Johann Franz Xaver Sterkel

Compositions by this German pianist were voluminous. Genres, too, were considerable including symphonies, sonatas, trios, quintets, solo pieces, and both sacred and secular vocal works. His works can be characterized as highly lyrical, influential, the best four hand piano pieces, fluid, excellent transcriptions of the teachings of the Mannheim school to keyboard scores, facilely structured, and almost expressive to the point of being beyond description. Critics claimed that his works were simply too effeminate because of their lyric and sentimental qualities. His works were so well regarded that they were included in a collection of lessons published by Relfe containing works by Haydn and Kozeluch. Sterkel's works were also included in Clementi's "Musical Characteristics" which again were contained along with works by prominent composers including Mozart and Clementi. Sterkel also held a number of prominent positions during his career outside of his extensive concert piano tours. He became the Kapellmeister for the Mainz court and also served the Grand Duke of Frankfurt. Schubert may have been influence by Sterkel as there is a familiar comparable air about their compositions concerning the relaxed structures of their technical arrangements. Students of Sterkel included the pianist C.P. Hoffmann and Catherina Bauer. ~ Keith Johnson