A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Sterkel, Johann
STERKEL, Johann Franz Xaver (sometimes styled Abbé Sterkel), born at Würzburg, Dec. 3, 1750, was a distinguished amateur. Though music formed a part of his education it was only a part. He went through his college course at Würzburg university, took orders, and became vicar and organist of Neumünster. In 1778 he was called to the court of the Elector of Mayence at Aschaffenburg as chaplain and pianist. Next year the Elector sent him on a journey through Italy; success attended him everywhere, and at Naples he brought out an opera, 'Farnace,' with éclat. In 1781 he returned to Mayence and was promoted to a canonry. All this time he was composing as well as playing in all departments of music. He wrote about this date some German songs which were great favourites, and he formed some excellent pupils—among composers Hofmann and Zulehner, among singers Grünbaum and Kirschbaum. In September 1791 occurred the great musical event of Sterkel's life, though he probably did not know its significance—his meeting with Beethoven, then a youth of twenty. Beethoven came to Aschaffenburg with the band of the Elector of Bonn, and was taken by Ries and Simrock to call on the great player, whose reputation was something like that of Liszt at the present day. Sterkel was the first great executant that Beethoven had heard, and the extreme refinement and finish of his style evidently struck him much. He watched him with the closest attention, and not unnaturally declined to play in his turn, till Sterkel induced him to do so by speaking of his 24 variations on Righini's 'Venni Amore.' They had been published only a few months previously, and Sterkel declared that they were so hard that he did not believe even the composer could play them. Beethoven played what he could recollect, and improvised others fully equalling the originals in difficulty—but the curious thing was that he adopted Sterkel's delicate style all through. They do not appear to have met again. In 1793 Sterkel succeeded Righini as Capellmeister to the Elector, and this threw him still more into serious composition, but the French war forced the Elector to leave Mayence, and his Capellmeister returned to Wurzburg. In 1805 he became Capellmeister at Ratisbon, where all his old energy revived, and he taught and composed with the greatest vigour and success. The war of 1813 at length drove him back from Ratisbon to Wurzburg, and there he died Oct. 21, 1817.
The list of Sterkel's published compositions is immense. It embraces 10 symphonies; 2 overtures; a stringed quintet; 6 string trios; 6 do. duos; 6 PF. concertos; a very large number of sonatas for PF. both for 2 and 4 hands; variations, and minor pieces; 10 collections of songs for voice and PF.; Italian canzonets, duets, etc. The number of editions which some of these went through, shows how widely popular Sterkel was in his day.