Christian Gottlob Neefe (German:[ˈneːfə]; 5 February 1748 – 28 January 1798) was a Germanoperacomposer andconductor. He was known as one of the first teachers ofLudwig van Beethoven.
Neefe was born inChemnitz,Saxony. He received a musical education and started to compose at the age of 12. He studied law atLeipzig University, but subsequently returned to music to become a pupil of the composerJohann Adam Hiller under whose guidance he wrote his first comic operas.
In 1776 Neefe joined theSeyler theatrical company ofAbel Seyler (then) in Dresden, and inherited the position of musical director from his mentor, Hiller. He later became court organist inBonn and was the principal piano teacher ofLudwig van Beethoven. He helped Beethoven produce some of his first works. His best known work was aSingspiel calledAdelheit von Veltheim (1780). In Bonn, Neefe became prefect of the local chapter of theIlluminati, theMinervalkirche Stagira [de].[1][better source needed] He died inDessau.
| Title | Genre | Subdivisions | Libretto | Première date | Place, theatre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Der Dorfbarbier (withJohann Adam Hiller) | komische Operette | 1 act | Christian Felix Weiße, afterMichel-Jean Sedaine'sBlaise le savetier | 18 April 1771 | Leipzig, Rannstädter Thore |
| Die Apotheke | komische Oper | 2 acts | Johann Jacob Engel | 13 December 1771 | Berlin, Theater in der Behrenstrasse |
| Amors Guckkasten | Operette | 1 act | Johann Benjamin Michaelis | 10 May 1772 | Leipzig |
| Die Einsprüche | komische Oper | 1 act | Johann Benjamin Michaelis | late 1772 | Leipzig, Rannstädter Thore |
| Zemire und Azor | komische Oper | 4 acts | Moritz August von Thümmel, afterJean-François Marmontel | 5 March 1776 | Leipzig (Koberwein Company) |
| Heinrich und Lyda | Drama | 1 act | Bernhard Christian d'Arien | 26 March 1776 | Berlin, (Döbbelin Company) |
| Sophonisbe | musikaliches Drama | 1 act | August Gottlieb Meissner | 12 October 1776 | Leipzig |
| Die Zigeuner | Lustspiel mit gesang | 5 acts | H F Möller, afterCervantes | November 1777 | Frankfurt |
| Adelheit von Veltheim | Schauspiel mit Gesang | 4 acts | Gustav Friedrich Wilhelm Großmann | 23 September 1780 | Frankfurt, Junghof |
| Der neue Gutsherr | 3 acts | Johann Gottfried Dyck and Johann Friedrich Jünger, afterMarivaux'sLe paysan parvenu | unperformed |
