(b Blasewitz, 17 April 1741; d Dresden, 23 Oct 1801). German composer. He studied in Italy and presented his first operas there and at the Dresden court, where he became second church composer in 1764 and chamber composer in 1765; in 1776 he became Kapellmeister. He next served at the Stockholm court, 1777-86, where he wrote three stage works, notably the Swedish operas Cora och Alonzo (1782) and Gustaf Wasa (1786), long regarded as the Swedish national opera; he also wrote a Danish opera, Orpheus og Eurydike (1786), for Copenhagen. From 1786 he was Oberkapellmeister at Dresden.
Naumann was the foremost Dresden musician of his day and a prolific composer, writing c 25 stage works, 12 oratorios, church music, cantatas and instrumental music. His early output is italianate; later he was influenced by Gluck and French opera, and in other vocal music by early Romantic style.
His grandson Emil (1827-88) wrote books and pamphlets on music and composed stage works, sacred music, lieder etc. Emil's cousin Ernst (1832-1910) was an editor of Bach's music, composer and arranger.
