Ignaz von Mosel

Ignaz (Franz) von Mosel (1 April 1772 – 8 April 1844) was an Austrian court official, composer and music writer.

Born in Vienna, Mosel entered the royal Bancal-Staatsbuchhaltung (State Bank Bookkeepers) in 1797, later joining the Obersthofmeisteramt and finally the royal Hofrath. He became the first 'kustos' of the court library. In 1812 he was the first conductor in Vienna to use a baton, whilst conducting a memorial concert with Carl Steinacker [de]. He conducted and organized the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde's music festivals (set up by Andreas Streicher) from 1812 to 1816, including the Handel concerts at the Winterreitschule, which ultimately led to the foundation of the society and its choir, which developed into the Wiener Singverein.

On 18 July 1818 he was raised to the nobility and from 1820 he served as vice-director of the court theatre, though he had little influence on the Hofoper after Domenico Barbaja took it over. From 1821 he was vice-director of the Hofbibliothek and from 1829 its director. He also bore the title of 'hofrat' or court councilor.

An influential figure in the musical life of Vormärz-era Vienna, he was a friend of the Schubert Circle. He composed mainly vocal works and was mainly important as a scholarly music writer and reviewer (it was he who wrote the first scholarly work on Mozart's Requiem). He also personally supported the Wiener Sängerknaben.

A street in Vienna's Favoriten district was named the 'Moselgasse' after him in 1974. A memorial plaque also stands on his family tomb in the Hietzing Cemetery (Gr. 44 Nr. 46).