Weiss, Silvius Leopold 10/12/1686 - 10/16/1750

Silvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750) was born in Breslau, Silesia, in modern-day Poland. His father Johann Jacob was a lutenist and theorbo-player, who taught him the lute. In 1706, Count Karl Philipp of Palatinat-Neuburg, then residing in Breslau and Brieg, took him into his service.



From probably 1710 on Weiss was in the service of the Polish Prince Alexander Sobieski, who lived in exile in Rome. At Prince Alexander’s court, he met the Scarlattis, father and son, as well as the organist Bernardo Pasquini and compatriots Handel and Heinichen. He accompanied the prince in his visits to other courts, where his virtuoso performances were universally admired.



When his protector died in 1714, he probably returned to the service of Karl Philipp. In 1718, he was appointed chamber musician for the Prince Elector of Saxony August the Strong, who had been King of Poland since 1697.
This highly prized position was based in Dresden, overlooking the Elbe. A cosmopolitan center for arts and sciences, Dresden could boast the possession of one of the finest opera houses and musical chapels in the Empire.
Weiss became the best-paid musician of the orchestra at the court of Dresden. His royal patron often sent him travelling as his musical emissary.



In 1722 the violinist Petit, a pupil of Tartini, supposedly as an act of vengeance, almost bit off a part of Weiss' thumb. After his recovery, during the fall of that year, Weiss left for Munich with Buffardin to attend the Prince Elector of Bavaria’s wedding. He was handsomely rewarded there, and in 1723 he travelled to Prague for the coronation of Emperor Charles VI as King of Bohemia.



Among his protectors was Imperial Count Hermann von Kayserlingk, known in the world of music to have commissioned J.S. Bach to write the famous « Goldberg Variations ». He had the reputation of a great amateur and connoisseur of music. He intervened in favor of Weiss when the latter was imprisoned in Dresden for allegedly offending the Master of Revels of Breitenbach.



J.S. Bach was another of the count's protégés. The two men had many occasions to meet in Dresden; Bach is said to have written some lute pieces for Weiss.



Unfortunately, Weiss seems not to have been interested ine publishing his own works. Of the 650 odd known works of his, only one small piece was published when he was alive ; G.F. Telemann used it in 1728 to serve as a tablature example in the volume "Loyal Music Master". His works showed off his virtuosity and it is possible that he wanted to keep them to himself.



Weiss’ final days were those of a man who is at the peak of his notoriety. He lived in Dresden, receiving pupils from various countries who came to him to study his music and to receive his advice. Despite his relatively exorbitant earnings, Weiss left nothing to his family, having probably spent all his money in keeping up the appearances required of his status. Johann Adolf Faustinus was the only one of his children to follow in his footsteps as a lutenist at the court of Dresden.