Jan Pavel Veselý
composer (1762–1810)
The violinist and composer Jan Pavel Veselý (1762–1810), or Johann Wessely in German, was born on 27th June 1762 in the town of Hluboká on Vltava (Frauenberg at the time). His name, completely forgotten in the present, was not as unknown as it is today, as transpires from several period sources: he was a well-known and skilled violinist. Belonging to the many composing musicians, his music served the purpose of the author’s own concert repertoire, and owed much – if not all – to the period models (Pleyel, Haydn).
He gained his education as a violinist in Prague from his uncle, a Benedictine monk. He was a member of a theatre orchestra in Altona10; between 1797 and 1800 he was employed as first violinist of the landgrave’s orchestra in Kassel. It is likely that from 1800 on he repeatedly visited Vienna where first of his compositions had been published by Hoffmeister. Up to his untimely death he was the concertmaster of the orchestra of Duke Alexius Friedrich Christian von Anhlat-Bernburg in Ballenstedt11. He died in Ballenstedt on 1st July 1810.
The basic source for Jan Pavel Veselý’s work is his own catalogue. Apart from chamber music he wrote two comic operas Frage und Antwort and Der Tyroler Jäger and also several orchestral concert pieces. He composed mainly variations. He is the author of Twelve Variations for flute, violin, and orchestra on the theme of Gegen die Bechwerden diese Lebens, Ten Variations for clarinet and orchestra on a theme from Süssmayer’s work Der Spiegel von Arkadien, Ten Variations for French horn, violin, and orchestra, op. 15 and also Rondo for French horn and orchestra, op. 14 on the theme of the song Das Leben ist ein Würselspiel. As for chamber music, there are string quartets as well as string trios, op. 17, three quartets for clarinet, violin, viola, and piano, op. 19, and the vocal Lobgedicht.
Judging by Jan Pavel Veselý ‘s catalogue, he wrote 5 opus numbers of quartets (op. 2, 4, 8, 9, and 10). All of them were published in Vienna.
Titles for sale:
String Quartet C major
String Quartet G major