Stolzel, Gottfried Heinrich

1690-1749

Also spelled Stoezel and Stozl. He was a German operatic composer; born at Grundstadtl, Saxony. His father, an organist, first taught him, but he also studied under the Cantor Umlauf at Schneeberg and Melchior Hofmann at Leipsic. About 1710 he went to Breslau, where he taught for two years, composing meantime several symphonies and serenades, as well as the operas Narcissus and Valeria, Arteminsia, and Orion, all given at Naumburg in 1712. He then made a journey through Italy, and, produced at Prague fourteen oratorios and the operas Venus und Adonis, Acis und Galathea and Das durch die Liebe besiegte Glück. In 1719 he became Court conductor at Gotha, where he remained for the rest of his life. Besides his operas, which number about twenty-two, and the oratorios, he composed eight double sets of cantatas and motets for the church year; the pastoral Rosen und Dornen, and glees.