Ludwig von Kochel

Full biography Ludwig von Kochel

Ludwig Alois Friedrich Ritter von Kchel was an Austrian musicologist , writer, composer, and botanist who lived from 1800 to 1877. He is best known for his notable work cataloging the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Kchel's comprehensive catalogue, known as the Kchel-Verzeichnis, is the most complete chronological catalog of Mozart's works, and it is still widely used by scholars and musicians today.

Kchel was born into a prominent aristocratic family in Vöcklabruck, Austria, and showed early talents in music, literature, and botany. He earned a degree in law from the University of Vienna in 1821, but soon decided to devote himself to music and the arts. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, studying music and botany, and eventually became a respected music critic and publisher in Vienna.

In addition to his groundbreaking work on Mozart, Kchel also composed several works of his own, including songs, chamber music, and operas. Some of his most notable compositions include his String Quartet No. 1 in A minor and his opera "Annchen von Tharau".

Kchel was a polymath who had a wide range of interests beyond music. He was an accomplished botanist, and several plant species are named after him, including Arabis kochiana and Saxifraga kochiana. He was also a prolific writer, and his literary works include several novels, travelogues, and biographical studies.

Overall, Ludwig von Kchel was a highly accomplished and versatile composer, musicologist, and scholar who contributed greatly to the understanding and appreciation of Mozart's works. His Kchel-Verzeichnis remains a testament to his scholarship and passion for music, and his broader contributions to botany, literature, and the arts continue to be celebrated today.