Johann Joseph Fux
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Johann Joseph Fux (; – 13 February 1741) was an Austrian composer,
music theorist Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...
and
pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as ...
of the late
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
era. His most enduring work is not a musical composition but his treatise on
counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
, ''
Gradus ad Parnassum The Latin phrase ''gradus ad Parnassum'' means "steps to Parnassus". It is sometimes shortened to ''gradus''. The name ''Parnassus'' was used to denote the loftiest part of a mountain range in central Greece, a few kilometres north of Delphi, of wh ...
'', which has become the single most influential book on the Palestrinian style of
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
polyphony Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
.


Life

Fux's exact date of birth is unknown. He was born to a peasant family in Hirtenfeld,
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
, Austria. Relatively little is known about his early life, but likely he went to nearby
Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
for music lessons. In 1680 he was accepted at the Jesuit Ferdinandeum University there, where his musical talent became apparent. From 1685 until 1688 he served as organist at St. Moritz in
Ingolstadt Ingolstadt (, Austro-Bavarian: ) is an independent city on the Danube in Upper Bavaria with 139,553 inhabitants (as of June 30, 2022). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bav ...
. Sometime during this period he must have made a trip to Italy, as evidenced by the strong influence of Corelli and Bolognese composers on his work of the time. By the 1690s he was in Vienna, and attracted the attention of
Emperor Leopold I Leopold I (Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Franz Felician; hu, I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria An ...
with some masses he composed; the emperor was sufficiently impressed by them to assist him with his career after this point. In 1698, Leopold hired him as court composer. Fux traveled again to Italy, studying in Rome in 1700; it may have been here that he acquired the veneration for Palestrina which was so consequential for music pedagogy. Fux became the Hofkapellmeister (head musician of the Wiener Hofmusikkapelle) in 1715, along with
Antonio Caldara Antonio Caldara (ca 1670 – 28 December 1736) was an Italian Baroque composer. Life Caldara was born in Venice (exact date unknown), the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, ...
as his vice-Kapellmeister, and F.B. Conti as the court composer. Fux served Leopold I until the latter's death, and two more Habsburg emperors after that:
Joseph I Joseph I or Josef I may refer to: *Joseph I of Constantinople, Ecumenical Patriarch in 1266–1275 and 1282–1283 * Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (1678–1711) *Joseph I (Chaldean Patriarch) (reigned 1681–1696) *Joseph I of Portugal (1750–1777) ...
, and Charles VI, both of whom continued to employ him in high positions in the court. Fux was famous as a composer throughout this period, and stood out among his contemporaries as the highest ranking composer in the Holy Roman Empire. However, this renown gradually became eclipsed later in the 18th century as the Baroque style died out. Although his music until recently never regained favor, his mastery of counterpoint influenced countless composers through his treatise ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' (1725).
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
largely taught himself counterpoint by reading it and recommended it to the young
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
.
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
had a copy of it that he annotated.


''Gradus ad Parnassum''

The ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' (Steps or Ascent to Mount Parnassus) is a theoretical and pedagogical work written by Fux in Latin in 1725, and translated into German by
Lorenz Christoph Mizler Lorenz Christoph Mizler von Kolof (also known as Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof and Mitzler de Koloff; 26 July 1711 – 8 May 1778) was a German physician, historian, printer, mathematician, Baroque music composer, and precursor of the Enlightenme ...
in 1742. Fux dedicated it to Emperor Charles VI. The work is divided into two major parts. In the first part, Fux presents a summary of the theory on ''Musica Speculativa,'' or the analysis of
intervals Interval may refer to: Mathematics and physics * Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers ** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to arbitrary partially ordered sets * A statistical level of measurement * Interval e ...
as proportions between numbers. This section is in a simple lecture style, and looks at music from a purely mathematical angle, in a theoretical tradition that goes back, through the works of Renaissance theoreticians, to the Ancient Greeks. Fux explains that intervals in exact mathematical proportions result in larger and smaller half tones, and he also mentions that some organists added extra keys (split halves to use smaller and bigger half tones), but that adding extra keys on a keyboard was problematic and for this reason they divided every note in "" (two equal parts), resulting in equal temperament. He continues: The works of
Mersenne Marin Mersenne, OM (also known as Marinus Mersennus or ''le Père'' Mersenne; ; 8 September 1588 – 1 September 1648) was a French polymath whose works touched a wide variety of fields. He is perhaps best known today among mathematicians for ...
,
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
and
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
are among the several references quoted by Fux in this section. The second part, on ''Musica Pratica,'' is the section of this treatise where the author presents his instruction on
counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
,
fugue In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the c ...
, double counterpoint, a brief essay on musical taste, and his ideas on composing
sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...
, writing in the ''a cappella'' and in the ''recitativo'' style. This part is in the form of a dialog, between a master (Aloysius, Latin for Luigi, who is meant to represent Palestrina's ideas) and a student, Josephus, who represents Fux himself, a self-admitted admirer of Palestrina. At the outset, Fux states his purpose: "to invent a simple method by which a novice can progress, step by step, to attain mastery in this art." and gives his opinion of contemporary practice: "I shall not be deterred by the most ardent haters of school, nor by the corruptness of the times." He also states that theory without practice is useless, thus stressing practice over theory in his book. While ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' is famous as the origin of the term "
species counterpoint In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in the European classical tradi ...
", Fux was not the first one to invent the idea. In 1610,
Girolamo Diruta Girolamo Diruta (c. 1546 – 1624 or 1625) was an Italian organist, music theorist, and composer. He was famous as a teacher, for his treatise ''Il Transilvano'' (Venice, 1st part 1593; 2nd part 1609-10) on counterpoint, and for his part in t ...
, a composer of the Venetian school, published ''Il Transilvano'', which presented the Renaissance polyphonic style as a series of types: one note against one note, two notes against one note,
suspensions In chemistry, a suspension is a heterogeneous mixture of a fluid that contains solid particles sufficiently large for sedimentation. The particles may be visible to the naked eye, usually must be larger than one micrometer, and will eventually ...
, and so forth. Fux's work repeated some of Diruta's, possibly coincidentally, since he is not known to have had a copy. In species counterpoint, as given in Fux, the student is to master writing counterpoint in each species before moving on to the next. The species are, in order, note against note; two notes against one; four notes against one; ligature or suspensions (one note against one, but offset by half of the note value); and florid counterpoint, in which the other species are combined freely. Once all the species are mastered in two voices, the species are gone through again in three voices, and then in four voices. (Occasionally, in modern counterpoint textbooks, the third and fourth species are reversed with suspensions being taught before four notes against one.) Fux expressed the intention of adding sections on how to write counterpoint for more than four parts, indicating that rules in this area were to be "less rigorously observed". However, citing his poor health as a result of gout and age, he chose to conclude the book as it stood. Modern counterpoint education is greatly indebted to ''Gradus ad Parnassum'', and Fux presented the ideas with such clarity and focus that both subsequent and modern counterpoint texts continue to cite his work, from the book by Albrechtsberger (''Gründliche Anweisung zur Komposition'') to 20th century examples such as the book by
Knud Jeppesen Knud Jeppesen (15 August 1892 – 14 June 1974) was a Danish musicologist and composer. He was the leading scholar of the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, about whose life and music he wrote numerous studies. Biography Jeppesen demonst ...
(''Counterpoint: The Polyphonic Vocal Style of the Sixteenth Century''). Furthermore, ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' is a noteworthy historical document in that it clearly delineates the stylistic distinction of the entire baroque era between an antique and sacred style and a more modern and largely secular style. The Latin edition of Fux's ''Gradus ad Parnassum'' from the year 1725 is the only surviving book of J.S. Bach's personal library of theoretical works. As Mizler was a student of J.S. Bach, musicologist Christoph Wolff has suggested that Bach may have played some part in persuading Mizler to translate the treatise.


Works

In addition to writing ''Gradus ad Parnassum'', Fux also composed numerous sacred and secular works. Fux's compositions were catalogued by
Ludwig Ritter von Köchel Ludwig Alois Friedrich Ritter von Köchel (; 14 January 1800 – 3 June 1877) was an Austrian musicologist, writer, composer, botanist, and publisher. He is best known for cataloguing the works of Mozart and originating the 'KV-numbers' by whi ...
who also catalogued Mozart's works.


Sacred compositions

Fux's sacred works include masses (''Missa canonica,'' ''Missa Corporis Christi,''),
requiems A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
,
oratorios An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
(''Santa Dimpna, Infanta d'Irlanda, K 300a (1702)'' ''Il fonte della salute, K 293 (1716)'' ),
litanies Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Judaic worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin ''litania'' from Ancient Greek λιτανεία (''litan ...
,
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern), Lutheranism, Lutheran, and Anglican ...
settings,
motets In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margare ...
, graduals, offertories, Marian
antiphons An antiphon (Greek ἀντίφωνον, ἀντί "opposite" and φωνή "voice") is a short chant in Christian ritual, sung as a refrain. The texts of antiphons are the Psalms. Their form was favored by St Ambrose and they feature prominent ...
(21 settings of ''Alma Redemptoris mater'', 22 settings of ''Ave Regina'', 9 of ''Regina coeli'', and 17 of ''Salve regina''), settings of the text "Sub Tuum Praesidium", Hymns (many are lost), Sequences, Introits, Communion hymns, German sacred songs (all lost), and other sacred works. Some of Fux's masses (along with Caldara and others) utilized the canon (imitative counterpoint in its strictest form) as a compositional technique, one of the telltale signs of the stile antico. Other indications of the ''stile antico'' include large note values (whole, half, or quarter notes). However, while most associate Fux with composing in the ''stile antico'', referring to him as the "Austrian Palestrina", due to his treatise Gradus ad Parnassum, he also had the ability to compose in the ''stile moderno'' as well, evident in his oratorios, such as ''Santa Dimpna, Infanta d'Irlandia''. For instance, many of the movements in the second half of ''Santa Dimpna'' make use of
da capo aria The da capo aria () is a musical form for arias that was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and orator ...
form, and the eight (surviving) arias demonstrate the baroque concept of the "affect", as demonstrated by the vocal ''coloratura'' and instrumental figures. Fux, along with other composers, such as Hofer, Biber, and Caldara established a solid repertory of Catholic church music in southern Germany and Austria, despite the presence of the better-known Protestant church music in northern Germany.


Secular compositions

Besides
sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
works, Fux was a composer of vocal and instrumental music. His works include 19
operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...
, 29
partitas Partita (also ''partie'', ''partia'', ''parthia'', or ''parthie'') was originally the name for a single-instrumental piece of music (16th and 17th centuries), but Johann Kuhnau (Thomaskantor until 1722), his student Christoph Graupner, and Johann ...
, 10
oratorios An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...
, and about 80 masses. Fux's instrumental compositions include 50 church sonatas, Concentus musico-instrumentalis (1710), and keyboard works. Fux's compositions for Clavier include five Partitas, a 20-minute Capriccio, a Ciaccona, an Harpeggio Prelude and Fugue, an Aria Passaggiata, and a set of twelve Minuets. The Concentus musico-instrumentalis is a cycle of seven partitas scored for
woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...
,
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
, and
string instrument String instruments, stringed instruments, or chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when a performer plays or sounds the strings in some manner. Musicians play some string instruments by plucking the ...
s. This cycle, published in 1701, was to Joseph, King of Rome. Its cosmopolitan admixture of French, Italian, and German movements and its festive characteristics can be found in Fux's keyboard suites, which are heavily ornamented and treble-dominated. Most Italian operas of that period were concentrated on the solo aria. Whereas, Fux's operas employ an ensemble of solo singers and the large arias often use a concertizing solo instrument. Fux's emphasis on contrapuntal structures was conservative and represented the older manner of treating musical texture. Fux's early operas show characteristics of the late 17th century such as using
arioso In classical music, arioso (also aria parlante ) is a category of solo vocal piece, usually occurring in an opera or oratorio, falling somewhere between recitative and aria in style. Literally, arioso means ''airy''. The term arose in the 16th ...
passages in
recitatives Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repeat ...
. His style is primarily a combination of his preference for contrapuntal textures, a vivid mastery of vocal and instrumental rhetoric and Italianate ornamentation, and colorful use of obbligato scoring. Compared to his Italian contemporaries, it is Fux's manipulation of the
da capo aria The da capo aria () is a musical form for arias that was prevalent in the Baroque era. It is sung by a soloist with the accompaniment of instruments, often a small orchestra. The da capo aria is very common in the musical genres of opera and orator ...
that represents his exceptional sense of
dramma per musica Dramma per musica (Italian, literally: ''drama for music'', plural: ''drammi per musica'') is a libretto. The term was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries. In modern times the same meaning of ''dra ...
: his scoring, texture, and motivic-thematic integration allow an individual style to arise while the idealized passions of the Affektenlehre attain dramatic life. Most of his dramatic operas were premiered at the Hoftheater,
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
; otherwise given below. List of Fux's 19 operas: *''Il fato monarchico, festa teatrale'' (18 Feb. 1700; music not extant) *''Neo-exoriens phosphorus, id est neo-electus et infulatus praesul Mellicensis'', Latin school opera (1701; music not extant) *''L'offendere per amare ovvera La Telesilla'', dramma per musica (25 June 1702; music not extant) *''La clemenza d' Augusto'', poemetto drammatico (15 Nov. 1702; music not extant) *''Julo Ascanio re d'Alba'', poemetto drammatico (19 March 1708) *''Pulcheria'', poemetto drammatico (21 June 1708) *''Il mese di Marzo, consecrato a Marte'', componimento per musica (19 March 1709) *''Gli ossequi della note'', componimento per musica (15 July 1709) *''La decima fatica d'Ercolo, ovvero La Sconfitta di Gerione in Spagna'', componimento pastorale-eroico (1 Oct. 1710) *'' Dafne in lauro'', componimento per camera (1 Oct. 1714) *''Orfeo ed Euridice'', componimento da camera per musica (1 Oct. 1715) *''Angelica vincitrice di Alcina'', festa teatrale (14 Sept. 1716) *''Diana placate'', componimento da camera (19 Nov. 1717) *''Elisa'', festa teatrale per musica (Laxenburg, 28 Aug. 1719) *''Psiche'', coponimento da camera per musica (19 Nov. 1720) *''Le nozze di Aurora'', festa teatrale per musica (6 Oct. 1722) *''Constanza e Fortezza'', festa teatrale (Prague, 28 Aug. 1723) – his notable opera *''Giunone placata'', festa teatrale per musica (19 Nov. 1725) *''La corona d'Arianna'', festa teatrale (28 Aug. 1731) The festive opera ''Constanza e Fortezza'' (Constancy and Strength), with a libretto by
Pietro Pariati Pietro Pariati ( Reggio Emilia, 27 March 1665- Vienna, 14 October 1733) was an Italian poet and librettist. He was initially secretary to Rinaldo d'Este (1655–1737), Duke of Modena.Xavier de Courville -''Un artisan de la rénovation théàtral av ...
(1665–1733), was Fux's most notable opera. It was performed twice in a specially designed open-air theatre in
Prague Castle Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kin ...
on the occasion of the
coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...
of Charles VI as King of Bohemia in 1723. The set was designed by the court theatre architect Giuseppe Galli-Bibiena (1696–1756). This work is regarded as a festive coronation opera because both performances of this opera took place a few days before the coronation of Charles VI as King of Bohemia and of his consort Elisabeth Christina as Queen. There was an issue of the double celebratory function of this opera – coronation of Charles VI and Elisabeth Christina's birthday.


Selected discography

*The Dresden Album.
Johannes Pramsohler Johannes Pramsohler is a violinist, conductor and record producer, specialised in Historically informed performance, currently based in Paris. Biography Johannes Pramsohler was born 5 April 1980 in Sterzing in the autonomous Italian province of ...
. Ensemble Diderot. (Audax Records ADX 13701) *Concentus musico instrumentalis...1701. Concentus Musicus Wien,
Nikolaus Harnoncourt Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; () (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music ...
(Teldec 8.42171 XH, 244 690 2) *Concentus musico instrumentalis...1701 K352 – 358. Neue Hofkapelle Graz, Lucia Froihofer and Michael Hell (CPO 777 980-2) *''Kaiserrequiem K51-53''. Clemencic Consort, René Clemencic (Arte Nova 74321 27777 2) *''Complete Music for Harpsichord''. Performed by Filippo Emanuele Ravizza. (
Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also sp ...
95189) *''Alla Turca''. Matthias Maute, Monika Mauch, and Ensemble Caprice. (
ATMA Classique ATMA Classique is a Canadian record label based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1994 by Johanne Goyette, the company has close to 600 titles in its catalogue and distributes in over 25 countries and on the internet. Several recordings released ...
ACD2 2347)


Notes

Sources *


Further reading

* * * Facsimile of the 1725 Vienna edition. * * (Chapter 'Johann Joseph Fux') *


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fux, Johann Joseph 1660 births 1741 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century Austrian male musicians 18th-century Latin-language writers 18th-century male writers 18th-century Austrian people Austrian Baroque composers Austrian male classical composers Austrian music theorists Composers from Graz Year of birth uncertain