Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Germany

Birth

:

June 15, 1734 in Weißenfels, Germany

Death

:

May 14, 1801 in Bitterfeld

Period

:

Classical

Genre

:

Band

 

 

Concerto

 

Johann Ernst Altenburg was a German composer, organist, and trumpeter who lived from 15 August 1734 to 14 May 1801. He was born in the town of Alach, near Erfurt, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. Altenburg was the son of a Lutheran pastor, and he grew up in a musical family. His father was a skilled musician who taught him the basics of music theory and composition. Altenburg began his musical education at an early age, studying the organ and the trumpet. He showed great promise as a musician, and by the age of 16, he was already playing the trumpet in the court orchestra of Duke Ernst August I of Saxe-Weimar. Altenburg continued to study music, and in 1755, he was appointed as the court trumpeter in Weimar. In addition to his work as a trumpeter, Altenburg was also an accomplished composer. He wrote a number of works for the trumpet, including concertos, sonatas, and other pieces. His music was highly regarded by his contemporaries, and he was considered one of the leading composers of trumpet music in Germany. One of Altenburg's most famous works is his "Concerto for Seven Trumpets and Timpani." This piece is notable for its use of multiple trumpets, which creates a powerful and majestic sound. The concerto is also notable for its technical difficulty, which requires a high level of skill from the performers. Altenburg's other works include a number of sonatas for trumpet and organ, as well as a number of pieces for solo trumpet. His music is characterized by its virtuosity and technical complexity, as well as its use of counterpoint and other compositional techniques. In addition to his work as a composer and trumpeter, Altenburg was also an accomplished organist. He served as the organist at the court chapel in Weimar, and he wrote a number of works for the organ, including preludes, fugues, and other pieces. Altenburg was also a respected music theorist. He wrote a number of treatises on music theory and composition, including "Versuch einer Anleitung zur heroisch-musikalischen Trompeter- und Pauker-Kunst" (Essay on the Heroic-Musical Art of Trumpet and Timpani Playing), which is still considered an important work on trumpet technique. Altenburg died in Weimar in 1801, at the age of 66. His legacy as a composer, trumpeter, and music theorist lives on, and his works continue to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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