Johann Adam Hiller

Full biography Johann Adam Hiller

Johann Adam Hiller was a German composer , conductor, and writer on music who lived from December 25, 1728 to June 16, 1804. He is regarded as the creator of the Singspiel, an early form of German opera , and is considered one of the most important German composers of the 18th century. Hiller composed a variety of works, including single songs, Italianate secular cantatas, sacred music (including choral settings), and instrumental music. He was also a prolific writer on music and contributed several essays and treatises on music theory.

Hiller studied keyboard, counterpoint, and continuo at the Dresden Kreuzschule with G. A. Homilius , and quickly became a respected musician and conductor in his own right. His contributions to the development of the Singspiel were particularly notable, as he helped to create a new form of opera that was lighter and more accessible to audiences than the more formal and complex Italian operas that were popular at the time.

Hiller's Variations and Fugue on a Theme by J.A. Hiller, Op.100 is a notable work in his catalog, as it is based on a theme from the stage-work "Der Aernotekranz" (The Crown of All Misery) by the later eighteenth century composer and writer Johann Adam Hiller ). Despite his significant contributions to the development of German opera, Hiller is somewhat overlooked in music history and is not as well-known as some of his contemporaries. Nonetheless, his work remains an important part of the German musical canon and his contributions to the development of the Singspiel continue to influence opera composers today.