Johann Ernst Eberlin

Music training for this composer and organist began through his participation in local school performances. In Salzburg, at the age of 19, he was a student of the Benedictine university eventually becoming the fourth organist and later Kapellmeister in Salzburg. Leopold Mozart came to Salzburg and acclaimed the merits of Eberlin's compositions. Eberlin wrote numerous oratorios, masses, school plays, cantatas, and instrumental works for the organ, specifically tocattas and fugues, as well as some operas that have been lost. Worthy compositions stand the test of reproduction and Leopold Mozart copied a number of Eberlin's liturgical works. Both Wolfgang and Leopold Mozart admired Eberlin's counterpoint in the liturgical collection Leopold had copied; however, Wolfgang continued to admire his vocal works while Leopold thought that the total liturgical collection, including the keyboard settings, was an excellent example to follow. ~ Keith Johnson