Josef Myslivecek
|
|
Josef Mysliveček (March 9, 1737 - February 4, 1781) was a Czech composer.
He was born in Prague, one of twins, and studied philosophy at the university there before following in the footsteps of his father to become a miller. He later gave this up in favour of music, going to Venice in the 1760s to study with Giovanni Pescetti. He eventually settled in Italy, where he was known as Il divino Boemo.
His first opera was performed at Bergamo around 1765. Shortly afterwards, his Il Bellerofonte was a great success in Naples, and led to a number of commissions from Italian theatres. He met the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Bologna in 1770. Similarities in their musical styles have often been noted. Mozart went on to write approvingly of Myslivecek in letters.
Myslivecek's fame spread outside Italy: a number of his works were performed in Munich in the 1770s. His final operas were unsuccessful, however. He died impoverished of syphilis in Rome having written over twenty opera serie in all including Idomeneo, Abramo et Isacco, Il Bellerofonte as well as oratorios, symphonies, concerti, chamber music and other works.
He is often described as the father of Czech opera but his style was very much that of the Italianate opera seria.de:Josef Mysliveček