Johann Anton Andre

Full biography Johann Anton Andre

Johann Anton Andr (1775-1842) was a German composer and music publisher of the Classical period. He is best known for his central place in the Viennese music publishing industry during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Johann Anton Andr was born on October 6, 1775, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to composer Johann Andr (1741-1799) and his wife. The younger Andr was well-trained in music theory and composition and eventually took over his father's music publishing business in Offenbach am Main.

As a publisher, Johann Anton Andr was an important figure in the dissemination of chamber music and opera during the Classical era, particularly the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. He is credited with publishing the first edition of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet in A Major (K. 581) shortly after the composer's death. He also published several works by Beethoven, including the composer's arrangement of his own Septet in E-flat Major for piano quartet and Symphony No. 2 in D Major for piano four hands.

Johann Anton Andr was also a composer in his own right, although his works are not as widely known as those of some of his contemporaries. He composed several works for piano, including six sonatinas op. 34 and an Allegro in E-flat Major. Additionally, he wrote a number of vocal works, including a number of songs for the stage and a cantata for the coronation of Emperor Francis I of Austria. In addition to his work as a publisher and composer, Johann Anton Andr was also an accomplished clarinet player.

Johann Anton Andr died on April 6, 1842, in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 66. Today, he is remembered as an important figure in the music publishing industry of the Classical era and for his contributions to the dissemination of Mozart's and Beethoven's music. His own compositions, although not widely known, still represent an important contribution to the piano repertoire of his time.