Editing Kapellmeister (section)

==Historical usage==
In German-speaking countries during the approximate period 1500–1800, the word {{lang|de|Kapellmeister}} often designated the director of music for a monarch or nobleman. For English speakers, it is this sense of the term that is most often encountered, since it appears frequently in biographical writing about composers who worked in German-speaking countries. During that period, in Italy, the position (Italian: ''maestro di capella'') largely referred to directors of music assigned to cathedrals and sacred institutions rather than those under royal or aristocratic patronage.

A Kapellmeister position was a senior one and involved supervision of other musicians. [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] worked from 1717 to 1723 as Kapellmeister for [[Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen|Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen]]. [[Joseph Haydn]] worked for many years as Kapellmeister for the [[Esterházy]] family, a high-ranking noble family of the [[Habsburg monarchy]]. [[George Frideric Handel]] served as Kapellmeister for George, [[Elector of Hanover]] (who eventually became King [[George I of Great Britain]]).

A Kapellmeister might also be the director of music for a church. Thus, [[Johann Georg Reutter|Georg Reutter]] was the Kapellmeister at [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna]], where his young choristers included both [[Joseph Haydn|Joseph]] and [[Michael Haydn]].

Becoming a Kapellmeister was a mark of success for professional musicians. For instance, Joseph Haydn once remarked that he was glad [[Mathias Haydn|his father]] (a [[wheelwright]]) had lived long enough to see his son become a Kapellmeister.{{sfnp|Griesinger|1963|p=16}} The term also implied the possession of considerable musical skill. When the 18th-century actor and musician Joachim Daniel Preisler heard the famous soprano [[Aloysia Weber]] ([[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s sister-in-law) perform in her home, he paid her the following compliment in his diary:
<blockquote>The well-known ''Mozardt'' is her brother-in-law and has taught her so well that she accompanies from a score and plays interludes like a Kapellmeister.<ref>{{harvp|Deutsch|1965|p=324}}. Preisler's assumption that Weber's skills came from Mozart's training is not specifically supported by modern scholarship.</ref>
</blockquote>

By the end of the 18th century, many of the nobility had declined in their economic power relative to the newly prosperous middle class. Eventually, the maintenance of a {{lang|de|Kapelle}} became too expensive for most nobles, which led to a decline in the number of Kapellmeister positions. A well-known instance occurred in 1790, when Prince [[Anton I, Prince Esterházy|Anton Esterházy]] succeeded his father [[Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy|Nikolaus]] and dismissed almost all of the latter's extensive musical establishment.<ref>Haydn himself was retained in an essentially honorary role, but was free to pursue independent plans, his journeys to England; for details see [[Anton I, Prince Esterházy]].</ref> But Prince Anton was hardly alone in doing this; during this same period, "the steady decline in the number of orchestras supported by aristocratic families represented a ... change that affected all composers and their works."{{sfnp|Jones|2009|p=324}} This was a difficult time for musicians, who needed to find new ways to support themselves. For instance, [[Ludwig van Beethoven]] (1770–1827) never worked as a Kapellmeister but was supported by a somewhat unreliable combination of noble patronage, publication, and concert income.

===The case of Mozart===
[[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] never was a Kapellmeister in the sense given above. In 1787, he was given a paid position in the court of the Austrian Emperor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] as {{lang|de|Kammercompositeur}} (chamber composer), but authority in matters musical at the court was exercised primarily by [[Antonio Salieri]]. In reviews, diaries, and advertising, Mozart was commonly referred to as {{lang|de|(Herr) Kapellmeister Mozart}}. It seems that Mozart's prestige, along with the fact that he frequently appeared in public directing other musicians, led to the use of "Kapellmeister" as a term of respect.<ref>For extensive discussion of the use of "Kapellmeister" to describe Mozart, see {{harvp|Deutsch|1965|pp=306–307}}</ref>

In April 1791, Mozart applied to become the Kapellmeister at St. Stephen's Cathedral and was designated by the City Council to take over this job following the death of the then-ailing incumbent, [[Leopold Hofmann]]. This never took place, since Mozart died (December 1791) before Hofmann did (1793).{{sfnp|Deutsch|1965|pp=393–395}}