Johann Nepomuk Hummel   

Johann Nepomuk Hummel, born 14^th November 1778 in Slovakia (died in 1837), was an Austrian composer and virtuoso performer whose influence brought together music of the Classical and early Romantic periods.  He was taught by both Mozart and Clementi, at different times in his childhood, and was friends with Schubert, Beethoven and Haydn.  He created musical forms and ornaments that led to Romanticism and that were popular in the music of Chopin and Schumann. 

    Hummel’s father was the director of a military music school and a conductor of an orchestra at a major theatre (Schikaneder’s Theatre).  It was at this theatre, at the age of 7, where Hummel was introduced to Mozart.  Mozart was impressed by Hummel’s natural talent and took him as a student, to live and tour with him for two years.  The young boy left home and gave his first public performance in one of Mozart’s concerts.

    At 10 years of age, Hummel’s father took him on a tour of Europe.  Once they reached London, Hummel began four years of lessons with the great teacher and composer Clementi.  While there, Haydn wrote a Sonata (in A flat) especially for Hummel to perform.  With the outbreak of the French Revolution (1789), Hummel cut short his European tour and returned to Vienna in 1792. 

    Back in Vienna, Hummel was student to Haydn, Salieri and Albrechtsberger – all three were great composers and teachers.  At this time, Beethoven learnt under the same teachers and became friends with Hummel.  The sometimes-competitive friendship remained for many years and, at Beethoven’s request, Hummel played at his memorial service. 

    Hummel held a couple of court-appointed high music positions in his adult years, but was not very good at organising himself and meeting all his responsibilities.  In his early 30s, Hummel was appointed as head musician at Weimar (in mid-Germany) – the same city where Bach was head musician 150 years earlier.  He achieved far more while in this later post.

    Hummel made Weimar the centre of music in Europe.  He invited all the best musicians of his time to perform and to retire in Weimar.  He supported other musicians once they were unable to earn for themselves and earned money through performances when group funds ran low.  He also started fighting for copyright laws so that musicians’ work was not stolen and they could keep earning income from works they had written and published.

    Beyond the above, Hummel influenced music through his composition and teaching.  He wrote a book, A Complete Theoretical and Practical Course of Instruction on the Art of Playing the Piano Forte (1828), which changed the art of fingering and ornamentation to suit the piano rather than the harpsichord.  His influence spread partly because he took Carl Czerny as a student – Czerny later taught Franz Liszt and was also very famous as a teacher.  Among Hummel’s other famous students were Ferdinand Hiller and Felix Mendelssohn. 

    Hummel’s compositions were very creative and modern for his time.  He wrote a number of solo piano works (as Sonatas), but more chamber works and conertos featuring the piano forte.  He altered the Sonata structure and challenged some of the Classically accepted rules of harmony, even using atonal structures that were ignored until 100 years later.  This made his work less popular than that of some of his contemporaries, such as Beethoven.  Nonetheless, his music was interesting and beautiful.  Hummel lived by the philosophy to "enjoy the world by giving joy to the world” (http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/johann_nepomuk_hummel/).  Composers of the Romantic period had a greater appreciation for his music, as evident in compositions by Chopin and  Schumann.  Musical soul and passion were more appreciated than pure structure in this period. 

    As with the great composers Bach and Haydn, Hummel’s work became over-shadowed by the succeeding generation of composers and performers.  Yet, in the same way as the earlier masters, his works are being revived and his over-looked influences are recognised. 

Last modified: April 13, 2009