Leopold Jansa, estimable composer and violin virtuoso, born 1797 in Wildenschwert, Bohemia. The son of a local garment maker, Jansa took singing lessons and learned to play the violin, clavier and organ. Jansa began to perform in public while reading law at the University of Vienna. Encouraged by his successes, he decided to pursue a musical career. The court organist Worzischek introduced him to Emanuel Förster, who instructed him in composition and basso continuo. Jansa soon made his name as a violin virtuoso next to the luminaries of Vienna’s music scene such as Mayseder and Böhm. In 1823, he was appointed to the court of the Count of Brunswick. A year later, he was given the position of Kammervirtuose at the Austrian Emperor’s court. In 1834, he became musical director and violin professor at the University. After the death of Schuppanzigh, Jansa took over his popular musical salons at which string quartets were performed. Among Jansa’s musical partners were Heissler, Durst and Schlesinger. The chamber music salons were held in high regard in the midst of Vienna’s rather frivolous music scene and played an important role in educating the public.
In 1849, Jansa traveled with a delegation of musical experts to London. There, he agreed to play at a benefit concert for the victims of the Hungarian Revolution. This act of humanitarianism drew the ire of the Austrian government however and he was barred from returning home. Jansa was thus forced to stay in London and pick up a career as a performer and teacher. He was finally pardoned in 1867 and returned to Vienna the following year. After a short sojourn to Salzburg, he returned to Vienna and performed again in public. Jansa died in 1875. His works include String Quartets, String Trios and Duos, Violin Concertos, choral music, Fantasias, Rondos, solo pieces as well as various musical exercises. All of his works are fashioned with great style and are still popular with teachers and students alike.
—Source: Musikalisches Conversations-Lexikon: An Encyclopedia of All Musical Sciences for the Educated of All Classes, edited and published by Hermann Mendel, Berlin 1875 (transl.)
