History
Director of Music at St. Stephen’s Cathedral
It was not until the 17th century that the cathedral’s Directors of Music was named ‘Domkapellmaster’ (master of cathedral music). We know the names of 21 cantors which are mentioned in surviving documents from 1356 to 1500. The name cantor however can refer either to a soloist singing in a service or to the canon being in charge. In later centuries, during the final years of the Director of Music’s life, they had an unpaid adjunct who would be permitted to succeed the Director of Music. Names and dates are known in only very few cases.
The most famous among them was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. A few months before his death – likely on 28 April 1791 – he applied to the magistrate of Vienna for the position of Adjunct to the Director of Music at St. Stephen’s.
As the cathedral’s then Director of Music, Leopold Hofmann, was seriously ill, Mozart hoped to be awarded his position in the event of his death. He received a positive response on 9 May.
But it was not to be: Hofmann regained his health, Mozart did not become the Cathedral’s Director of Music and died the same year. Though it cannot be proven, it is very probable that Mozart occasionally replaced the ailing Director of Music, Hofmann, at the cathedral and thus played music at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the final six months before his death.
DIRECTOR OF MUSIK AT THE CATHEDRAL/CANTORS
1439 – 1444
Hermann Edlerauer (also Edlerawer)
1463
Thomas List
1501 – 1504
Kaspar Manndl
1509 – 1527
Kaspar Slussler
1527 – 1529
Georg Stennczl
(1529) 1531 – 1536
Hanns Lanckbuss (also Lankbusch)
1536 – 1545
Mathes Tutt (also Thut / Thun)
1545 – 1548 (1552)
Wolfgang Gebhart
1553
Kaspar (Stephan) Capus
1553 – 1569
Lukas Plassmanx
1571 – 1572
Michael Petauer (also Pethauer / Peltauer)
1572 – 1573
1573 – 1580
Judas Pyerpant (also Pierpandt)
1585 – 1600
Hilarius Nunitsch
1600 – 1609
Wolf(gang) Khöberl
1609 – 1619 (?)
Quintin de la Court
1619 – 1631
1631 – 1633
Johann Kreutzer
1632 – 1663
1663 – 1665
1665 – 1666
1666 – 1678
P. Augustin Kerzinger (also Kürzinger)
1678 – 1679
Michael Stadler
1697 – 1705
Johann Michael Zacher (1679 – 1712)
(also Director of Music for Maria Pocs)
1712 – 1715
Johann Josef Fux (1660 – 1741)
(Director of Music for Maria Pocs as far back as 1705)
1715 – 1738 (?)
Georg Reutter d. Ä. (1656 – 1738)
(Director of Music for Maria Pocs as far back as 1712)
Johann Georg Reinhardt (1676 – 1742)
(1720 – 1740 Director of Music for Maria Pocs)
Ferdinand Schmidt (1693 – 1756)
(1743 – 1756 Director of Music for Maria Pocs)
1736 (?) – 1772
Georg Reutter d. J. (1708 – 1772)
(1759 – 1772 also Director of Music for Maria Pocs)
1772 – 1793
Leopold Hofmann (1738 – 1793)
(1772 – 1783 also Director of Music for Maria Pocs)
1793 – 1809
Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (1736 – 1809)
1809 – 1823
1824 – 1844
Johann Baptist Gänsbacher (1778 – 1844)
1844 – 1852
1853 – 1901
Gottfried von Preyer (1817 – 1901)
1903 – 1921
1921 – 1946
1946 – 1983
1983 – 1991
Peter Planyavsky (Cathedral Music Director, *1947)
1991 – 2005
2005 – 2006
Günter Knotzinger (interim director, *1943)
ab 2007
Markus Landerer (*1976)