Franz Joseph Aumann (also Auman, Aumon; 24 February 1728, Traismauer – 30 March 1797, Sankt Florian) was an Austrian composer. Before his voice broke, he sang in the same Viennese choir as Michael Haydn and Johann Georg Albrechtsberger,[1] composers with whom he later in life traded manuscripts.[2] In view of this circulation, it is not surprising that some of his music has been incorrectly attributed to Haydn. However, his Missa Profana, satirizing the stuttering and bad singing of a schoolmaster, was once attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.[3]

Aumann was ordained a priest in the Augustinian Order in St. Florian in 1757, essentially staying there for the rest of his life. He wrote many mass settings.

Aumann's music was a large part of the repertoire at St. Florian in the 19th century, and Anton Bruckner availed himself of this resource for his studies of counterpoint.[4] Bruckner focused a lot of his attention on Aumann's Christmas responsories and an Ave Maria in D major.[5] Bruckner, who liked Aumann's coloured harmony, added in 1879 an accompaniment by three trombones to his settings of Ecce quomodo moritur justus and Tenebrae factae sunt.[6]

Aumann's oeuvre also includes instrumental music, such as some of the earliest string quintets.[7]

Works, editions and recordings edit

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  1. ^ New Grove, Volume 2[page needed]
  2. ^ Hawkshaw Paul (2007). 90 "Anton Bruckner's Counterpoint Studies at the Monastery of Saint Florian, 1845–55", 1 Musical Quarterly, p. 94
  3. ^ Abert, Spencer; Eisen, Hermann; Stewart, Cliff (2007). New Haven, Connecticut, W. A. Mozart, Yale University Press, p. 772
  4. ^ Hawkshaw (2007), p. 98
  5. ^ Hawkshaw (2007), p. 107
  6. ^ Uwe Harten (1996), Anton Bruckner. Ein Handbuch. Residenz Verlag [de], Salzburg, ISBN 3-7017-1030-9, p. 69
  7. ^ Eisen Cliff (1998). Madison, Wisconsin, Four Viennese String Quintets, A-R Editions Inc., p. vii