, the Robot, and the Ballet Dancer (Eye Q, 1994) (Warner Bros. Records, 1995, U.S.)
• Der Kalte Finger (Eye Q, 1996; collaboration with B-Zet)
• Fusion (Virgin Records, 1998)
• Six in the Mix (The Fusion Remix Collection '99) (Virgin Records, 1999)
• Contact (Ultra Records, 2000) (also released on Virgin Records)
• Retrospective 1990-1997 (single disc version) (WEA Records, 2000)
• Retrospective 1990-1997 (two disc version) (Club Culture, 2000) (also released on Warner Music in Japan)
• Fire (Virgin Records, 2002)
• Allan Gauch (Virgin Records 1997-2002)
• DC's Hand Picked Mix Tape
• Fire Works (remixes of tracks from Fire) (Virgin Records, 2003)
• Sound of The First Season (One Disc Version 2000)
• Sound of The Second Season (Two Disc Version 2001)
• Sound of The Third Season (One Disc Version 2002)
• Sound of The Fourth Season (Two Disc Version 2003)
• Sound of The Fifth Season (One Disc Version 2004)
• Sound of The Sixth Season (Two Disc Version 2005)
• Sound of The Seventh Season (Two Disc Version 2006)
• Sound of The Eighth Season (Two Disc Version 2007)
• Sound of The Ninth Season (Two Disc Version 2008)
• Sound of The Tenth Season (Two Disc Version 2009)
• Sound of The Eleventh Season (Two Disc Version 2010)
• Sound of The Twelfth Season (Two Disc Version 2011)

Singles[link]

• "L'Esperanza" #5 Hot Dance Club Play; #63 UK (1993)
• "Ritual of Life" (Eye Q, 1993)
• "Ballet-Fusion" (Eye Q, 1994)
• "Fusion - Scorpio's Movement" (Virgin Records, 1997)
• "Breakthrough" (Virgin Records, 1998)
• "Face It" (Virgin Records, 1998)
• "Omen A.M." (Virgin Records, 1998)
• "Schubdüse" (Virgin Records, 1998)
• "Sounds Control Your Mind" (Virgin Records, 1998)
• "Augenblick" (Virgin Records, 1999)
• "Dein Schweiss" (Virgin Records, 1999)
• "Discophon" (Virgin Records, 1999)
• "Barbarella" (remix) (Club Culture, 2000)
• "L'Esperanza" (remix) (Club Culture, 2000)
• "My Name is Barbarella" (Code Blue, 2000)
• "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (featuring Miss Kittin) / Design Music (Virgin Records, 2001)
• "Strahlemann Und Söhne" (remix) (Virgin Records, 2001)
• "Mind Games" (Virgin Records, 2002)
• "Set My Heart on Fire" (Virgin Records, 2002)
• "Komm" (Cocoon Recordings, 2005)
• "Spring Love" (Datapunk, 2006)
• "The Beauty and The Beast" (Cocoon Records 2008)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sven Väth

• Official Website
• Biography of Sven Väth at DJguide.nl
• Sven Väth discography at Discogs
• Sven Väth discography at MusicBrainz