Franz Hoffmeister Program Notes and Sheet Music

Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754 – 1812) was a German music publisher and composer. He was born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1754. He studied law at the University of Leipzig, but he abandoned his studies to pursue a career in music. In 1774, he founded a music publishing house in Leipzig. Hoffmeister's publishing house published the works of many important composers, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. He also composed a number of works himself, including operas, symphonies, and concertos. Hoffmeister died in Leipzig in 1812.

Hoffmeister was a pioneer in the field of music publishing. He was one of the first publishers to issue sheet music in a standardized format. He also introduced the practice of publishing subscription editions, which allowed composers to raise money to finance the publication of their works. Hoffmeister's publishing house was one of the most successful in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It played a major role in the dissemination of classical music and the development of the musical canon.