Neefe, Christian Gottlob

1748-1798

 

Born at Chemnitz, Saxony; educated to be a lawyer, but gave up the study of law and devoted himself to music. He was one of Beethoven's teachers. He studied with J. A. Hiller, and in 1777 succeeded Hiller as conductor of the Seyler Society, a traveling orchestra. Later he was conductor of the Grossman-Hellmuth Society of Bonn, director of sacred and secular music at the court, and then accompanist and stage director of the Court Theatre. War interrupted his career and he was obliged to turn to something other than music for support. He died in Dessau, in 1798, where he had finally obtained the position of conductor of a theatre. Neefe wrote eight works for the stage, vaudevilles and operas; an ode; a Paternoster; a double concerto for piano, violin and orchestra; piano sonatas; variations; fantasias; songs and children's songs; and arranged and adapted many   operas. He also contributed to musical periodicals of the time and left his autobiography.