Theodore Frederic Molt

Theodore Frederic Molt, (b Johann Friedrich), music teacher, writer, pianist, organist (b at Gschwend, near Stuttgart, 13 Feb 1795; d at Burlington, Vermont, 16 Nov 1856). Theodore Molt served in Napoleon's army before turning to musical study and going to Canada in 1822. He was the son of a Lutheran organist and established himself as a piano and theory teacher in Québec City where he married the daughter of the musician and teacher F.H. Glackemeyer. In 1825-26 Molt returned to Europe for further musical studies. On this trip he met Beethoven, who presented the canon "Freu Dich des Lebens" to Molt on 16 December 1825. This manuscript was purchased by the National Library of Canada (now LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA) in 1979. Returning to Canada, Molt was organist at the Québec Basilica (1841-49) and taught piano, organ, violin, and voice privately and in various institutions. He wrote several treatises on musical subjects including the first bilingual Canadian one, Elementary Treatise on Music/Traité élémentaire de musique (Quebec City 1828). Several of his vocal and piano compositions had publications in Canada and the United States while others remained in manuscript. He died in Vermont, where he had taught in the years 1833-41 and 1849-56. Some of his compositions have been republished in volumes 1 and 7 of the CANADIAN MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY series.