Running head: ANTON DIABELLI

Anton Diabelli

Skyler Clark

Salt Lake City Community College Intro to Music 1010-011 D. Jack Dunn Thursdays, 7:00pm Term Paper A

ANTON DIABELLI

Skyler Clark Intro to Music 1010-011 D. Jack Dunn Term Paper A

(Anton Diabelli, 2013) Anton Diabelli Musical history is of itself colorful and vibrant. With many musicians born into different cultures, and eras, each was greatly influenced by their surroundings, but what is really spectacular is how these musicians influence the culture, and setting around them. Anton Diabelli is also one who left a mark in history. When not so noticeable as some of the musical geniuses and prodigies of his time such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert or Strauss, in his life, career, and compositions, what he left was influential enough to give a nudge to musical progression and history. A childhood in musical and religious training shaped the early years of his life. He then shaped the lives of others with his career, and many compositions, for this reason Diabelli is largely known today as a composer, rather than a publisher as he was, or even a guitarist or pianist as many of his more popular pieces were. It is interesting to note what changes in one persons personal life can influence other aspects of their lives. This is intriguing, because if that person has any influence on the world, or events, one small event in his life, can influence the lives of many. Diabelli was much like a common butterfly. A butterfly can cause a chain reaction just by being in the right place at the right time; largely unnoticed, but without it certain chains of events might never occur. Diabelli, like a butterfly, brought many important events to transpire.

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Austria in 1781 was a time and scene set for music. With Mozart being highly popular in the era, Bach having influenced music in preparation for the classical era, and Beethoven gaining steam in his own career, the birth of Anton Diabelli, could be called timely. He was born in Mattsee, near Salzburg Austria, on the fifth of September, right into the setting that would mold him to reach his potential as a pianist and artist. Diabellis life was always musical. He was very musically (Anton Diabelli, 2013) involved at a young age, singing in a boys choir at the Salzburg Cathedral. (Stevensen, 2008) Diabelli is reputed to have had musical training with Micheal Haydn while singing at the Cathedral. In 1800 he joined the monastery at Raitenhaslach Bavarian where he had, by the age of 19, composed several compositions of importance, including six masses. Diabelli would have likely remained at the monastery had the Bavaria not closed all monasteries in 1803 due to secularization. So we see how events and culture can shape the life of one, who will then shape the lives of others. (Anton Diabelli, 2013) Diabelli then traveled to Vienna where he continued his work. He made an arrangement to begin business with one Pietro Cappi, and his life began to change focus. Though he was now more of a publisher, he continued composing. After a few key successful business moves, Cappi & Diabelli became a popular publishing

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house. However the business success ended when Cappi had an argument with Franz Schubert in 1823, one of their most popular artists (Zehnder-Tischendorf, 2007). Diabelli then parted ways from Cappi to launch his own publishing house, Diabelli &Co, in 1824 (Anton Diabelli, 2013). After his former business partner Schuberts death, Diabelli purchased a majority of his musical estate from his brother Ferdinand, and published his new works until 30 years after Schuberts death. Diabelli retired in 1851, seeing much growth in his publishing house, and leaving it in the care of Carl Anton Spina. After Diabellis death in 1876, his legacy lived on, and his publishing house went on to publish music from famous composers Johann and Josef Strauss. His firm was eventually merged and the name was changed in 1875 when Friedrich Schreiber took over the company and merged the business with August Cranz, who then ran the house under his name. As a man largely responsible for the publication of composers Schubert, and Strauss, Diabelli had a lasting effect on the musical community of his time and music history today. Without himself producing any extravagant or widely known pieces, he was a vessel to carry popular music into the world, forever immortalizing himself as an enabler to genius. The effect Diabelli had on the world and on the musical community of his time, and even ours today, is hard to measure. Strauss and Schubert would have doubtless have found other publishing houses which would gladly have also produced their pieces, but would things have been the same? What would have been if Diabelli had stuck to composing and never became a publisher? History can only tell what has happened, but never what could have been. It is for this reason that Diabelli is a name in our history books, that he was influential. A career marked from influences of composers of the day, Diabelli produced many well known pieces, including an operetta, Adam in der Klemme, numerous masses, songs, guitar, and piano pieces. Most popular among his works today is likely his pieces for accompanied

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pieces. Some consider Diabellis worked to have even laid key stepping stones for classical jazz music. Diabellis composition Pleasures of Youth consisting of six Sonatinas, depicts a struggle between opposing forces. A classic example of bad versus good; the wicked notes played in the forte dynamic and the artist meant to portray meanness, and evoke a sense of evil. In contrast, the protagonist notes are piano and melodic, suggesting tranquility. The two sides seem to battle, striking back and forth as the piece progresses. (Ayyangar) However, the piece for which Diabelli is most well known was actually a marketing scheme he used while in business with Pietro Cappi. Diabelli composed a patriotic waltz, intending to publish as a collaboration to be known as Vaterlaendischer Kuenstlerverein. This tactic not only greatly helped his business, but influenced his life. Fifty-one Austrian Composers responded to his call to write variations on his waltz, to have the pieces included in the production. Among the contributors to the collection were Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart, Czerny, Hummel and even the eight year old Franz Liszt whose teacher, Czerny, was involved in the project. Beethoven was the man who contributed most, with not one, but thirty-three musical variations of Diabellis waltz. This was called by some Beethovens greatest burst of inspired creativity, and was only possible because of this opportunity given him by Diabelli. The works of one man are shown to have a possibly large influence on another and in this case, such a great influence that we have some of Beethovens best piano works in his Diabelli Variations. In no way did Diabelli only play a cameo role in musical history, but what he developed also may have had more influence on the world than is easily perceivable. You step to the right, then feet together, step back, then left and together again; this is the waltz. (Nair, 2011) Diabelli played not only a big role in musical but also in Dance history, as his waltz become popular worldwide. Beethoven with his magnificent 33 variations on Diabellis composition formed part

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one of the Vaterland collection, part two consisting of the other 50 composers. These variations constitute what are acclaimed to be some of Beethovens greatest piano pieces, and the greatest set of piano variations of the time. Without Diabellis marketing gimmick, these pieces would never have been possible. As a puppet master artfully pulling strings, Diabelli moved musical history just a little farther on its path, his compositions serving as inspirational, and influential. Diabelli was successful as businessman, a publisher and even a composer in his day. This is a rather impressive feat, given the attention spread among so many great composers in his time, especially in Austria. Particularly with composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and others already occupying so much space on the musical stage. As a composer, he did not shine forth as a prodigy of the day, his pieces not widely known, but often used by piano teachers and accompanists as musical training (Stoperul). (Click for video) Key events in his life, have led to key events in
history. His influence has given us some of the greatest piano pieces, by Beethoven, numerous arrangements by Schubert and Strauss from his publishing career, and has been influential in classical jazz music. His contributions may not be as big as Mozart, or Beethoven or other of his contemporaries in the day, but Anton Diabelli, definitely has had a role in music today.

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Bibliography
Anton Diabelli. (2013, January 30). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Diabelli#cite_note-AllMusic.com-1 Ayyangar. (n.d.). Rondo (Pleasures of Youth). Retrieved from Youtube.com. Nair, T. (2011, 09 23). Waltz Dance History. Retrieved from buzzle.com: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/waltz-dance-history.html Stevensen, J. (2008). Anton Diabelli - Musical Biography. Retrieved from allmusic.com: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/anton-diabelli-mn0001199468 Stoperul. (n.d.). Sonatine 1. rondo Op168 Diabelli- Andrea M. Cicireaga. Retrieved from youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFk3VqlTRPI Zehnder-Tischendorf, K. (2007, December 13). CD Composers. Retrieved from Leonarda: http://www.leonarda.com/composers/comp356.html