Andre, Johann

1741-1799

First of an extensive German musical family. His father was at the head of a large silk factory at Offenbach, which he expected his son to carry on but the son taught himself music and, in 1765, his first comic opera, Der Topfer (The Potter), was produced. In 1777, Andre went to Berlin as director of music for the Dobbelin Theatre, but as he could not give enough attention to his factory, to which he had added a music printing office, he returned to Offenbach, where he resided until his death in 1799. Beside composing thirty operas, many instrumental pieces and a great number of songs, Andre published over twelve hundred musical works in his famous music-publishing house, which was carried on after his death by his third son, Johann Anton Andre.