Part 11

Later he was sent to Milan for the benefit of the Conservatoire. Here the excellent violoncellist, Merighi, conducted his further education. Piatti attended the above-named Institution until September, 1837, after having appeared previous to this date at one of the concerts with decided success. In April, 1838, he gave a concert of his own in the Teatro della Scala, at Milan, with the profits of which he supplied himself with the means of undertaking a concert tour. Soon after he was heard very favourably at Venice and Vienna. In the latter town he remained some time; then he returned to Italy and gave concerts at Milan and Padua. In 1843 he went to Munich and joined in a concert with Liszt there. In the following year he presented himself at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, Berlin, Breslaw, and Dresden, when he afterwards visited Paris. In 1845 he was in St. Petersburg, where his performances met with unusual appreciation. Having returned to Milan, the post of teacher was offered to him, in 1846, at the Conservatoire. He did not, however, accept the offer, but established himself in the same year in the English capital, which from that time he has only left occasionally, either to undertake concerts or journeys to recruit his health. In London he soon became one of the most distinguished artistic celebrities, and he still remains in full favour with the public. His performances are proportionably marked by fine tone, the greatest purity, tasteful rendering, as well as by a perfect mastery of all technical difficulties. He is not only the most important cellist in England, but belongs altogether to the highest rank of artists of the present time. He wrote for his instrument two Concertos (Op. 24 and 26), a Concertino (Op. 18), a “Fantasia romantica,” Capriccios (Op. 22 and 25), a “Sérénade Italienne” (Op. 17), “Airs Baskyrs” (Op. 8), as well as a long list of other works, consisting of Themes with variations and drawing-room pieces of various kinds. Further he has brought out new editions of old cello compositions and six Sonatas by Boccherini. He has also published original songs with violoncello obbligato.

Two other pupils of the Milan Conservatoire are GUGLIELMO QUARENGHI and ALESSANDRO PEZZE. The first, born on October 22, 1826, in Casal Maggiore, was pursuing his studies during the years 1839-1842. Arrived at maturity he was first violoncellist at the Teatro della Scala, at Milan, and from 1851 he gave instruction also at the Conservatoire to which he was indebted for his education. In February, 1879, he took the place of Boucheron as Choirmaster at the Cathedral. He enjoyed this position only a few years, for he died February 3 or 4, 1882. Amongst his compositions the most noteworthy are--Six Capriccios, a “Chant elégiaque,” with piano accompaniment; two Romances, a Scherzo, “Un pensiero al lago,” and some Fantasias on _Motifs_ from Italian operas.

ALESSANDRO PEZZE, born 1835, at Milan, received from his father, a clever dilettante, his first musical instruction, after which, in 1846, he went to the Conservatoire of his native town. Merighi directed his violoncello studies. After he had been for some time first cellist at the Teatro della Scala, he was engaged by the English impresario, Lumley, for Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Pezze belonged to it until 1867, in which year the theatre was destroyed by fire. Later this artist was employed in the orchestras of the Philharmonic Society and Covent Garden. He is still living in London.

The Naples Conservatoire produced GAETANO BRAGA, born on June 9, 1829, at Guilianuova in the Abruzzi. He was originally destined for the church, but the inclination for music came out so strongly that he could not be kept back from it. His parents now wished that he should be educated as a singer; he, however, decided for the violoncello, on which Gaetano Ciandelli directed his studies. He soon became a pupil of Mercadante for composition. In the year 1852 he had finished his studies at the Conservatoire. Soon after he undertook a concert journey to the North of Italy, and from thence to Vienna, where he formed a connection with Mayseder, and was a member of his String Quartet for a short time. In 1855 he betook himself to Paris, where he was much in request as a favourite solo player. He is at present living in Florence. As a composer Braga devoted himself by preference to stage compositions. For the violoncello he only wrote a Concerto, and some smaller pieces with piano accompaniment, and a Serenade for voice with cello accompaniment.

Other Italian violoncellists at the present time worthy of notice are--RONCHINI and G. MAGRINI in Milan, PINI in Venice, SERATO in Bologna, TOSCANINI in Parma, SBOLCI and CASTAGNOLI in Florence, FURINO in Rome, CENTOLA in Naples, MONTECCHI (who lives at present at Rennes in Bretagne as a music teacher), and MATTIOLI, now in Cincinnati.[100]

FOOTNOTES:

[97] In the last century there existed in Naples four Conservatoires. But in 1806 they amalgamated into one musical Institute.

[98] Caffaro, opera and church music composer, was Director of the Neapolitan Conservatoire della Pietá. Milico was then famous as a stage singer.

[99] See my work, “The Violin and its Masters.” 2nd Ed., 365.

[100] In spite of every effort, I have not succeeded in gaining any more details concerning the above violoncellists.

V.--GERMANY

German violoncello playing had, during the second half of last century, found unusual opportunities for expansion in consequence of the demand for numberless competent artists for the various princely households, as well as for the larger towns. Amongst the cellists mentioned in the second part of this work, there were already some specially prominent personages to distinguish. The branch of art, however, to which this book is devoted first received a really important and sustained impulse through means of BERNHARD ROMBERG. This artist acquired for German violoncello playing a significance similar to that which Louis Spohr gained for German violin playing, only with this difference--that the latter master was far superior to the former as a composer. While certain violin compositions of Spohr (not to speak of his other works), on account of their intrinsic worth, are calculated to appear in concert programmes, and will presumably do so in the future, the cello pieces by Romberg have already for some time completely disappeared from them. Yet they have, from a scholastic point of view, proved to be of value even to the present day. In regard to this, what Romberg did for the cultivation and perfecting, as well as the fine manipulation of his instrument, merits for him the appellation of founder of the German school of violoncello playing. His Concertos and concert pieces have been of more importance, however, for taking such a direction than his violoncello school, which by no means belongs to the best instruction books of the kind, and is a proof that a man can be a distinguished teacher--and Romberg was in any case this--without having the capacity for the production of a thoroughly satisfactory instruction book. The examples and music pieces in Romberg’s violoncello school are indeed excellent, but some of the maxims which he enunciates seem peculiar, and he goes too much into extraneous matter, instead of bringing forward the more substantial principles with the necessary precision and accuracy.

It is noteworthy that Romberg advocated a simplified notation for violoncello music. Primarily (besides the bass clef), in Italy and Germany, only the tenor clef was used, and the alto clef in France. But as the compass of violoncello playing was more and more extended up to the high parts of the scale, by the use of the thumb positions, keys used for the discant and violin were added. Boccherini, for the notation of many of his compositions, made use altogether of five clefs, sometimes indeed in one and the same piece--as, for example, at the opening _Allegro_ of his Concerto (C major). There was nothing arbitrary in this procedure. Boccherini had far more in view the object of giving to the player starting-points for the finger positions to be used in each case. In his later compositions, however, he abandoned this, as the use of so many different clefs had its inconveniences; and he restricted himself to the use of the bass, tenor, and violin clef. This notation was subsequently generally accepted, particularly also by Romberg, and is still in use up to the present time. In opposition to the earlier favourite manner of writing the notes--by the use of the violin clef an octave too high for the violoncello, as is the case in Mozart’s and Beethoven’s compositions--Boccherini, by the application of the clefs mentioned, wrote everything as it would sound. By this means he gained the advantage that he was not obliged to make so much use of ledger lines in the writing of his passages--which were continually moving in the soprano part--as he must have done if he had followed the custom of his contemporaries and had adhered to the higher system of notation. It is readily understood why Romberg in his cello school should declare himself in favour of the change introduced by Boccherini, for he also, with special predilection, made use of the higher regions of the fingerboard for his playing; wherefore it was said of him that his handling of the violoncello was often after the manner of the violin. From this point of view it is thoroughly rational that Romberg, in regard to notation, should follow the example given by Boccherini. In later times the too frequent and continuous use of the soprano clef--in which a broad, energetic volume of tone, full of expression, is nearly excluded--has been abandoned without, however, being neglected entirely; while to the most beautiful and effective clef--namely, the tenor--has been accorded its right place.

BERNHARD ROMBERG was the son of the bassoon player, Anton Romberg, of some note in his time, and was born on November 11, 1767, in the village of Dinklage, near the little Prussian town of Quakenbrück. It is unknown whom he had as teacher for the violoncello. It was probably an orchestra musician in Münster, to which place his parents had removed their home. In any case, Romberg’s talent caused him to make the most of it, for before he had passed his youth he was able to undertake with his cousin, Andreas Romberg,[101] who was about the same age, a concert tour which led them through Holland, and was extended to Paris, where they were both heard with such success in the house of Baron Bagge[102] that they were engaged in 1787 for the “Concert Spirituel.” After his return from Paris Romberg devoted himself eagerly to progressive studies, and at the same time worked in the orchestra at Münster.

Münster belonged then, as is known, to the Electorate of Cologne. The Elector Maximilian Franz, who on his accession to his dominions (April 27, 1784) resided often in the Westphalian town, had his attention drawn to the two Romberg artists, and engaged them for his Royal band at Bonn. The announcement of the appointment bears the date of December 19, 1790.

When the Elector, in the autumn of the following year, went to reside at Mergentheim, then the seat of the German order--whose Grand Master he was--he caused about twenty members of his band to follow him from Bonn. Amongst them, besides Beethoven, who in addition to his office as organist was also tenor player at the Court, were also the two Rombergs. In one of the musical entertainments which took place in the apartments of the Elector, Bernhard Romberg was heard in a Concerto. Boszler’s Musical Correspondence of the year 1791 contains a notice of it in which is said[103]: “Romberg, the younger, combines in his violoncello playing extraordinary rapidity with charming rendering; this rendering is the more marked and decided when he is heard in connection with the greater number of violoncellists. The tone which he produces from his instrument is, moreover--especially in the expressive parts--extremely clear, firm, and penetrating. Taking into consideration the difficulty of the instrument, a thoroughly marked purity of tone, in the extraordinarily quick rendering of the _Allegro_, must be attributed to him in the highest degree. Yet this after all is mere mechanical readiness; the connoisseur has another standard by which he measures the greatness of artists; and this is, the manner of playing, the perfection of expression or the spiritual interpretation. Once on this point, the connoisseur will pronounce in favour of the expressive _Adagio_. It is impossible more deeply to penetrate into the more delicate hues of feeling--impossible to colour them with more variety--to enhance them, moreover, by greater light and shade--impossible to hit more exactly the very tones through which this feeling has utterance, tones which appeal more directly to the heart than Romberg succeeds in doing in his _Adagio_.”

“How acquainted he is with all the beauties of detail, which lie in the nature of the piece in the peculiar kind of expression to be given, and for which the composer has no signs for recognition? What effects he is able to produce by the _crescendo_ of his tone, swelling up to the strongest _fortissimo_, and then again by its dying away to a scarcely audible _pianissimo_!!”

From this enthusiastic announcement we must conclude that Romberg’s playing at that time--he was in his twenty-fourth year--showed already a high degree of perfection. It is therefore quite conceivable that he cherished the wish of obtaining a position in life adequate to the merit of his performances, for in Bonn he received only a yearly salary of 600 florins, and, moreover, the existence of the Cologne Electorate, the complete dissolution of which was accomplished in the autumn of the year 1794, had fallen into a very doubtful condition from the time of the appearance of the revolutionary army on the Rhine (October, 1792).

Romberg therefore accepted with his cousin, Andreas, at Easter, 1794, an engagement at the Schröder Theatre in Hamburg, but he did not long remain there. Three years later they undertook together a concert journey into Italy, gave concerts on their return at Vienna, supported by Beethoven, and again betook themselves to Hamburg, whence, after a two years’ residence, Bernhard Romberg visited London. He next travelled in Portugal and Spain, in 1800 returned again to Paris, and performed this time at the concerts of “La Rue de Cléry” and the “Théâtre des Victoires” with such great success that he became teacher at the Conservatoire. Romberg does not, however, appear to have felt comfortable in this position, for after two years he withdrew from it and again turned to Hamburg. In 1805 he responded to an invitation to be solo cellist at the Berlin Hofcappelle. The calamities of war, which broke over Prussia in the following year, compelled him once more to become a wanderer. He next visited the Austrian States. After the conclusion of the peace of Tilsit, he found himself again in Berlin, remained there up to the year 1810, and then undertook a journey through Silesia, Poland, and Russia. At St. Petersburg he met with Ferd. Ries, and in conjunction with him gave concerts in the Southern provinces of the Czar’s dominions. The artists wished to arrange a visit to Moscow, but were prevented by the memorable burning of the Kremlin which compelled the French army to retreat. They then turned to Stockholm, and from thence went to Copenhagen and Hamburg. Here they separated--Ries went to London, which he reached in March, 1813, and Romberg took his way by Bremen to Holland and Belgium. From the latter country he again visited Paris for a short time. Returned to Germany, Romberg prepared for a second journey to Russia. On this occasion he lingered two years at Moscow. After he had been, from 1815-1819, in the service of the Berlin Court, he chose Hamburg as his settled residence. Wherever Romberg played his highly finished performances excited great enthusiasm. In this his violoncello compositions--which were entirely in accordance with the taste of that period in a virtuoso point of view, and which, moreover, were distinguished by their solid quality above all other cello compositions of the time--had a substantial share.

During his many journeys through European countries, Romberg had collected national airs, of which he availed himself in various ways for his compositions under different names. Amongst them are to be found Caprices on Swedish, Polish, Moldavian, Wallachian, and Spanish songs, as well as a “Fantaisie” on Norwegian and a “Rondo brilliant” on Polish melodies, besides four books of Variations on Russian national airs. He further wrote ten Concertos, three Concertinos, a Fantasia with orchestra, Polonaises, as well as Duets and Sonatas, with bass accompaniment for the cello. He was also very productive in the sphere of chamber music, and composed also for the stage. These last compositions have, however, not survived him, while, on the other hand, his cello pieces, as already noticed, maintain even at this time a certain value for teaching.

There have been certain famous artists who in advanced age, in spite of a considerable decay in their capacity for performance, have unwisely indulged the inclination of still endeavouring to attract admiration. Bernhard Romberg was one of these. In his seventy-third year he again had a desire to visit Paris in order--though not in public--to appear in artistic circles as a solo player. The failure which he experienced appears to have had a prejudicial effect on his health, for he died soon after his return home, on August 13, 1841.

Romberg promoted the advancement of German violoncello playing chiefly by his activity as a soloist, and also by his compositions, for, on account of his many concert journeys, which led him sometimes in one direction and sometimes in another, he had not sufficient leisure for continuous and regular teaching. A few young artists, however, enjoyed the benefit of his instruction. Of these we will mention only here his nephew, Cyprian, and Julius Schapler. Some others will be noticed farther on.

JULIUS SCHAPLER was born on August 21, 1812, in Graudenz.[104] He received his musical education in Berlin.

CYPRIAN ROMBERG, born in 1807 (according to other accounts, 1810), in Hamburg, made himself known, after he had finished his studies, by his journeys in Germany and Austria, and was then a member of the Imperial band at St. Petersburg. In Hamburg, where he spent the last years of his life, he was, unfortunately, drowned while bathing in the Elbe in 1865. B. Romberg was at first his master for the violoncello, on which also he received instruction from the pensioned chamber musician, Hansmann.[105] After his education was concluded Schapler was heard as solo player in the Opera House at Berlin, as well as in the Gewandhaus at Leipsic, with great applause. He declined offers for engagements, which were in consequence proposed to him, as he wished to make himself known by concerts. Soon after, however, when the position of solo player in the Court band of the Duke of Nassau was offered to him he accepted it. In Wiesbaden, besides his official duties, he was much occupied with composition. The fruits of it were not only several cello pieces, but also three greater chamber music works--namely, a String Quartet, a Trio for piano and violoncello, as well as a Quintet for piano, violin, tenor violoncello, and contra-basso. These last compositions were all crowned with success. A warm and appreciative critique of the String Quartet appeared in 1842 from the pen of Robert Schumann, in his musical paper.

The unquiet year, 1848, caused the Duke of Nassau to dismiss the members of his Kapelle (without pensions). Schapler returned to his home and created for himself a lucrative field of work as music teacher in Thorn, to which he devoted himself for many years. At the present time he is living privately in Berlin.

Schapler belonged in his prime to the best violoncellists of Germany. With fine tone-rendering he had complete mastery over his instrument. Unfortunately, he did not succeed, after his departure from Wiesbaden, in obtaining a post worthy of his excellent performances.

While Bernhard Romberg was raising to a position of high honour the art of violoncello playing in Germany, several important centres were forming for it in Dresden and Vienna.

The Dresden Court, which had always done a great deal for music, was continually taking into consideration the means of attracting into its neighbourhood distinguished instrumentalists; and if for some time a succession of foreign, but specially Italian artists found a place there, a certain amount of gain was the result in connection with it--for the artist youth of Germany received thereby a progressive impulse to their own endeavours. The Dresden Court orchestra had already, in the last century, a distinguished reputation, and this was more and more enhanced by the continual influx of talented and highly gifted musicians. As regarded the violoncello especially, it gained not long after the beginning of our century an exemplary representative in DOTZAUER. From that time until the present day Dresden has remained an important centre for violoncello playing.

JUSTUS JOHANN FRIEDRICH DOTZAUER, born on January 20, 1783, at Häselrieth, near Hildburghausen, was the son of a minister there. Instructed early in music, he devoted himself to the piano, violin, and violoncello playing. The latter soon gained the ascendancy, and as the inclination for an artistic career showed itself decisively in him, his father sent him, in the year 1799, to Kriegk,[106] at Meiningen, under whose direction he studied two years. After the expiration of that period he found a post in the Meiningen Kapelle until 1805, when he went to Leipsic, and from 1805-1811 he was a member of the orchestra.

From Leipsic he visited Berlin. Here he heard Romberg, with advantage for the pursuit of his studies. In the year 1811 he accepted an honourable position in the Dresden Court orchestra, to which he belonged, from 1821-1850, as first solo cellist. He then lived in retirement, which he enjoyed for ten years. He died in the place where he had successfully worked for so many years on March 6, 1860.

Dotzauer was also well-skilled in composition, and attempted it in various forms. He wrote an Opera, Overtures, Symphonies, a Mass, and several chamber pieces. All these productions have long been forgotten. Not so his violoncello works, which consist of nine Concertos, three Concertinos, two Sonatas with bass, Variations, Divertissements, Potpourris, and a great number of Duets, some of these at least are still prized as objects of study. This is especially the case with regard to his books of instruction, to which belong two violoncello schools,[107] as well as a number of exercises of various kinds.[108] Amongst these the most commendable on account of their excellence are the eighteen “Exercices d’une difficulté progressive” (Op. 120), for beginners (with the exception of the two last numbers), and the “Twenty-four Daily Studies for the acquiring and keeping of Virtuosität.” The latter work is in every respect by far the best of Dotzauer’s many studies. He also published a School for Flageolet playing (Op. 147). His performances combined the gifts of great solidity and fascinating sweetness. Of his two sons, the younger, Carl Ludwig, devoted himself to the violoncello under the direction of his father. In 1820 he was member of the Hofkapelle at Cassel. He was born on December 7, 1811, at Dresden.

Dotzauer was distinguished not only as an executant artist but also as a teacher. The most remarkable of his scholars are--Kummer, Schuberth, Voigt, and Drechsler.