SEYFRIED, IGNAZ XAVER, RITTER VON

(knight of) born Aug. 15, 1776, Vienna, Austria died Aug. 27, 1841, Vienna Austrian musician who composed more than 100 stage works and much instrumental and church music that was extremely popular in his own time, although it is almost entirely absent from the modern repertoire. Seyfried, who knew Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, studied with Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (Ludwig van Beethoven's teacher) and Joseph Haydn, among others. He was a highly successful conductor-producer (17971828) of operas in Vienna and was also a music theorist of considerable reputation. He edited a collection of Albrechtsberger's works on harmony (1826) and studies in technique and composition by Beethoven (1832).