Gassmann, Florian Leopold (1729-1774)

Bohemian composer. He settled in Vienna, Austria, as a ballet composer in 1763. In 1771 he was involved in founding Vienna's first music society, the Tonkünstler-Sozietät. He wrote 15 operas, most of them comic, including L'opera seria (1769), a satire on contemporary operatic practices, which was revived in Berlin, Germany, in 1994.

Gassmann studied with Padre Martini in Bologna, Italy. He was appointed court Kapellmeister in succession to the younger Georg Reutter in 1772.

Works Opera 25 operas, including Gli uccellatori (1759), L'amore artigiano, La notte critica (1768), and La contessina (1770).

Oratorio La Betulia liberata (1772).

Orchestral and chamber over 50 symphonies; chamber music.

Other much church music.