The Italian operatic stage of the late eighteenth century was significantly shaped by the arrival of a Prague-born musician who chose to pursue composition over the family milling trade. Josef Mysliveček, known in Italy as Il Boemo, occupied a unique position as a freelance artist who maintained his independence from the traditional patronage systems that governed his contemporary composers.
Transition to Musical Life
Born in 1737, Mysliveček initially followed the path of his father, a prosperous Prague mill owner, eventually achieving the rank of master miller in 1761. His focus shifted permanently to music shortly thereafter, as he pursued formal training under local teachers Franz Johann Habermann and Josef Seger. Seeking broader opportunities, he relocated to Venice in 1763 to study with Giovanni Battista Pescetti. Throughout his career, he functioned as a versatile performer, serving as an organist, violinist, and chapelmaster, while establishing a reputation for a dynamic personality that defied the typical servile status of court musicians.
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Mysliveček’s transition into Italian opera began in earnest with the performance of his first work, Semiramide, in 1766. His breakthrough arrived in 1767 with the success of Il Bellerofonte at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, which secured his standing as a major composer of Italian serious opera. He maintained a prolific output, with notable contributions including Antigona, L'Olimpiade, Il trionfo di Clelia, and L'Ipermestra. His professional standing reached a height when he was admitted to the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna in 1771. He remained based in Italy for the duration of his career, with few departures, including a 1777 invitation to Munich by Elector Maximilian III Joseph.
Association with the Mozart Family
The composer shared a close, multi-year connection with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his father, Leopold. They first met in Bologna in 1770 when the younger Mozart was 14. Mysliveček provided stylistic models in symphony and concerto composition that influenced the development of the younger musician. This relationship deteriorated by 1778 after Mysliveček failed to secure a promised operatic commission in Naples. During his later years, he suffered from a disfiguring chronic illness, which contemporaries associated with his reputation for promiscuity. Despite his professional productivity, he struggled with financial mismanagement and died in poverty in 1781.
Fast facts
- Born: 1737, Prague
- Died: 1781, Rome
- Primary Occupation: Composer
- Training: Philharmonic Academy of Bologna
- Notable Works: Il Bellerofonte, L'Olimpiade, Antigona
- Burial Site: San Lorenzo in Lucina
- Nickname: Il Boemo
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Bohemia, Papal States
Questions readers ask
Was Josef Mysliveček a noble?
No, he was the son of a mill owner and worked throughout his life as a freelance professional, avoiding direct employment by rulers or prelates.
What was his relationship to Mozart?
He was a mentor and close friend to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart between 1770 and 1773, though the relationship ended following a failed promise of an operatic commission.
Achievements
- Notable work: Il trionfo di Clelia
- Notable work: Il Bellerofonte
- Notable work: L'Ipermestra
- Notable work: Antigona
- Genres: opera, symphony and classical music
