Peter Winter, later Peter von Winter, (baptised 28 August 1754 – 17 October 1825)
was a German violinist, conductor and composer, especially of operas. He began his career as a player at the
Mannheim court, and advanced to conductor. When the court moved to Munich, he followed and later became
kapellmeister
(, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...
of the opera there. His opera ''
Das Labyrinth
("The Labyrinth or The Struggle with the Elements. The Magic Flute's Second Part") is a "grand heroic-comic opera" in two acts composed in 1798 by Peter von Winter to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Sings ...
'', a sequel to Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte
''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...
'', was premiered in Vienna in 1798, and his ''
Maometto'' at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
in Milan in 1817. His work has been regarded as a bridge between
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 ...
and
Weber in the development of German opera.
Career
Winter was born in
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...
. He was a child prodigy on the violin, who occasionally played in the
Mannheim court orchestra,
from age ten, both violin and double bass.
He studied violin in Mannheim with
Wilhelm Cramer
Wilhelm Cramer (2 June 1746, Mannheim – 5 October 1799, London) was a famous London violinist and musical conductor of German origin. He was part of a large family who were connected with music during both the 18th and 19th centuries. He is ...
and Thaddäus Hampel, and later composition with
Georg Joseph Vogler
Abbé Vogler
Georg Joseph Vogler, also known as Abbé Vogler (June 15, 1749 – May 6, 1814), was a German composer, organist, teacher and theorist. In a long and colorful career extending over many more nations and decades than was usual at the t ...
.
Winter was engaged as a violinist in the orchestra from 1776.
He also conducted from 1777.
When the court moved to
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
in 1778, he became conductor of the orchestra, and met
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 ...
for the first time.
He married Marianne Grosser that year, the daughter of a tailor.
In 1781/82, Winter was sent to Vienna to study on a scholarship with
Antonio Salieri
Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian classical composer, conductor, and teacher. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subject of the Habsburg monarchy ...
, meeting Mozart again.
He became director of the court theatre in Munich at which point he started to write stage works, at first ballets and melodramas.
He was promoted to vice
kapellmeister
(, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...
in 1787 and to kapellmeister in 1798, holding the position for most of his life.
Winter composed more than thirty operas between 1778 and 1820, and only few were unsuccessful. His most popular work, ''
Das unterbrochene Opferfest'' (The interrupted sacrificial feast), was produced in 1796 in Vienna leading to his recognition as an opera composer.
He composed two operas to librettos by
Emanuel Schikaneder, ''Die Pyramiden von Babylon'' and ''
Das Labyrinth, oder Der Kampf mit den Elementen'', a sequel to Mozart's ''
Die Zauberflöte
''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that includ ...
'' which was premiered at the
Theater auf der Wieden
The Theater auf der Wieden, also called the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden or the Wiednertheater, was a theater located in the then-suburban Wieden district of Vienna in the late 18th century. It existed for only 14 years (1787–1801), but duri ...
on 12 June 1798.
![SANQUIRICO - Tempio Sotterraneo (Scene from Maometto by Peter von Winter) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/SANQUIRICO_-_Tempio_Sotterraneo_%28Scene_from_Maometto_by_Peter_von_Winter%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Winter returned to Munich in 1798. Five years later he visited London, where he produced ''La grotta di Calipso'' in 1803, ''Il ratto di Proserpina'' in 1804 (both to librettos by
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italian, later American, opera librettist, poet and Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's most celebrated operas: ''The Marr ...
), and ''Zaira'' in 1805, with great success. His ''
Maometto'', composed in 1817 and premiered at
La Scala
La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
in Milan, is occasionally revived, and was recorded.
His last opera, ''Der Sänger und der Schneider'', was premiered in Munich in 1820. His operas were produced also in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and Moscow.
In 1811, he founded the Musikalische Akademie in Munich, an association which is remembered in the Akademiekonzerte of the
Bavarian State Orchestra
The Bavarian State Orchestra (german: Bayerisches Staatsorchester, italic=no) is the orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany. It has given its own series of concerts, the , since 1811.
Profile
On 9 December 2011, this ensemble c ...
.
Besides his works for the stage, he composed
concerto
A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...
s for
wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitc ...
s and orchestra and, beginning in 1820, sacred music. He gave voice lessons and published a ''Vollständige Singschule'' (Complete school of singing) in 1825.
Winter was knighted on 23 March 1814.
He died in Munich at age 71.
Operas
* ''Lenardo und Blandine'' (1779)
* ''Der Bettelstudent'' (1785)
* ''Jery und Bäteli'' (1790)
* ''
Catone in Utica
''Catone in Utica'' (; ) is an opera libretto by Metastasio, that was originally written for Leonardo Vinci's 1727 opera. Following Vinci's success, Metastasio's text was used by numerous composers of the baroque and classical eras for their ...
'' (1791)
* ''Ogus o sia Il trionfo del bel sesso'' (1795)
* ''
Das unterbrochene Opferfest'' (1796)
* ''Babylons Pyramiden'' (1797)
* ''
Das Labyrinth oder Der Kampf mit den Elementen. Der Zauberflöte zweyter Theil'', Heroic-comic opera, Libretto by
Emanuel Schikaneder.
Theater auf der Wieden
The Theater auf der Wieden, also called the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden or the Wiednertheater, was a theater located in the then-suburban Wieden district of Vienna in the late 18th century. It existed for only 14 years (1787–1801), but duri ...
(1798)
* ''Tamerlan'' (1802)
* ''
Maometto'' (1817)
References
Sources
* Linda Tyler: "Winter, Peter", in ''
The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...
'' (London: Macmillan 1992), .
External links
*
Peter (von) Winteroperone.e
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winter, Peter
1754 births
1825 deaths
18th-century classical composers
19th-century classical composers
Ballet composers
German male classical composers
German opera composers
Male opera composers
Musicians from Mannheim
Pupils of Antonio Salieri
Pupils of Georg Joseph Vogler
19th-century German male musicians