Franz Seraphin Lauska (13 January 1764 – 18 April 1825), baptised as Franciscus Ignatius Joannes Nepomucensis Carolus Boromaeus, was a Moravian pianist, composer, and teacher of Giacomo Meyerbeer. The name "Seraphin" was a later name affix, which Lauska never used. Lauska was considered "one of the most brilliant executants of his time."
Lauska was born in Brno, and may have been a student of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger while studying in Vienna in 1784. He also spent time in Italy, played chamber music while serving at the Bavarian court in Munich, taught in Copenhagen from 1794 to 1798, and then moved to Berlin. There he performed as a pianist, wrote music, and was a piano teacher of the Prussian royal family and the young Giacomo Meyerbeer. He conducted the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin in rehearsals while Carl Friedrich Zelter was away in 1802 and later became a member of Zelter's Liedertafel. Lauska probably knew Beethoven, for whom he read proofs, and was friends with Carl Maria von Weber, who dedicated his second sonata in A-flat major to Lauska. Around 1816 he gave piano lessons to Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn He died in Berlin, aged 61.
Lauska wrote a great deal of piano music (approximately 25 sonatas, rondos, variations, polonaises, capriccios, etc.), much of it technically undemanding and intended for beginners, amateurs, and his pupils. His music is uncomplicated and typical of the musical style at the time. The following list of works is incomplete. A complete, dated catalogue of works has been published recently.
Piano music:
Grande Sonate, Op. 1, for harpsichord or piano (Hamburg, ca. 1795) OCLC 497820429, 165292651
Menuette varié, for piano, on a theme from Sonata, op. 1 (Copenhagen, no date) OCLC 165292653, 474081654
Grande Sonate, Op. 4, for harpsichord or piano (Hamburg, ca. 1797) OCLC 300130484, 658645635
Eine grosse Sonate für's Pianoforte, Op. 6 (Hamburg, 1797) OCLC 254804106, 658645649, 478681395, 165292654 OCLC 165292654
Sonata, Op. 7, for piano (Hamburg, 1797) OCLC 658645663
Eight variations for piano on the air "Ich küsse dich o Schleier" from Geister Insel by Reichard (Munich, 1799) OCLC 497820508
Grande Sonate, Op. 9 (Hamburg, ca. 1800) OCLC 497820468
Grande Sonate, Op. 10 (Hamburg, ca. 1800) OCLC 497820474
Sonata, Op. 20, for piano (Leipzig, ca. 1812) OCLC 180641536, 122399892, 165292656
Polonaise, Op. 23 (Leipzig, ca. 1815) OCLC 315226638
Polonoise, Op. 25 (Leipzig, ca. 1809) OCLC 165278132
Sonata, Op. 26 (Leipzig, ca. 1810) OCLC 315226921
Rondeau and polonaise, Op. 27 (Berlin, ca. 1815) OCLC 632794135
Deux grandes polonaises en forme de rondeau, Op. 29 (Berlin, ca. 1812) OCLC 634045589, 315223658, 497820411
Capriccio, Op. 32, for piano (Leipzig, ca. 1815) OCLC 180641485, 165292640
Grande Sonate, Op. 34 (Berlin, no date) OCLC 165292660
Sonata, Op. 35 (Berlin, no date) OCLC 165292661
Capriccio and Polacca, Op. 36, for piano (Leipzig, ca. 1819) OCLC 165292638, 315227820
Sonate brillante, Op. 37 (Leipzig, ca. 1818) OCLC 315227464, 165292663
Polonoise, Op. 42, for piano (Leipzig, no. date) OCLC 165292644
Rondeaux brillants et agréables, Op. 44 (Leipzig, ca. 1820) OCLC 165292649
Sonate agreeable, Op. 46 (Leipzig, no date) OCLC 165292665
Der Fackeltanz, for piano four hands (Berlin, ca. 1823) OCLC 315785836, 230131300
Chamber music:
Sonate facile, Op. 18, for piano and violin (Munich, 1802–1803)
Sonata, Op. 28, for piano and cello (Berlin, ca. 1812) OCLC 56763134, 315223723, 497820495
Introduzzione e rondoletto for piano and cello (Berlin, ca. 1818–1819)
Concerto for harpsichord or piano and orchestra
Vocal music:
Neun deutsche Lieder und Variationen, Op. 2, for voice and piano (Hamburg, 1792) OCLC 475178942, 165292641, 473129820
Lied von den Militair-Eleven (Munich, 1806) OCLC 644149184
Twelve songs for voice and guitar (Hamburg, before 1821) OCLC 610971586
Fünf Tafel-Lieder für Männerstimmen, for the Liedertafel in Berlin (Berlin, ca. 1826) OCLC 315231028
Mass
Quando corpus morietur for 4 voices (1825)
