The Violoncello and Its HistoryWasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von
History
The Violoncello and Its History
Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von
Cellists; Cello -- History
Of his many unpublished compositions, there are amongst them Church
pieces, Cantatas, an Opera, Suites for the lute, Concertos for the Oboe
d’Amour and the Flute, Clavier Concertos with violin, and Overtures;
here only six Sonatas for Flute, Gamba, and Clavier will be noticed. The
year of his death is unknown.
Amongst the German gambists of the first half of the eighteenth century
a lady held a prominent position, DOROTHEA V. RIED, one of the five
daughters of the Austrian musician, Fortunatus Ried. Johann Frauenlob
says of them, according to Gerber, in his Essay on Learned Women: “That
although two of them were still very young--one was scarcely eight years
old--their father had brought them on so well in music that with their
two brothers they had given at Vienna, Prague, Leipsic, Wittenberg, and
other places such evident proofs of their talent as to have excited
universal admiration, for people thought they heard heavenly rather than
earthly music.”
Here also must be mentioned a royal personage--namely, the Elector
MAXIMILIAN JOSEPH, born March 28, 1728; died December 30, 1777. He
played the violin and the cello, but was especially an excellent
gambist. Burney, who heard him in 1772, says that he needed not to
be a great prince in order to discover that his skill, his rendering
of adagio, and his accuracy in time were perfect. Maximilian also
composed. His teacher for composition was Bernasconi.
Finally, CARL FRIEDRICH ABEL must also be mentioned as a gambist of
the first rank. He was born at Köthen, 1725, where his father held
the appointment of gamba player in the Hofkapelle. “The young Abel,”
says Gerber, “seems to have had instruction, as Thomas’ scholar, at
Leipsic, from the great Seb. Bach; then came in 1748 to the Hofkapelle
at Dresden, where, during the more flourishing period of Hasse’s life,
and for nearly ten years, he found time enough to form his taste.[36]
His small salary and a split with the director Hasse caused him to leave
that Court, according to Burney, in 1758, with three thalers in his
purse. In order to increase this capital, he went on foot to Leipsic,
laden with the MS. of six symphonies, where, through the generosity of
the publisher of these symphonies, he became six ducats richer. He now
went from one German court to another, and, by repeated good receptions
and applause, he regained not a little confidence. Finally he turned to
London, in 1759, where he found a great patron in the lately deceased
Duke of York, who supported him until the formation of the Queen’s Band,
to which he was appointed in the capacity of chamber musician, receiving
an annual payment of £300.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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