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FRANZ DANZI (1763 - 1826)
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Franz Danzi was born on June 15th 1763 in Mannheim. His father Innocenz Danzi was solocellist in the
Mannheim Orchestra, and from him Franz had his first lessons in singing, the cello and piano. Later he studied composition with
Abbé Vogler, before he at the age of 15 entered the Court Orchestra as cellist.
In 1783 he moved to Münich and took over his fathers post upon his retirement. He enjoyed quite some
succes as operacomposer and in 1790 he was able to marry the soprano and violinist Margarethe Marchand. Together they toured
Europe until her early death in 1800.
The loss of his his wife was a major blow for him, and not much is known about him, until he appears
as Hofkapellmeister in Stuttgart in 1807. Here he joined a circle of creative intellectuals called 'Faust's trip to Hell'. He
met Carl Maria von Weber and they became friends for life. From Stuttgart, Danzi moved to Karlsruhe to direct opera.
Danzi died in Karlsruhe on April 13th 1826.
Of his many works for the stage, only a few survives. He wrote a few symphonies, six symphonies
concertantes, eighteen concertos for various instruments and a large number of chamber music.
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