Musicalische Zeitung für die österreichischen Staaten

Between January and March 1812 three issues of the Musicalische Notizen (RIPM code MKL) appeared in Linz, printed in octavo format, authored by Joseph Kastner and published by Franz Xaver Glöggl. The latter had originally intended to append a sheet with news to every third issue of his Allgemeines Musikalisches Lexikon (which appeared in Linz in 1812), but as only one part of the lexicon (letters A–J) appeared in print, and “um den Wünschen mehrerer Kunstfreunde zu entsprechen” [to respond to the wishes of several friends of the arts], the Musicalische Notizen were issued on a monthly basis, beginning at the start of the year and appearing at the end of the month. The Musicalische Notizen comprised one full sheet (16 pages) containing national and international news on noteworthy music performances and other events in the world of music as well as obituaries, advertisements of musical positions available, “Anzeigen vorzüglicher Musicalien und Lehrbücher” [Advertisements for excellent sheet music and textbooks] for the church, the theater, and the chamber, reports on “Neue Erfindungen” [New inventions], anecdotes, and character portraits of famous musicians.

Three months after its first appearance the Musicalische Notizen – again “auf Veranlassung mehrerer Kunstfreunde” [At the instigation of several friends of the arts] – was absorbed by the succeeding Musicalische Zeitung für die oesterreichischen Staaten (RIPM code MKZ). Published “im Verlage des musikalischen Zeitungs-Bureau” [by the publishing house of the Musical Journal] in Linz, the MKZ appeared every other week during the period 15 April 1812 to 31 March 1813. It was printed now in quarto size, the format commonly used for periodicals, and its length at first remained the same – one sheet, or 8 pages in 1812 the first year it was issued.  In 1813 the journal became a weekly and diminished to a half-sheet (four pages). Its content remained essentially the same, the rubrics altered to “Nachrichten” [News], “Notizen” [Notes], “Miscellen” [Miscellanea], “Nekrolog” [Obituary], “Anzeigen” [Advertisement], “Anekdote” [Anecdote] and “Anstellung” [Employment]. The editor remained Franz Xaver Glöggl. The contributions were either taken from other periodicals or written by Glöggl himself and were mostly unsigned. Exceptions were those of the composer and lawyer Gottfried Weber from Mannheim and a certain J. H. Mucha from Namiest, whose contributions were identified by name.

In issue no. 5 (15 June 1812) Glöggl announced that, “nach erhaltener hinlänglicher Unterstützung durch zahlreiche Pränumeranten” [Following sufficient support by numerous pre-subscribers] little music pieces of excellent quality would be appended to every issue. Of the altogether six additions, two contained complete works: the aria “An die Natur” by Friedrich Leopold Graf zu Stolberg set to music by Franz Anton Hoffmeister, and two Russian folksongs. One issue (no. 8, 31 July 1812) contained a textual supplement, the Intelligenz-Blatt zur musicalischen Zeitung (no. 1, 1 July 1812).

In the last issue (no. 13, 31 March 1813) Glöggl informed readers that “der Hauptzweck des Unternehmens dieser musik[alischen] Zeitschrift durch die Herausgabe der Wiener allgemeinen musikalischen Zeitung [erreicht sei]“ [the main purpose of publishing this periodical (that is, to provide imperial Austria with a music journal) had become obsolete with the publication of the Wiener allgemeine musikalische Zeitung]; the MKZ thus was discontinued.