Jahns, Friedrich Wilhelm

1809-1888

German writer, singer, composer and pianist. Born and died at Berlin. Took vocal lessons from Stumer and Grell, and piano and theory from Detroit and Horzizky. He was chorusboy at the Royal Opera, and took up concert-singing, in which he achieved great success. He was also highly esteemed as a vocal teacher, having nearly a thousand pupils during his career. He was the founder of a singing society, 1845, which he he conducted until 1870. Meanwhile, in 1849, he became music-director for the King; then professor, and later taught rhetoric in Scharwenka's Conservatory. His most important work is the catalogue of Weber's works with all available information on the manuscripts, autograph letters and many other interesting papers. This exhaustive work was a labor of love with Jahns, who was an ardent admirer of Weber. Carl Maria von Weber in seinen Werken, as it was called, came out in 1871, and a biographical sketch appeared later. Jahns arranged much piano-music, and composed a trio for that instrument and strings; a grand sonata, for piano and violin; marches; and other piano pieces; also vocal compositions to the number of one hundred and fifty.