A composer and double bass player, Johannes Sperger studied counterpoint under Beethoven’s teacher Albrechtsberger in Vienna. He was in the service of noblemen in Pressburg and in Fidich and after a period of relative difficulty in Vienna entered the service of the Duke of Mecklenburg in Ludwigslust, a position he retained until his death in 1812. He was an acknowledged virtuoso of his instrument.
Orchestral Music
Sperger wrote a quantity of orchestral music, including some 45 symphonies (often with concertante elements) and a number of concertos, including 18 for the double bass. These works are in the current style of the period.