Otto (first name unknown, sometimes referred to as Luigi Otto or Johann Otto; fl. 18th century) was a composer of the early classical period.

Life and work

The composer Otto is known for his trumpet concerto in E-flat Major, which is dated about 1770. The original performing parts are indicated dell Signe Otto on the title page. The only surviving copy of the composition is held in the Fürst zu Bentheimsche Musikaliensammlung Burgsteinfurt, now in the custody of the Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Münster. It is documented that the copies were acquired on behalf of Count Louis of Bentheim and Steinfurt by the court chapel's trumpeter named Preger. Together with another trumpet concerto from a likewise unknown composer named Signor Laue, the sheet music arrived in December 1803 from Gotha. However, as Preger left the chapel already in 1804, and the parts are in an almost untouched condition, it seems possible that both concertos may have never been performed in the concert hall of the Steinfurter Bagno. Nothing is currently known about Otto's life. Since the first recording of his concerto in 1981, he is referred to as Luigi Otto in most releases, although there seems to exist no source for the first name. The Répertoire International des Sources Musicales (RISM) associates Otto with a certain Johann (Giovanni) Otto, of whom performing parts of two symphonies have survived in the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, although the attribution is conjectural. Other musicians named "Otto", who have been proposed, include the composer Franz Otto (1730–1805) from Glatz (Silesia), the song composer Carl Otto from Mainz or the Augustinin canon Laurentius Justinianus Ott (1748–1802) from Weyarn. The concerto has been recorded by notable trumpeters like Maurice André, Ludwig Güttler, Otto Sauter and Krisztián Kováts.

Works

Editions

Discography

Sources