archivist composer musicologist
He attended high school in his hometown and studied to be an engraver.
At the same time he took music lessons with Christian Heinrich Rinck. In 1841 he went to Vienna and continued his education with Simon Sechter. He then traveled. In 1866 he took over the post of archivist of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.
As a music writer, he produced books about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Joseph Haydn.
Among his friends was Johannes Brahms, whom he encouraged to compose the Haydn Variations (Op 56). He died in Vienna. His estate is located at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.