Ludwig von Kochel

Ludwig Alois Friedrich Ritter von Köchel (January 14, 1800, Stein, Lower Austria - June 3, 1877, Vienna, Austria) was a writer, composer, botanist, editor, and admirer of the musical work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose work he cataloged in the mid-19th century.

He studied law in Vienna and was tutor to the four sons of Archduke Charles of Austria-Teschen for 15 years. This activity earned him the title of Ritter (knight) and allowed him to live on rents for the rest of his days. He dedicated himself privately to research; He carried out campaigns to collect botanical specimens in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula, Great Britain and Russia, highly appreciated by contemporary scientists. He also became interested in geology and mineralogy.

His passion for music (*1)—he was a member of the Salzburg Mozarteum—led him to systematize the list of Mozart's compositions, which he published in 1862 under the title Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis sämtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amadé Mozarts («Chronological and thematic catalog of all the musical works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart»). His last name (and his initial) have since been linked to the famous composer; for example, the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 23 in A Major from 1786 is identified with the number Köchel Verzeichnis (abbreviated KV or K.) 488.

Von Köchel also partly financed the first complete edition of Mozart's works published by Breitkopf & Härtel from 1877 to 1905. In it the classification in 24 categories proposed by Köchel was used.

Work

• Köchel Catalogue of the work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1862)
• 1...and his knowledge in Taxonomy used in the botanical classification...
• Mozart. Zu seiner Säcularfeier im Jahre 1856. Canzonen. Zaunrith, Salzburg 1856.* Geologische Übersichtskarte des Herzogthumes Salzburg mit Zugrundelegung der Aufnahmen der k.k. geolog. Reichsanstalt. Reiffenstein " Rösch, Vienna 1859

• Die Mineralien des Herzogthumes Salzburg. Mit einer Uebersicht der geologischen Verhältnisse und einer Karte. Gerold, Vienna1859

• Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichnis sämtlicher Tonwerke Wolfgang Amade Mozart's: nebst Angabe der verren gegangenen, unvollendeten, übertragenen, zweifelhaften und unterschobenen Compositionen desselben. Leipzig 1862

• Die Pflege der Musik am österreichischen Hofe vom Schluße des 15. bis zur Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts. Pichler, Vienna 1866

• Die Kaiserliche Hof-Musikkapelle in Wien von 1543 bis 1867: nach urkundlichen Forschungen. Beck, Vienna 1869

• Gedichte. Fromme, Vienna 1872

• Johann Josef Fux, Hofcompositor und Hofkapellmeister der Kaiser Leopold I., Josef I., und Karl VI. von 1698-1740. Hölder, Vienna 1872