Johann Melchior Molter (ca. 1695- 1765), born in the Thuringian principality of Eisenach, became in 1717 a musicien in the service of Margrave Karl Wilhem of Baden-Durlach, who sent him in 1719 to Venice and Rome, where he was especially influenced by the compositions of A. Vivaldi.
After his return in 1722, he accepted the position of director of the court orchestra in Durlach and Karlsruhe. After the outbreak of the Polish Succession War (1733), the Margrave moved out of the Karlsruhe residence and dissolved the court orchesta. Molter was sent to the Saxon-Eisenach court, where he stayed (except for a second trip to Italy in 1738) until the dissolution of the court orchestra in 1741.
After 1743 we find him again in the service of the Margrave Karl Wilhelm, where as music director he had the task of re-establishing the orchestra. He remained in this post until his death. His large body of instrumental music is stylistically similar to Vivaldi, but already evidences many «gallant» touches, and it is especially notable in the use (rare at that time) of solo instruments as chalumeau and clarinet.
