Joseph Woelfl

Joseph Johann Baptist Woelfl (surname sometimes written in the German form Wölfl; 24 December 1773[1] – 21 May 1812) was an Austrian pianist and composer of the late Classical period.

Woelfl was born in Salzburg, where he studied music under Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn.

Woelfl was very tall (over 6 feet), and with an enormous finger span (his hand could span a thirteenth, according to his contemporary Václav Tomášek); to his wide grasp of the keyboard he owed a facility of execution which he turned to good account, especially in his improvised performances.

[4] After spending the years 1801 to 1805 in Paris, Woelfl moved to London, where his first concert performance was on 27 May 1805.

His music was championed and performed by Romantic composers like Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Liszt.

[7] There are also now recordings of the two symphonies (Pratum Integrum Orchestra, 2008), three string quartets (Quatuor Mosaïques, 2012), and the Grand Duo for cello and piano.