Anton Eberl

Like Schubert, Anton Eberl was a genuine Viennese, who was born and died in the imperial city.
A pupil and friend of Mozart, he was something of a rival of Beethoven, both as piano virtuoso and composer. After Mozart's death he had supported his friend's widow, Konstanze for many years. Finally he could evade her influence; in 1797 he went to St. Petersburg and started a carrier as a teacher and composer at the tsar's court. Back in Vienna, he composed an impressive oeuvre after 1803. In 1807 he died of blood-poisoning. His piano music, as far as has been determined, consists of sonatas, sets of variations, fantasies, rondos, dances etc. Further he wrote four piano concertos, five symphonies, chamber music, lieder and some works for the stage.
Review of Eberl's works by his contemporaries compared his symphonies and piano concertos - among them the Concerto in C major op.32 premiered by Eberl himself in 1803 and recorded here for the first time - with those of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Eberl's piano music exhibits not only an early dependence upon the influence of Mozart, but also his departure from the style of his teacher for the more romantic idiom od the early 19th century.