Johann Adam

Johann Adam, also known as Jean Adam, was a German composer who worked at the electoral court in Dresden, where he spent most of his career in the second half of the eighteenth century. His date of birth, around 1705, is approximate, and he died in Dresden on 13 November 1779.

His career began as a Jagdpfeifer, that is, a hunting horn player, at the Dresden court between 1733 and 1736. He then joined the Hofkapelle as a violist, remaining there until his death. At the same time he worked as a ballet composer for the court opera, a post probably held around 1740, and between 1763 and 1769 he was composer and musical director of the Elector's French theatre.

According to Burney and Fürstenau, he added ballet music to operas by J. A. Hasse and prepared an adaptation of Rameau's Zoroastre, first performed in Dresden in 1752. Documents from the Hofkapelle further indicate that he composed new pieces for various comic operas. In 1756 he published a Recueil d'airs à danser for harpsichord. Concertos and chamber works listed under the name Adam in the Breitkopf catalogues are also cautiously attributed to him.

His original output is slight: apart from his arrangements, the Saxon State Library in Dresden holds only one concerto in G major for flute and strings. His importance lies chiefly in his role within the musical life of the Dresden court.