Leopold I

The Holy Roman Emperor from 1658 until his death in 1705. As a member of the house of Habsburg, Leopold was familiar with the developing German language comedy. Within the content of his music there exists a reflection of his personal concerns which included a stringent following of his religious beliefs and apology towards Catholicism. The best genre in which he composed was liturgical. He synthesized stylings from concertos with multi-voiced methods and effective musical strains. "Missa angeli custodis," was Leopold's most substantial work in that he convincingly evoked the pathos of his second wife's death. The composition removed him from the ranks of the mere upper-class amateur. Patron of the arts and composer, Leopold favored dramatic works and he contributed a great deal of capital and performers (through the imperial family) to the medium. Over 400 dramatic musical works were performed at the court during Leopold's reign, including some of his own compositions. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi