HILLER, Johann Adam (1728 -1804),musical composer, was born at Wendisch-Ossig near Görlitz in Silesia, December 25, 1728. By the death of his father in 1734 he was left dependent to a large extent on the charity of friends. Entering in 1747 the Kreuzschule in Dresden, the school frequented many years afterwards by Richard Wagner, he afterwards went to the university of Leipsic, where he studied jurisprudence, supporting himself by giving music lessons, and also by performing at concerts both on the flute and as a vocalist. Gradually he adopted music as his sole profession, and devoted himself more especially to the permanent establishment of a concert institute at Leipsic. It was indeed he who originated (in 1781) the celebrated Gewandhaus concerts which still flourish at Leipsic. In 1789 he became “cantor” of the Thomas school there, a position previously held by the great John Sebastian Bach. He died June 16, 1804. Two of his pupils placed a monument to his memory in front of the Thomas school. Hiller’s compositions are numerous, and comprise almost every kind of church music, from the cantata to the simple chorale. But infinitely more important are his operettas, 14 in number, which for a long time retained their place on the boards, and had considerable influence on the development of light dramatic music in Germany. The Jolly Cobbler, Love in the Country, and the Village Barber xvQVQ amongst the most popular of his works. Hiller also excelled in songs and ballads of the sentimental kind. With great simplicity of structure his music combines a considerable amount of genuine melodic invention. Although an admirer and imitator of the Italian school, Hiller fully appreciated the greatness of Handel, for the appreciation of whose music in Germany he did much. It ...