Joseph I

Joseph I of Habsburg (Vienna, 26 July 1678 – Vienna, 17 April 1711) was a sovereign of the House of Habsburg and also an amateur musician of notable interest to the history of Austrian music in the early eighteenth century. His figure belongs to the Viennese court of the Baroque era, where music was an essential part of imperial representation.

The eldest son of Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonore Magdalene Theresa of Neuburg, he was proclaimed King of Hungary at Pressburg in 1687 and crowned King of the Romans at Augsburg three years later. He acceded to the imperial throne on 5 May 1705. In his youth he received lessons from J. J. Prinner and played the harpsichord, the flute and other instruments. Between 1682 and 1699 he took part in numerous productions at the Viennese court theatre as a singer, dancer and flautist.

His surviving compositions clearly show the imprint of Alessandro Scarlatti, although as a whole they possess more individuality than those of his father. Among them stands out the aria Tutto in pianto, which includes one of the first obbligato parts written for chalumeau. His legacy is modest, but it documents the musical taste of the Habsburg court.