three viola concertos, one of which is actually a double concerto for viola and violoncello, were once offered for sale by the German firm of Breitkopf, but recent research has determined that these were actually composed by Kraus, not Hoffstetter, as the autograph of one of them in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek clearly shows. Hoffstetter is best known for his friendship with Kraus, who was born in nearby Miltenberg-am-Main. Their friendship began as early as 1774 and continued through Kraus's appointment as court composer to Swedish King Gustav III, and on through to Kraus's death. Hoffstetter corresponded with both Kraus, and his early biographer, Swedish diplomat Fredrik Samuel Silverstolpe, who put him in touch with his idol, Haydn. Nine of these letters, written in 1800 to 1802, have been preserved in Silverstolpe's collection at Uppsala University library. [Unverricht, H. "Die Beide Hoffstetter," 1968] Literature Marshall J. Fine: The viola concertos of Fr. Roman Hofstetter, OSB. A new edition based on the manuscripts found at the University of Lund. UMI Publications, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1990 Hubert Unverricht: Beiträge zur Mittelrheinischen Musikgeschichte. Bd 10. Die beiden Hoffstetter. Zwei Komponistenporträts mit Werkverzeichnissen. Schott, Mainz 1968, L. Somfai: Zur Echtheitsfrage des Haydnschen op. 3. Haydn-Jahrbuch III, 1965. References External links 1742 births 1815 deaths German composers String quartet composers