This Austrian violinist was one of the first members of the Burgtheatre in Vienna in 1752. By 1757 he was already a noted composer who had lifelong success with his ballets. In 1757 he was brought into the service of the Russian imperial court. Starzer quickly became the master of the concert and later the choir master and composer of ballets. He returned to Vienna in 1768 and composed ballets for two of the leading stars, Noverre and Angiolini. From 1771 until his death, Starzer was an official for the Tonkunstler-Sozietat, initially as an Assessor and later as its director. (Mozart succeeded Starzer in this position when the latter died.) With the Vienna Society he produced his own Passion of Jesus Christ as well as his arrangement of Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus." Both were well received. In addition to his thirty ballets, Starzer also composed some vocal works, symphonies, string quartets and other chamber works but his forte was ballet. "Il Cid," "Roger et Bradamante," "Les Horaces et les Curiaces," and "Les cinque soltanes" were just a few of Starzer's great successes. The music often departed from established dance conventions and Starzer also used unusual sixteen part accompaniments with chalumeaux and english horns scored in the arrangements. In some of his ballets Starzer also attempted musical painting by imitating sounds found in nature. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi