A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Sechter, Simon

SECHTER, Simon. One of the most important of the modern contrapuntists. Born at Friedberg, in Bohemia, on Oct. 11, 1788. In 1804, after a moderate musical education, he went to Vienna, where he applied himself with ardour to theoretical studies. In 1809, while Vienna was in the hands of the French, he made the acquaintance of Dragonetti—then living in concealment under the curious apprehension that Napoleon would oblige him to go to Paris—for whom he wrote the pianoforte accompaniments to his concertos for the double bass. In 1810 Sechter became teacher of the piano and singing to the Blind Institute, for which he wrote many songs and two masses. During the whole of this time he pushed forward his studies, working more especially at Bach and Mozart. He found a good friend in Abbé Stadler, through whose means three of Sechter's masses were performed at the court chapel. A requiem of his, and a chorus from Schiller's 'Bride of Messina' were also executed in the Concert Spirituel with success. In 1824 he became Court-organist, first as subordinate, and in 1825, on the death of Worzischeck, as chief, an office which he retained till his death. His fame as a theoretical teacher attracted numerous scholars, amongst others the great Schubert, who was on the point of taking lessons from him, when attacked by his last illness [App. p.792 "[See vol. iii. p. 353a.]."]. The Emperor Ferdinand conferred upon him the large gold medal for a grand mass dedicated to his majesty, which was shortly followed by the order of St. Louis from the Duke of Lucca. In 1850 he became Professor of Composition in the Conservatorium at Vienna. His Aphorisms, etc., which he communicated to the Vienna Allg. musik. Zeitung, show him to have been a profound thinker, and give many instructive hints both to teachers and scholars. His most intimate friends were Staudigl, Lutz, and Holzel, for whom he wrote a quantity of humorous Volkslieder in contrapuntal style, as well as many comic operettas, ballads, etc. His diligence in study was astonishing. No day passed in which he did not write a fugue. A few years before his death he had the misfortune, through his own good nature, to lose almost everything, and died on the 12th September, 1867, nearly 80 years old, in poverty and privation. Sechter was much esteemed and beloved for his simplicity and goodness, and it may be truly said that he had no enemies. His system, though severe, was simple, clear, and logical. His scholars were almost innumerable: amongst them may be mentioned, Preyer, Nottebohm, the Princess Czartorijski, Sucher, Bibl, Rosa Kastner (Escudier), Rufinatscha, Bruckner, Otto Bach, Dohler, Schachner, Filtsch, S. Bagge, Benoni, Vieuxtemps, Pauer, C. F. Pohl, and Thalberg. Notwithstanding the multitude of his lessons he found time to compose a great deal of music. His unpublished works in the Imperial Library and the Musikverein at Vienna contain 4 oratorios, operas and large cantatas, music for voice, organ, and pianoforte, including 104 variations on an original theme of 104 bars; also a complete theoretical treatise ready for publication, in two portions, first on acoustics, second on canon. Among his published works are an edition of Marpurg on the Fugue, with many additions; Grundsätze der musik. Composition (3 vols. B. & H.); 12 masses; Practical examples of accompaniment from figured bass, op 59; Practical school of thorough bass, op. 49, 98; preludes for the organ, in four books; fugues, hymns, chorale preludes; 4 fugues for PF., op. 5, dedicated to Beethoven; fugue in C minor, to the memory of Schubert, op. 43; etc., etc. Sechter completed the grand fugue for the orchestra in D major, left imperfect by Mozart.

[ C. F. P. ]