Whilst today Hoffmeister is best known for his activities as a music publisher of many prominent Viennese comoposers of the era (including Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart), in the early 1780’s he was one of Vienna’s most popular composers in his own right.

Hoffmeister’s compositions are not yet completely documented, but he certainly worked in most genres with the exception of large orchestral works. Nevertheless, he is known to have composed 10 stage works, at least 44 symphonies, and many flute concertos as well as a few for the clarinet and a notable viola concerto.

In chamber music, he wrote a considerable amount of music for the flute, plus string quartets, quintets and piano sonatas. Hoffmeister also experimented with unusual chamber combinations, and recently recordings of double bass quartets, Notturnos with oboe, 2 violas, bassoon or violin (on Tudor) have emerged. Dieter Klocker has recorded clarinet quartets by Hoffmeister and his recording of the clarinet concerti is due out in January 2006.

To try and summarise Hoffmeister’s contribution to 18/19th century compositions, whilst many works are relatively light in nature, they are all well crafted and certainly well worth listening to. Some of the better works approach the ambiance of Haydn and Mozart in their lighter moods, and for this reason alone Hoffmeister deserves to sit near the front of the “also-rans” of the time.

(Contribution by <adrian.house@ntlworld.com>)

His “La Festa Della Pace” was composed to commemorate Balkan’s treaty with Ottoman Turks.

(Contribution by <peter@blonline.co.uk>)

Wrote 9 operas, 66 symphonies and overtures (if not more), 150 string quartets, 5 piano quartets, 11 piano trios, 18 string trios and 12 piano sonatas. In addition, he wrote a great many flute concertos and works for flute with various instruments.