Profession: composer

Michael Haydn was his younger brother, once as well known. Haydn was Porpora’s accompanist and valet whilst learning “the true fundamentals of composition” from him. He didn’t really get on with his pupil Beethoven; Hummel and Mozart also studied with him. He told Leopold Mozart that his son (who later joined Haydn’s Masonic lodge) was “the greatest composer known to me.” He met Martin y Soler, Cherubini and Kraus (who dedicated a symphony) in Vienna, and his friends Clementi and Reynolds (who painted him) when living in London. The last time he heard his own music performed, Salieri directed.

Hasse studied with Porpora in Italy, and briefly with Scarlatti, to whom he was devoted; he helped his close friend Quantz also study with him. He enjoyed a long, close and successful working partnership with Metastasio. C. P. E. Bach said his father Johann Sebastian and Hasse were good friends when Hasse moved to Dresden (probably through Quantz’s influence there), though his success led to Porpora, by now a rival, leaving the city. Hasse was godson to one of his close friend Weiss’s sons. He was often said to be Farinelli’s favourite composer, and was visited by the teenage Mozart in Milan

Neukomm (a somewhat marginal figure in musical history) studied first under Michael Haydn and later under his brother Joseph, becoming friend to the first and confidant to the second, who called him his ‘beloved pupil.’ He did a lot of arranging for Joseph Haydn, and had a tomb erected for him. It’s thought he had no direct contact with Mozart, though many factors connect them (including that Neukomm taught his son). The peripatetic Neukomm visited Zelter in Berlin, knew Cherubini in Paris, and propagated Mozart’s and Joseph Haydn’s music in Brazil. Lamartine, Moscheles and Mendelssohn were all friends, though Mendelssohn disparaged him as ‘Altkomm.’

Potter taught Bennett (Sterndale is the preferred forename). It was probably Attwood (described as a “dear old friend”) who introduced Bennett to Mendelssohn, while visiting London – he heard the seventeen-year-old play and urged him to visit him in Germany. Taking up the offer, Bennett befriended the Schumanns and Spohr as well as the Mendelssohns; Mendelssohn acted very much as his mentor and conducted a concerto of his, while Robert Schumann dedicated a composition to him and described him as the most musical of his countrymen. Bennett’s subsequent teaching and administrative career marked the decline of his significance as a composer.

Haydn, a good friend of Weigl’s cellist father, was his godfather. Albrechtsberger and Salieri both taught him; he was said to be Salieri’s favourite pupil, and a poem by him is on Salieri’s grave. He worked closely with Mozart both publicly and privately, assisting with the premiering of three of his operas and taking over direction of ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ after two days. Weigl’s precise relationship with two other major figures in Viennese music-theatre remains unclear: Da Ponte wrote the libretto for an opera of his, while Gluck responded warmly to another, and had worked professionally with Weigl’s mother.

Gade sent his first symphony (rejected in Denmark) to Mendelssohn, who enthusiastically premiered it, becoming Gade’s friend, mentor, close associate and strong musical influence: Gade inherited Mendelssohn’s position in Leipzig following his death. In Germany, the Schumanns also befriended him, Robert writing about his work. He lost an important post as organist to his colleague Hartmann, but married his daughter, who died in childbirth. Andersen visited regularly, and tried to get Gade to set one of his stories to music. Gade supported and encouraged the young Grieg; Nielsen was among his conservatory pupils.

Mendelssohn met Donizetti in Naples. Rossini invited him for his first visit to Paris, to present an opera there. Sax befriended him in Paris, though he was forced to abandon his plans to include Sax’s instruments in an opera score. He was very dedicated to Bellini, and wrote a requiem in his memory following his early death. Verdi was saddened to see his friend’s state of decline when he visited him institutionalised in Paris — Donizetti had been a strong influence on him.