Anton Cajetan Adlgasser (Inzell, 1 October 1729 – Salzburg, 23 December 1777) was a German organist and composer at Salzburg Cathedral and at court, and composed a good deal of liturgical music (including eight masses and two requiems) as well as oratorios and orchestral and keyboard works.

Born in Inzell, Bavaria, he moved to Salzburg, where he studied under Johann Ernst Eberlin. From 1750 he was organist at the Salzburg Cathedral, where he remained the rest of his life. After a visit to Italy in 1764-5 he set Metastasio's La Nitteti (his only opera) performed in Salzburg, (1767), and in 1767 he collaborated with Mozart and Michael Haydn (q.v.) on the oratorio Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes. Mozart, who had a high regard for Adlgasser's music, succeeded him as Organist at Salzburg Cathedral in 1777. Adlgasser's first marriage, in 1752, was to Maria Josepha, the daughter of his predecessor, J.E. Eberlin, at Salzburg Cathedral. Four years later he married Maria Barbara Schwab, and in 1769 the court singer Maria Anna Fesemayer (1743—82), who sang in Die Schuldigkeit and created the role of Ninetta in La finta semplice. Both Mozart and his father were witnesses to the third wedding.

He died in 1777 of a stroke while playing the organ.

[edit] References

• Nicolas Slonimsky, ed (1958). "Adlgasser, Anton Cajetan". Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (5th edition ed.). pp. p. 9. http://www.archive.org/details/bakersbiographic005877mbp. 

This article about an Austrian composer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e

This article about a German composer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e