Anton Diabelli

Anton Diabelli (born Sept. 6, 1781, Mattsee, near Salzburg, Archbishopric of Salzburg, Austrian Habsburg domain [now in Austria]—died April 7, 1858, Vienna) was an Austrian music publisher and composer best known for his waltz, or Ländler, on which Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his 33 variations for piano (Diabelli Variations, 1823).

Diabelli intended to enter the priesthood and entered the monastery at Raitenhaslach, where his studies were supervised by composer Joseph Haydn’s brother Michael Haydn. Diabelli left the monastery in 1803, when the Bavarian monasteries were secularized, and went to Vienna, where he became a piano and guitar teacher. In 1818, with Peter Cappi, he founded a publishing firm, which he took over entirely in 1824. He issued an invitation in 1819 to many composers to contribute variations on one of his own waltzes in order to form a “patriotic anthology” published by his firm. About 50 composers responded, including Beethoven, whose monumental set of 33 variations was finally completed in 1823 and published separately as Diabelli Variations. Respected for his instincts as a publisher, Diabelli published several other works of Beethoven and was the principal publisher for Franz Schubert, issuing the first thematic catalogue of Schubert’s works in 1851. Diabelli’s own compositions include operettas, church music, and numerous light pieces for piano, flute, guitar, and other instruments.