A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lessel, Franz

LESSEL, Franz, one of Haydn's three favourite pupils, born about 1780, at Pulawy on the Vistula, in Poland; his father, a pupil of Adam Hiller and Dittersdorf, being Musikdirector at the neighbouring castle of Prince Czartoryski. In 1797 he came to Vienna to study medicine, but the love of music proved a great distraction. Haydn eventually took him as a pupil, a service he repaid by tending him till his death with the care and devotion of a son. In 1810 he returned to Poland, and lived with the Czartoryski family, occupied entirely with music. After the Revolution of 1830 had driven his patrons into exile, Lessel led a life of great vicissitude, but being a man of varied cultivation always managed to maintain himself, though often reduced to great straits. In 1837 he was superseded in his post as principal of the gymnasium at Petrikan on the borders of Silesia, and feeling a presentiment of approaching death, he composed his requiem, and shortly after (March 1839) expired of the disease commonly called a broken heart. He left songs, chamber music, and symphonies; also church music, specially indicating gifts of no common order. Among his effects were some autographs of Haydn presented by himself. Some of his works were published by Artaria, Weigl, and Breitkopf & Härtel, among them being, 3 sonatas for P.F. (op. 2) dedicated to Haydn; fantasia for P.F. (op. 8) dedicated to Clementi; another fantasia (op. 13) dedicated to Cecily Beidale, etc. Lessel's life was a romantic one. He was believed to be the love-child of a lady of rank. Mystery also enveloped the birth of his first love, Cecily Beidale, and he discovered that she was his sister only just in time to prevent his marrying her. One of his masses—'Zum Cäecilientag' was composed in all the fervour of this first passion.

[ C. F. P. ]