Johann Xaver Nauss

Johann Xaver Nauss was a German composer, organist and teacher born around 1690 and died in Augsburg on 15 November 1764. His career unfolded almost entirely in that Bavarian city, where he settled while still young and where he carried out his musical duties for decades.

In Augsburg he married on two occasions, in 1718 and in 1742. He served as organist at the collegiate church of St George until 1727 and, from then on, devoted himself to teaching. In 1734 he was appointed organist of Augsburg Cathedral, a post he held thereafter.

His most widely circulated work was Die spielende Muse, a collection of simple pieces for keyboard beginners, published in five parts by different publishers; the last two appeared from the house of Lotter, in 1748 and 1752. In addition, in 1751 the same publisher issued his didactic manual Gründlicher Unterricht den General-Bass recht zu erlernen, devoted to learning basso continuo. His legacy is associated above all with the musical pedagogy of his time.