A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Vesque von Püttlingen, Johann

VESQUE VON PÜTTLINGEN, Johann, born of a noble family of Belgian origin, July 23, 1803, at Opole, the residence of Prince Alexander Lubomirski. His parents went to live in Vienna in 1804, and at 12 years old he was sent to the Löwenbürgische Convict there for about a year. He began his musical studies in 1816, learning successively from Leidesdorf, Moscheles, and Worzischek. In 1822 he went to the University of Vienna in order to study for the civil service, which he entered in 1827. As early as 1830 he completed an opera, on the libretto of Rossini's 'Donna del Lago,' which was performed by amateurs in a private house. In 1833 he studied counterpoint, etc., with Sechter, and in Oct. 1838 a 2-act opera, 'Turandot,' was given with success at the Kärnthnerthor Theatre. In this and his other musical compositions he adopted the pseudonym of 'J. Hoven.' Two years later a third opera, 'Jeanne d'Arc,' in 3 acts, was given in Vienna. The work was considered worthy of being performed at Dresden in 1845, with Johanna Wagner in the principal part. His other operas are 'Der Liebeszauber,' 4 acts, 1845; 'Ein Abenteuer Carl des II,' 1 act, 1850; 'Burg Thayer,' 3 acts, apparently not performed; 'Der lustige Rath,' 2 acts, 1852, produced at Weimar by Liszt; 'Lips Tullian,' 1 act, not performed. In 1872 he retired from the civil service, and in 1879 received the title of 'Geheimrath.' He died at Vienna, Oct. 29, 1883. He enjoyed the friendship of nearly all the musicians of his time; he corresponded with Mendelssohn, Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt, and many other distinguished men. His compositions of various kinds reach the opus-number 58, besides two masses, and other works unpublished. The above information is obtained from a sketch of his life published by Holder of Vienna, 1887, bearing no author's name.

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