Hofmann, Leopold (1738-1793)

Leopold Hofmann's technical command of the instrument and his experience as a performer no doubt exerted a strong influence on his writing for the solo instrument. There is no evidence that his violin concertos were intended for his own use. Nonetheless, it tells us a good deal about Hofmann’s own qualities as a violinist and helps us better to understand the encomia of Hiller, Nicolai and Meusel. Since it is highly unlikely that any of these works were composed in connection with Hofmann’s known professional positions in the 1760s, they must have been written in connection with his flourishing freelance career. Given Hofmann’s increased preoccupation with the composition of sacred music after his appointment as regens chori at St Peter’s, it may be that the violin concertos and symphonies were written early in his career and were likely performed in private concerts in the houses of nobility. They are attractive, enterprising works, sensitively written for the solo instrument and clearly intended for highly skilled performers. While the number of copies that survive is relatively modest, their geographical spread, which ranges from Sweden in the North to the United States in the West and over a surprising area of Central Europe, suggests that Hofmann’s violin concertos won a reputation for themselves well outside Vienna.