A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schoberlechner, Franz

by Florence Ashton Marshall

SCHOBERLECHNER, Franz, born at Vienna, July 21, 1797. Hummel composed for him his 2nd Concerto, in C, which he performed in public with success when only ten years old. The precocious child was taken under the patronage of Prince Esterhazy, and sent to Vienna, to study under Forster. From 1814 he travelled in Austria and Italy. While at Florence he composed a requiem, and a buffa opera, 'I Virtuosi teatrali.' In the next year, having been appointed chapel-master to the Duchess of Lucca, he wrote 'Gli Arabi nelle Gallie,' and subsequently, at Vienna, in 1820, 'Der junge Onkel.' In 1823 he went to Russia. He seems to have written to Beethoven, before starting, for letters of introduction. The maestro, however, wrote across his letter, 'an active fellow requires no other recommendation than from one respectable family to another,' and gave it back to Schindler, who showed it to Schoberlechner, and, no doubt at his desire, again urged Beethoven to comply with the request. Beethoven however did not know Schoberlechner, and had no very high opinion of him, as he played chiefly bravura pieces, and pompously paraded all his titles and decorations, which gave occasion for many a sarcastic remark from Beethoven.^[1]

At St. Petersburg he recommended himself to dall' Occa, a professor of singing, whose daughter he married in 1824. After travelling in Germany and Italy, the pair returned to St. Petersburg in 1827, where Mme. Schoberlechner was engaged for three years at the Italian Opera at a salary of 20,000 roubles. Her husband composed for her an opera, 'Il Barone di Dolzheim,' which had some success. After a few more years wandering, Schoberlechner retired to a country house near Florence. His last opera was 'Rossane,' produced at Milan, Feb. 9, 1839. He died at Berlin on Jan. 7, 1843.

His published works are chiefly for the pianoforte; a list of them is to be found in Fétis's 'Biographie des Musiciens.' His wife,

Madame Sophie Schoberlechner, daughter of Signor dall' Occa, as above stated, was born at St. Petersburg in 1807. She was her father's pupil, and married in 1824. Up to 1827 she appeared only in concerts, but was then engaged at the Italian Opera of St. Petersburg, as we have also already mentioned. She had a very beautiful voice, and for twelve or thirteen years sang with unvarying success in almost all the principal towns of Germany and Italy, but her organ was too delicate for such constant usage. It deteriorated early, and in 1840 she left the stage, retired to her husband's property in Tuscany, and died at Florence in 1863.

[ F. A. M. ]

1. See Note to Beethoven's Letters, translated by Lady Wallace, vol. ii. p. 118.