Georg Druschetzky (Composer)

Born: April 7, 1745 - Jemníky near Pchery, Bohemia
Died: June 21, 1819 - Buda (German: Ofen) = the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube

The Bohemian composer, oboist, and timpanist, Georg Druschetzky [Jiří Družecký, Giorgio Druschetzky, Druzechi, Druzecky], studied oboe with the noted oboist and composer Carlo Besozzi in Dresden.

Georg Druschetzky then joined the band of an infantry regiment in Eger, with which he was later stationed (sequentially) in Vienna, Enns, Linz, and Branau. In 1777 he was certified as a drummer. It is believed he started writing music in the 1770’s, most of it for his band. He also wrote chamber music and music for orchestra, including 27 Symphonies and Concertos for various instruments. A couple of his operas survive, but one suite of incidental music and a ballet are lost. Druschetzky is credited with one of the earliest uses of the BACH motif.

Selected Compositions

Stage:
Mechmet, Opera
Zemira, Opera
Perseus and Andromeda, Incidental music to the play
Inkle and Yariko, ballet

Orchestral:
Concerto in B-flat major for oboe and orchestra
Concerto in C major for oboe and orchestra
Concerto in F major for oboe and orchestra
Concerto for 6 timpani and orchestra
Concerto in D major for viola and orchestra; The solo viola part is written in the key of C major requiring a scordatura tuning a whole step higher.
Gran Sinfonia in C major
Harmonia - for 21 wind instruments (1790)
Partita in C major for timpani and chamber orchestra
Partita in F major
Sinfonia alla battaglia for string and brass orchestra
Sinfonia in C

Chamber:
Quartet for bassethorn, violin, viola and cello
Quintet in F major for horn, violin, 2 violas and cello (1810)
Sextet for 2 clarinets, 2 horns and 2 bassoons
6 Sonatas for solo violin and basso continuo, Op. 1 (Linz, 1783)
String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet No. 2
String Quartet No. 3 in D major
Trio for 3 bassethorns

Choral:
Missa solemnis for soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra (1804)

Source: Wikipedia Website (February 2011)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2011)

Georg Druschetzky: Short Biography | Arrangements/Transcriptions: Works | Recordings

Bibliography

Gracián Černušák (ed.); Bohumír Štědroň; Zdenko Nováček (ed.): Československý hudební slovník I. A-L (Prague: Státní hudební vydavatelství, 1963), p. 267 [Czech]
Maurice W. Riley: The History of the Viola, Volume II (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Braun-Brumfield, 1991), p. 140
Alexander Weinman & Damian A. Frame, "Druschetzky, Georg" in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie (New York: Macmillan Publishers Limited)