12 Facts About Peter Winter

Peter Winter, later Peter von Winter, was a German violinist, conductor and composer, especially of operas.

Peter Winter began his career as a player at the Mannheim court, and advanced to conductor.

Peter Winter's work has been regarded as a bridge between Mozart and Weber in the development of German opera.

Peter Winter was a child prodigy on the violin, who occasionally played in the Mannheim court orchestra, from age ten, both violin and double bass.

Peter Winter studied violin in Mannheim with Wilhelm Cramer and Thaddaus Hampel, and later composition with Georg Joseph Vogler.

Peter Winter married Marianne Grosser that year, the daughter of a tailor.

Peter Winter became director of the court theatre in Munich at which point he started to write stage works, at first ballets and melodramas.

Peter Winter was promoted to vice kapellmeister in 1787 and to kapellmeister in 1798, holding the position for most of his life.

Peter Winter composed more than thirty operas between 1778 and 1820, and only few were unsuccessful.

Peter Winter's Maometto, composed in 1817 and premiered at La Scala in Milan, is occasionally revived, and was recorded.

Peter Winter's operas were produced in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris and Moscow.

Peter Winter gave voice lessons and published a Vollstandige Singschule in 1825.