Although Kraft Ernst officially assumed rule of his hereditary lands on his birthday, August 3, 1773, it was not until a month later, on September 10, that he returned to Wallerstein from Vienna. Almost immediately, he set in motion plans for establishing a Hofkapelle. Drawing on his own musical experiences in his father's court, student days in Vienna, and travels on the Grand Tour, Kraft Ernst was now prepared to shape Wallerstein into a center for music. The young count had been considering his course of action for some time. As early as January 1772, he had discussed with Beecke possible strategies for the redesign of his father's court music.1 By the spring of that year, Kraft Ernst had sketched out a tentative plan for his new Kapelle. In response, Beecke provided some sound advice for getting started: “It is necessary for Your Lordship to have a fine violinist who can play concertos. I ask only that the rest of the players in the orchestra be good readers who have sensitivity. The oboes and the horns are the soul of the orchestra; it will be difficult to locate good oboe players.”

Organization, Leadership, and Function in a Hofkapelle

Eighteenth-century court life was a minutely structured existence, whose regular routine was determined and governed by a strict system of protocol evolved over centuries and maintained with vigor by each new generation. A hierarchy of offices and positions was established, each offering special privileges and demanding certain responsibilities.