Ernst Wilhelm Wolf (baptised 25 February 1735 – 29 or 30 November 1792) was aGerman composer.
Wolf was born inGrossen Behringen inThuringia, today part of theHörselberg-Hainichmunicipality. His elder brother Ernst Friedrich was a composer andorganist who studied underGottfried Heinrich Stölzel. Ernst Wilhelm's musical talent manifested itself early, and already by age nine he was a skilledharpsichordist, particularly apt atfigured bass realization. Wolf attendedgymnasiums atEisenach and atGotha, where he became a choir prefect. It was in Gotha that Wolf first heard the music ofCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach andCarl Heinrich Graun; he was particularly fascinated with Bach's work. The admiration was mutual: a performance of some of Wolf's compositions in 1752 drew praise from Bach. Wolf and Bach's friendship lasted throughout their lives; Wolf helped collect subscriptions forCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach'sfür Kenner und Liebhaber (for Connoisseurs and Amateurs) works (piano sonatas and rondos).[1]
Following his brother's advice, in 1755 Wolf entered theUniversity of Jena. There he became the director of thecollegium musicum, for which he composed a number of works. After three years he moved toLeipzig in 1758, and then toNaumburg, where he worked as music teacher for the von Ponickau family. Wolf later decided to journey toItaly, but ended up settling inWeimar, where he spent the rest of his life. He first worked as music teacher toDuchess Anna Amalia and her sons, then became court Konzertmeister (1761), organist (1763) and finally Kapellmeister (1772). In 1770 Wolf marriedMaria Carolina Benda (1742–1820), daughter of the famousBohemianviolinist and composerFranz Benda. At one point an offer was made to Wolf byFrederick II of Prussia to succeed Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, but Wolf declined, possibly at Anna Amalia's instigation. In his later years Wolf's activity slowed down, and he became increasingly depressed. After a stroke, Wolf's health started deteriorating, and he died in late 1792.[2]
Wolf's reputation during his lifetime was very high already from the earliest years, when he was a child prodigy. It further increased after his sojourns in Gotha, Jena, and Leipzig, partly through the efforts ofJohann Friedrich Doles, an important practitioner of Protestant church music in the orbit of late 18th-century Leipzig, andJohann Adam Hiller, composer and writer on music. Wolf's music was known far beyond Weimar and his writings were acclaimed by experts (even though Wolf wrote primarily for amateurs).
The most important part of Wolf's surviving oeuvre is his instrumental music. He composed at least thirty-five symphonies, of which twenty-six survive,[2] some twenty-five harpsichord/piano concertos, more than 60 keyboard sonatas, and numerous chamber works, including string quartets, piano quintets, and other music. Stylistically these works are close to those of the composers of theMannheim school. Particularly interesting are the harpsichord sonatas, which reflect the influence of C.P.E. Bach, and generally use more forward-looking structures. Like Bach and older masters, Wolf advocated studying counterpoint, and recommendedJohann Sebastian Bach's preludes and fugues to his students; however, his views went out of fashion in the late 18th century.
Wolf also produced a great number of stage and sacred works. For the Weimar court, he composed some 20Singspiele, influenced byJohann Adam Hiller's style. Although these works are not as advanced as his instrumental music, some include very progressive passages in the vein ofWolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Wolf's sacred music shows the influence of C.P.E. Bach and Carl Heinrich Graun.
