Biography
Much uncertainty surrounds the identity of Antonio Rosetti, arising both from alterations in nomenclature and from the simultaneous activity of five musicians bearing that name. After completing his studies in Prague, the double bass player took up a teaching post in Znaim. He later joined the court of Kraft Ernst in the same capacity and eventually rose to deputy Kapellmeister under Reicha, assuming the full post upon Reicha’s departure in 1785. A prolific creator of orchestral and chamber works, Rosetti blended Baroque and Classical procedures; in his sonatas and concertos he favored ritornello form and often restated the opening theme rather than introducing contrasting material. His distinctive approach yielded songful slow movements and gave the horn a substantial solo repertory, elevating the instrument’s status. Contemporaries ranked him alongside Mozart and Haydn. The Elector of Trier commissioned symphonies from him; he also supplied and conducted a Requiem for Mozart’s Prague memorial and composed the oratorio “Jesus in Gethsamane” at the request of the Duke of York. Rosetti maintained cordial relations with both Gluck and Piccinni and spent a brief period at the court of the future Friedrich Wilhelm III.