Gottfried Van Swieten
Gottfried, Freiherr van Swieten (Leiden, October 29, 1733 – Vienna, March 29, 1803) was a diplomat, librarian, and government official who served the Austrian Empire during the 18th century. He was an enthusiastic amateur musician and is best remembered today as the patron of several great composers of the Classical era, including Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.
Read more about Gottfried Van Swieten: Life and Career, Relation To Classical Composers, Van Swieten and The Social Customs of Music, Assessment, In Popular Culture
Famous quotes containing the word van:
“The legend of Felix is ended, the toiling of Felix is done;
The Master has paid him his wages, the goal of his journey is won;
He rests, but he never is idle; a thousand years pass like a day,
In the glad surprise of Paradise where work is sweeter than play.”
—Henry Van Dyke (1852–1933)