Gottlieb Muffat was a German composer and organist of the late Baroque era. He was regarded as the second-best Baroque composer of keyboard music, after J. S. Bach. He was born in 1690 in Passau, a city in South-Eastern Germany. His father was Georg Muffat, who was also an accomplished organist and composer. His first musical instruction likely came from his father, and by 1711 he was appointed hofscholar of the Viennese court. The hofscholar apprenticeship was an imperial program which offered financial support and training to the most talented young scholars and artists in Vienna. With Johann Joseph Fux as his instructor, Muffat received advanced training in singing, counterpoint, and continuo accompaniment. He also received lessons on the organ and on other instruments. After six years he completed his schooling and began an appointment as the court organist. In this position he performed services in the chapel, and continuo accompaniments for court opera productions. He also served as an educator to the children of the imperial family, which included the future Empress Maria Theresa. In 1726 he published his 72 Versetl samt 12 Toccaten, and in the preface he showed his appreciation for Fux, referring to him as "the best master in the world." Three years later he was promoted to the position of second organist, and he continued composing in addition to his other imperial responsibilities. He was finally promoted to first organist in 1741, following the accession of his student, Empress Maria Theresa. As a composer, Muffat was influenced by his father, Fux, and Couperin. There are also several instances where Muffat and Handel borrowed and reused elements from each other's compositions, but it's unlikely that the two composers knew each other personally. Muffat eventually retired around 1764, and passed away in Vienna in 1770. In modern times, his works have been recorded by Naoko Akutagawa, Flora Fabri, and Jörg-Andreas Bötticher. ~ RJ Lambert, Rovi