Seyfried, Ignaz Xavier Ritter von

1776-1841

German composer; most prolific, but not particularly original. He was born in Vienna, and studied piano with Mozart and Kozeluch, giving up the study of law, to take up composition with Albrechtsberger and von Winter. From 1797 he was chapelmaster at Schikaneder's Theatre, then at the New Theatre till 1828. He composed mostly operas, about sixty in all; melodramas; ballets; oratorios; masses; a requiem; motets; symphonies; quartets and piano-music, eyfried published Beethoven's exercises in Thorough-bass, Counterpoint and Composition, and edited a complete edition of his teacher, Albrechtsberger's theoretical works.