A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Jähns, Friedrich

by George Grove

JÄHNS, Friedrich Wilhelm, born at Berlin Jan. 2, 1809. His talent for music showed itself early, and strongly; but the first important event in his musical life was the first performance of Freischütz (June 18, 1821), which not only aroused his enthusiasm for music, but made him an adherent of Weber for ever. After some hesitation between the theatre and the concert-room, he finally chose the latter, and became a singer and teacher of singing, in which capacity he was much sought for. In 1845 he founded a singing society, which he led for 25 years. In 1849 he was made 'Königliche Musikdirector'; in 1871 'Professor'; and has since been decorated with the orders of Baden, Saxony, Bavaria, and Hanover. He has composed and arranged much for the piano, but the work by which he will live for posterity is his Thematic Catalogue of Weber's works ('C. M. von W. in seinen Werken,' 1871), founded on Köchel's Catalogue of Mozart, but much extended in limits beyond that excellent work. It is in fact a repertory of all that concerns the material part of those compositions, including elaborate information on the MSS., editions, performances, Weber's handwriting, etc. etc.—a large vol. of 500 pages. The library which he formed in the course of this work, is one of the sights of Berlin. [App. p.819 "date of death, Aug. 8, 1888."]

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