Background
Zenetti was born in the sexton’s house in Enns. Zenetti had early access to music through his father who served as a bassist, the local organist and the Thurnermeistern whose instrumental skills were appreciated in the church and for musical representations.
Career
He was the organist and choirmaster of the parish church in Enns in Upper Austria for 63 years. Biographers of Anton Bruckner recently revived interest in one of his masters, the longforgotten Leopold von Zenetti. His youth was marked by the French occupation and by the turbulent events in Upper Austria at the time.
During his studies in Linz, he played in the orchestra of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Linz.
He later became the organist and sacristan in Enns, where he lived at Kirchenplatz Near 5. Zenetti was actively involved in the liturgical and musical life of his home town.
Anton Bruckner was born near Enns and worked in Kronstorf and Street Florian. Between 1843 and 1845, he was the pupil of Leopold von Zenetti in Enns.
He visited his master up to three times a week to study Figured Bass using The Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Bruckner continued to work with Zenetti until 1855. Zenetti"s music library was of considerable interest to Bruckner. Zenetti taught him the music of the First Viennese School as well as that of the emerging Romantic style.
Even after he became Professor of harmony and counterpoint at the University of Music in Vienna, Bruckner continued to seek advice from Zenetti.
The student-teacher relationship had become a lasting friendship, and every time Bruckner was in Upper Austria "he came to Enns to visit, to speak cordially with his master during a few hours.".