Johann Samuel Schroeter Piano Concertos
Chi Yong Yun (Music)
Johann Samuel Schroeter Piano Concertos
The purpose of this project is to explore the keyboard concertos of Johann Samuel Schroeter. As the foremost pianist and composer in London during the 18th century, Johann Samuel Schroeter’s importance lies as a leading virtuoso of the pianoforte and through his mastery of idiomatic writing specific for this instrument. Schroeter is credited as the first to bring to England the true art of playing the pianoforte, and thus, to make a significant impact on the popularity of the newer instrument. His music was printed by various publishers throughout Europe and sought by many contemporary composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart is to have had a particular influence from Schroeter’s concertos and later wrote cadenzas for three of them. However, despite his significant contributions to the development of the pianoforte genre, Johann Samuel Schroeter was virtually forgotten by the early nineteenth century and very little is known about him today. The main objective of this project is to shed light on Schroeter’s prominent role as one of the leading pioneers of pianoforte playing in London. This project will be executed in two parts: (a) through careful study and performance of his compositions, I will demonstrate his distinctive idiomatic language for the piano in a two-part lecture recital, and (b) by presenting a paper supporting Johann Samuel Schroeter’s technique, compositional style, and performance practice of Concerti Op. 3/5. This paper will also give insight into the composer’s life and works as well as provide analysis of his compositions with appropriate documentation.