Spindler, Fritz

1817-

 

Pianist and very prolific composer; born at Wurzbach, near Lobenstein. He inherited his love of music from his father, a musical amateur, and received his first instruction from Cantor Wilhelm Joch, who taught him to play organ, piano and violin. He took up theology, but soon gave it up to study music, becoming the pupil of Friedrich Schneider at Dessau in 1835. In 1841 he settled in Dresden, where he has since lived, a successful teacher and composer. His published compositions number almost three hundred and fifty, most of them being chamber-pieces of brilliant and popular character. He has also written much pedagogical music and some piano compositions of serious character; a concerto in D minor for piano and orchestra; a piano quartet; two symphonies; piano trios; a quintet for piano, oboe, bassoon, clarinet and horn; a sonata for piano and horn; and a number of instructive sonatas for two and four hands.