| Birth: | Oct. 16, 1679 | | Death: | Dec. 23, 1745 | 
Composer. One of the more intriguing of the lesser Baroque masters. Strongly influenced by High Renaissance music, his compositions are marked by an unusual harmonic sense and have a timeless quality that make them difficult to date. J. S. Bach held him in great esteem. Zelenka was born in Loudovice, Bohemia (now Lounovice pod Blanikem, Czech Republic), the son of an organist. A virtuoso doublebass player, he joined the Royal Court Orchestra of Dresden in 1710. From 1715 to 1719 he studied in Vienna with composer Johann Fux and possibly with Scarlatti in Italy before returning permanently to Dresden. The high point of his career was writing and conducting music for the Prague coronation of Emperor Charles VI as King of Bohemia in 1723. For a decade Zelenka ably assisted Dresden's Kapellmeister Johann David Heinichen, but was passed over for the post when Heinichen died in 1729; he settled for the lesser title of Royal Church Composer. He never married. His grave was unmarked until after World War II. Since the 1980s Zelenka's works have enjoyed a considerable international revival. They include 23 Masses, four Requiems, three oratorios, 53 Psalm settings and some two dozen instrumental pieces, among them six trio sonatas. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)
Search Amazon for Jan Dismas Zelenka | | | Burial:
Old Catholic Cemetery
Dresden
Dresden
Saxony (Sachsen), Germany |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Originally Created by: Bobb Edwards
Record added: Aug 08, 2007
Find A Grave Memorial# 20848533 |
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Added by:
Bobb Edwards
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