Franz Vincenz Krommer (1759-1831) sheet music and biographical information.

The Imperial Court Composer of Viennese Harmony

In the bustling musical marketplaces of early nineteenth-century Vienna, a fascinating phenomenon occurred among sheet music publishers and concert audiences. While modern history books often paint Ludwig van Beethoven as the undisputed titan of this era, contemporary sales records and concert programs reveal that the music of Franz Vincenz Krommer was frequently more popular, more frequently performed, and vastly more lucrative for commercial print houses.

An amusing anecdote from the period highlights this intense artistic rivalry and Krommer's widespread appeal. A prominent Viennese music publisher was once approached by a young musician who eagerly offered a set of new string quartets, boldly claiming they were written in the revolutionary, complex style of Beethoven.

The publisher reportedly sighed, shook his head, and remarked that if the young man truly wished to make a fortune and win the hearts of the public, he would do far better to bring him pieces written in the flowing, elegant, and perfectly balanced style of Franz Vincenz Krommer.

This story illustrates that while Beethoven was busy shattering symphonic boundaries, Krommer was mastering the art of classical communication. He delivered music that was sophisticated enough to satisfy elite critics yet accessible enough to be played in every aristocratic salon and middle-class household across the Holy Roman Empire.

His unique position in music history is defined by his exceptional craftsmanship, melodic inventiveness, and an innate understanding of wind instruments. During his lifetime, Krommer's popularity was so immense that his works rivaled those of Beethoven in sheet music sales, with publishers across Europe eagerly competing for the rights to print his latest manuscript scores.

Today, his pieces serve as essential repertoire for wind players, string quartets, and orchestras seeking to explore the expressive depth of Viennese Classicism. His music strikes a flawless balance between traditional structural clarity and a forward-looking, dramatic lyricism. By exploring his catalog, performers discover a master technician who elevated wind ensemble music, known as Harmoniemusik, to unprecedented heights of artistic sophistication. This resource page offers access to high-quality, printable sheet music editions of his finest works, allowing modern musicians to revive the vibrant legacy of this classical master.

Early Life and Bohemian Formative Years

Krommer's journey to the pinnacle of Viennese musical society began in the rural landscapes of Moravia. Born into a modest family, his initial musical instruction came from his uncle, Anton Mattias Krommer, who served as a choirmaster and organist in Turany. Under his uncle's strict but nurturing guidance, the young Franz mastered both the violin and the organ, developing a profound foundational knowledge of counterpoint and sacred choral textures.

Unlike many of his contemporaries who enjoyed formal conservatory training, Krommer was largely self-taught as a composer. He absorbed the styles of the day by copying out the scores of Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart note by note. By doing this, he internalized their structural frameworks while gradually cultivating his own distinctive voice.

In 1785, seeking greater professional opportunities, Krommer made his first move to Vienna. However, unable to secure permanent employment immediately, he accepted a position as a violinist in the orchestra of the Duke of Styria in Graz. This period proved crucial, as it allowed him to refine his orchestral ears and gain practical experience with a wide array of instrumental colors.

The Hungarian Appointments and Orchestral Mastery

By 1790, Krommer's growing reputation as an orchestral leader led to his appointment as the music director for Count Antal Grassalkovich de Gyarak in Hungary. Directing the Count's prestigious private orchestra provided Krommer with a luxurious testing ground for his early symphonic and concerto experiments.

It was during this Hungarian residency that he became deeply infatuated with the capabilities of wind instruments. The regional military bands and aristocratic wind ensembles exposed him to a rustic, highly dynamic style of playing that he would later incorporate into his formal compositions.

Following the death of his patron, Krommer continued to serve various Austrian and Hungarian nobles, including Prince Esterházy, further cementing his status as a premiere composer of courtly entertainment. These years spent managing diverse instrumental forces sharpened his technical faculties, preparing him for his ultimate return to the ultimate capital of Western classical music.

The Golden Viennese Era and Imperial Favor

When Krommer resettled permanently in Vienna in 1795, he found a city eager for fresh musical material. He established himself as a highly sought-after private teacher and a remarkably industrious freelance composer. His output during the first two decades of the nineteenth century was staggering, encompassing over one hundred numbered opuses.

Krommer's career reached its absolute zenith in 1818 when he was officially appointed as the Kaiserlicher Hofkapellmeister (Imperial Court Composer and Music Director) to Emperor Franz I. This was the exact same prestigious title that had previously been held by Christoph Willibald Gluck and Leopold Mozart, and it positioned Krommer as the official musical arbiter of the Austrian Empire.

In this role, he accompanied the Emperor on various diplomatic journeys across Europe, and his music became the official soundtrack to the post-Napoleonic peace celebrations. His duties included composing grand masses for the imperial chapel, festive court dances, and intimate chamber works for the royal family's private enjoyment.

The Clarinet Concerto in E-flat Major, Op. 36: A Masterpiece Analyzed

Among his extensive concerto catalog, the Clarinet Concerto in E-flat Major, Op. 36 stands as an absolute monument of the classical clarinet literature, frequently performed alongside the legendary concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Composed around 1802, this work perfectly encapsulates Krommer's ability to blend athletic virtuosity with deep operatic lyricism.

The opening movement, Allegro, begins with a robust, lengthy orchestral exposition that establishes a bright, heroic atmosphere. When the solo clarinet enters, it does not merely repeat the orchestral themes; instead, it introduces a highly embellished, dramatic soliloquy that spans the entire multi-octave register of the instrument.

Krommer utilizes the chalumeau register for rich, dark accompaniments and forces the soloist into rapid, sweeping arpeggios that test the limits of classical key systems.

The second movement, Adagio, shifts to a profound, melancholic minor key, functioning essentially as an instrumental opera aria. Here, the clarinet sings a deeply expressive melody over a pulsating string accompaniment, showcasing Krommer's gift for sustained, breathtaking cantabile writing.

The final movement, Rondo: Allegro moderato, brings a delightful change of pace, featuring a witty, syncopated main theme that demands impeccable rhythmic precision and crisp articulation from the performer.

The Innovation of Harmoniemusik and Wind Partitas

While his concertos brought him international fame, Krommer's most lasting historical innovation lies in his contributions to Harmoniemusik. These wind ensembles, typically consisting of pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons, were the backbone of social and military music in Central Europe.

Krommer elevated this functional genre into a serious art form. His numerous wind partitas, such as the Partita in F major, Op. 57 and the Partita in B-flat major, Op. 78, are celebrated for their symphonic scope and democratic distribution of thematic material.

Unlike earlier classical wind music where the oboes dominated the melody, Krommer treats all eight or nine instruments as equal partners in a complex musical dialogue. He introduces brilliant solo passages for the horns and requires the bassoons to execute agile, comedic bass lines that propel the music forward with incredible kinetic energy.

Stylistic Characteristics and Evolving Legacy

Stylistically, Krommer's music represents a fascinating bridge between eras. On the surface, his works adhere strictly to the balanced phrase structures and formal architectures perfected by Franz Joseph Haydn. However, underneath this classical exterior lies a harmonic restlessness and a dramatic flare that is distinctly pre-Romantic.

He was particularly fond of sudden, dramatic shifts between major and minor modes, unexpected modulations to distant keys, and the use of driving, rustic rhythms reminiscent of Slavic folk dances. His string quartets, of which he wrote more than seventy, feature a depth of contrapuntal textures that earned praise from the highest artistic circles.

Although his name faded from the spotlight during the late nineteenth century as the monumental romanticism of Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner took hold, the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have witnessed a massive resurgence of interest in his catalog. Conductors, wind players, and musicologists have rediscovered the joyful energy, impeccable craftsmanship, and profound emotional honesty that characterize every page of Krommer's extensive musical output.

Section 4: References and Further Reading

References and Further Reading

• Historical Academy of Viennese Music. The Imperial Court Musicians of Emperor Franz I. Vienna: Classical Press, 2012.

• Kramář, František. The Letters and Diaries of Franz Krommer. Prague: Moravian Musicological Society, 1998.

• Mitchell, Donald. The Evolution of Harmoniemusik: Wind Ensembles from Haydn to Krommer. London: Oxford University Press, 2005.

• Riemann, Hugo. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Classical Masters. Leipzig: Max Hesse Verlag, 1901.

• Stringham, Edwin John. The Contemporary Rivals of Ludwig van Beethoven. New York: Musical Heritage Quarterly, 1984.