Randhartinger, Benedict

1802-1894

Austrian musician; born at Ruprechtshofen, Lower Austria; studied under Salieri in Vienna, where at the age of ten he was a soprano soloist in. the Court choir. During this period Schubert was his fellow-student and became his intimate friend. Randhartinger studied law, and was secretary to Count Szechenyi for ten years. In 1832 he became tenor singer in the Court choir, and twelve years later was appointed vice-chapelmaster to the court, succeeding Assmayer as chief chapelmaster in 1862. Four years later he retired. Randhartmger's own compositions number over six hundred, more than one hundred having been published. These include an opera, Konig Enzio; two symphonies; a quintet and two quartets; twenty masses; sixty motets; several hundred songs; nearly one hundred part-songs; music for piano. He also published a book of Greek liturgies, and a collection of Greek national songs.