Christian Müller
Christian Gottlieb Müller was a German violinist, composer, and conductor. He was born in Oderwitz on February 6, 1800, and died in Altenburg on June 29, 1863. The son of a weaver, he earned money as a child by dancing at village festivals.
He studied violin, clarinet, and other instruments in Zittau and Wurzen. Toward the end of his musical training, he studied violin with Louis Spohr and composition with Carl Maria von Weber.
Müller settled in Leipzig in 1824 and founded the Euterpe Musical Society, which became known for its symphonic and chamber concerts. He also played violin in the Gewandhaus Orchestra. In 1828, he became the first harmony teacher of 15-year-old Richard Wagner, and on December 15, 1832, he conducted the premiere of Wagner’s youthful Symphony in C major. Among Müller’s works from this period, his 1832 Concertino for bass trombone and orchestra achieved the most enduring success. Robert Schumann gave a favorable review to Müller’s Third Symphony, composed in 1835.
In 1838, Müller became music director of the Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg, while continuing to make occasional conducting appearances in Leipzig. His largest works date from this period: the operas Rübezahl (1840) and Oleando (1859), and the oratorio Christ on the Cross (1853).