Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner (2 March 1759 in Oberschönau – 28 May 1833 in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

) was a German-born Swedish composer. Hæffner received his first musical education with the Schmalkalden

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

Johann Gottfried Vierling. He studied in

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

from 1776, and then worked as a music conductor in theatres in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

and

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

from 1778 to 1780. He moved to

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

in 1781 at the invitation of the German congregation there (''Tyska kyrkan'') to assume the position of

, which he held until 1793. The same year (1781) he was employed at the Royal Theatre in Stockholm as well as conductor of the orchestra for the

Stenborg theatre The Stenborg theatre, also called Svenska Komiska Teatern, Komiska Teatern and Munkbroteatern, was a historical Swedish 18th century theatre, active between 1784 and 1799 in Gamla stan in Stockholm. It was the second theatre of Stockholm during t ...

s. In 1786 Hæffner was appointed assistant conductor of the Royal Orchestra (''hovkapellet'') and from 1795 to 1807 he held the post of ''hovkapellmästare'' (Chief conductor of the Royal Orchestra). He was also an instructor at the

Royal Dramatic Training Academy The Royal Dramatic Training Academy (, also known as ''Dramatens elevskola''), was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1787–1964) seen as the foremost theatre school and drama education ...

. He was married twice, first to the Swedish actress and singer Elisabeth Forsselius. Since King

Gustaf IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 180 ...

closed the Royal Opera (and its orchestra) in 1807, Hæffner moved to

, where in 1808 he was appointed

Director musices Director musices, Latin for director of music, was a title held by music directors especially at European universities or cathedrals; sometimes also at cathedral schools. The title is still used at universities in Sweden. In Finland it is an honora ...

of the university and simultaneously was employed as organist of the cathedral. In Uppsala he organized the ''studentsång'' ("Student singing") - four-voice male choir singing. This practice rapidly spread to the other Nordic universities and is still today a coveted tradition, not only among university students, but for the last century also in many (most ?) male choirs all over Sweden. Hæffner's passion and work for this has procured for him the name ''Studentsångens fader'' ("Father of 'studentsång'). The starting point of this tradition is usually set to a performance of ''Under Svea banér'' (words by P.D.A. Atterbom, music by Hæffner) by a student choir celebrating the war hero ''Klingspor'' on 24 October 1808. Hæffner composed three

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s, theatre music, a

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

, songs with piano accompaniment, and was responsible for the new Swedish chorale book in 1819. Noteworthy is his

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

''Försonaren på Golgatha'' (''"The Saviour on

Golgatha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

"''). Hæffner died in Uppsala on 28 May 1833.

Works

*''Den svartsjuke sin egen rival, eller Sängkammareko'' (''The Jealous is his own Rival, or Bed Chamber Echo''), theatre music, 1784 *''Electra'', opera, Swedish libretto by

Adolf Fredrik Ristell Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo, and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name with German origins. The name is a compound derived from the Old High German ''Athalwolf'' (or ''Hadulf''), a composition of ''athal'', or ''adal'', meani ...

after

Nicolas François Guillard Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

, 1787 *''Alcides' inträde i världen'', Opera in one act, Swedish libretto by

Abraham Niclas Clewberg-Edelcrantz Abraham Niclas Edelcrantz (born Clewberg; 28 July 1754 – 15 March 1821) was a Finnish-born Swedish poet and inventor. He was a member of the Swedish Academy, chair 2, from 1786 to 1821. Edelcrantz was the librarian at The Royal Academy of Tur ...

1793 *''Renaud'', Opera, Swedish libretto by N. B. Sparrschöld after

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

1801 *Arias for ''Äfventyraren'' by Johan Magnus Lannerstjerna and for ''Eremiten'' by

August von Kotzebue August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (, ; – ) was a German playwright, who had also worked as a Russian diplomat. In 1817, one of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl Ludwig Sand, a ...

Sources

Nordisk Familjebok 1909

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haeffner, Johann Christian Friedrich 1759 births 1833 deaths People from Schmalkalden-Meiningen 18th-century German composers Emigrants from the Holy Roman Empire German emigrants to Sweden Swedish people of German descent Swedish classical composers German male classical composers German Romantic composers German opera composers Swedish male opera composers Swedish classical organists German classical organists Cathedral organists Voice teachers 19th-century classical composers 19th-century German composers Burials at Uppsala old cemetery 18th-century Swedish musicians 19th-century Swedish musicians 19th-century German male musicians German male classical organists