Part 19

THOMAS POWELL, born in 1776, in London, early devoted himself to music, and studied, besides Violoncello playing, the piano and the harp. In 1805 he appeared with success in his native town as solo cellist, in a Concerto which he had composed. He then established himself in Dublin as a teacher of music. He devoted his leisure to composition and earnest study of his instrument. His contemporaries considered him equal to Romberg, though this was probably going somewhat too far, as Powell’s name was scarcely known out of England, while Romberg, by his performances, acquired a world-wide renown.

After several years’ residence in Dublin, Powell took up his permanent abode in Edinburgh. His published compositions--amongst which is a “Grand Duo” for Violin and Violoncello--belong for the most part to the sphere of chamber music.

With regard to national English Violoncello playing, modern times have not been more productive than the past. Three names come before us for consideration--namely, Howell, Whitehouse, and Ould.

EDWARD HOWELL, born on February 5, 1846, in London, is a pupil of the Royal Academy, and specially a pupil of Piatti’s. He belongs to the Italian Opera as cellist, and since 1872 to Covent Garden Theatre. Besides this he is Musician in Ordinary to the Queen, Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and of the Philharmonic Society. He works as a teacher at the Royal College of Music and at the Guildhall School. He is for the most part at all the musical Festivals in London and in the provinces, taking an active part.

WILLIAM EDWARD WHITEHOUSE was born on May 20, 1859, in London, and received instruction at eleven years of age on the violin from Adolphe Griesbach. At thirteen he showed a decided preference for the violoncello and was placed for four years under Walter Pettit. In 1877 he was received into the Royal Academy of Music and studied under Piatti and Pezze for the violoncello and Banister for harmony. He has on various occasions gained prizes and medals, and, in 1882, was appointed Assistant-Professor, and, in the following year, Professor of the Royal Academy of Music. In 1883 he was elected Associate of the same Institution and, in 1884, member of the Royal Society of Musicians. He is also Professor of Cambridge University, of the Royal College of Music, of King’s College, London, and Manchester New College of Music under Sir Charles Hallé. During Piatti’s absence Mr. Whitehouse has frequently taken his place at the Saturday and Monday Popular Concerts and has for some years been connected with Josef Ludwig’s annual series of chamber concerts. The instrument on which Whitehouse plays is one of the finest specimens of Francisco Ruggierius.

CHARLES OULD, born at Romford, in Essex, came as quite a child to London, where he has remained ever since. Until he was sixteen years of age he practised flute playing and singing; but the wind instrument was abandoned for the Violoncello. He received his first instruction from a member of the orchestra of the Italian Opera in London. A few years later the Belgian cellist, Paque, was his master. Ould is Musician in Ordinary to Her Majesty, and also works as first Cellist at the Richter Concerts, as well as at all concerts of any importance.

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SCANDINAVIA has, up to the present, only produced a very modest number of noteworthy Violoncellists, and these belong exclusively to modern times. It must, indeed, not be overlooked that the serious encouragement of instrumental music was taken up much later in the North than in Italy, Germany, and France. Denmark set a good example to her Northern neighbours, Sweden and Norway. The middle of the last century produced a noteworthy Violin player, who belonged to the Royal band in Copenhagen. About the same period there was no lack of able Cellists. But their names did not attain to any great publicity. This was the case with

CHRISTIAN KELLERMAN. He is a native of Randers, in Jutland, and was born on January 27, 1815. It was his father’s wish that he should devote himself to commerce, but in this he was disappointed. Young Kellerman had inclinations for Art and, in order to gratify them, he went, in his fifteenth year, to Merk, in Vienna, whose pupil he was from 1830-1835. After having finished his studies he was heard with success in Vienna and visited with good result the other large cities of Austria and Hungary. In the year 1837 he gave concerts at St. Petersburg. Further tours increased his reputation and, after his return, he was summoned to be first Violoncellist in the Royal Danish orchestra. During the year 1861 he made a journey which led him into Upper Italy and then to Germany, where he remained until 1864. In Mayence he was, unfortunately, stricken with paralysis. He was, indeed, able to return again in a helpless condition to Copenhagen, but he died there two years after, on December 3, 1866. Kellerman composed a few things for his instrument, but nothing of much importance. His successor was F. RAUCH, whose pupil, RÜDINGER, filled the place of first Violoncellist in the Copenhagen Band.

FRITZ ALBERT CHRISTIAN RÜDINGER was born in 1838 at Copenhagen. After he had gone through a preparatory course under Rauch, he received an appointment in the Royal Orchestra, but two years later he went to Dresden, to F. Grützmacher, whose pupil he was for some time. Having returned home, he again filled his former place as chamber musician, from which he was transferred, in 1874, to be first Cellist. He at the same time accepted the Professorship at the Copenhagen Conservatoire and he also takes part in the regular concerts and chamber music soirées of his birthplace.

Next to Rüdinger, SIEGFRIED NEBELONG must be mentioned as a Scandinavian artist. He went as a boy of five to Copenhagen, and later received his training as Cellist from Friedrich Grützmacher, in Dresden.

FOOTNOTES:

[132] See p. 153.

[133] Alfred Heyn, a pupil of Fr. Grützmacher, was then solo cellist in the municipal orchestra at Aix and now lives at Darmstadt. Compare p. 138.

[134] See p. 15.

[135] Grove’s Dictionary gives the date of birth as 1751. Leslie Stephen, 1751 or 1755.--(_Tr._)

[136] Grove gives 1776 as the date of his birth.--(_Tr._)

VIII.--THE SLAV STATES AND HUNGARY.

The Violoncello was brought to Russia, as already pointed out (p. 67), by means of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp’s private band. Joh. Adam Hiller’s _Wöchentliche Nachrichten die Musikbetreffend_ of May 21, 1770, contains the following: “When the Duke Carl Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (Peter the Great’s future son-in-law) fled to the Russian Imperial Court, during the distressed condition of his country, in the year 1720, he conveyed with him the members of his small private band. It consisted of about a dozen German well-trained musicians, of whom the most famous were two brothers, Hübner--the one was Kapellmeister and the other Concertmeister. The selection of music, until then unheard in Russia, consisted of Sonatas, Solos, Trios, and Concertos, by Telemann, Keiser, Heinichen, Schulz, Fuchs, and other famous Germans of the time, as well as by Corelli, Tartini, Porpora, and various Italian composers; but the instruments were a Piano, some Violins, besides a Viol d’Amore, an Alto, a Violoncello or Bassetto, a Contra-Basso, or great Bass Violin, a couple of Hautboys, a couple of German Flutes, two French Horns, two Trumpets, and Kettle Drums. Peter the Great was not only very often present at these ducal chamber concerts, but almost every week had them to play once at his Court. This music, therefore, met with general approbation, as it appeared to distinguished Russians more novel and more agreeable, when compared with other music, than any they had hitherto heard.... From that time many Russians offered themselves to be taught by these German musicians, in order to study music on various instruments. The Emperor Peter II. also took lessons on the Violoncello, from the clever master of that instrument, Riedel, a Silesian, who was also a good fencing master, and instructed the young Emperor likewise in that knightly art.”

During the life of the Empress Anna, the chamber music once introduced into the Russian Court was retained there, and in the absence of national artists was strengthened by drawing into it foreign talent. King August II. of Poland also contributed to this by giving up “some Italian virtuosi from his superfluity.” Amongst these was the Violoncellist, GASPARO. Later on GIUSEPPE DALL’OGLIO, from Padua, was attracted to the Russian Court. In the place of this artist--who, in 1763, after a twenty years’ service took his leave in order to return home--came the Italian, CICIO POLLIARI. To this period belongs the first Russian Violoncellist, named CHORSCHEVSKY, who received a place in the Imperial band. Up to the present, however, in regard to the Violoncello, and especially with respect to orchestral instruments, Russia has remained mainly dependent for supply from abroad. Nevertheless, since the middle of last century, the Cello has been cultivated with success by some Russian amateurs. Their names are--Prince TRUBETZKOI, Baron STROGANOW, and more recently Count MATTHEW WIELHORSKI. The latter, a pupil of Bernhard Romberg, specially distinguished himself by his performances. One of his nephews also, Count JOSEPH WIELHORSKI, who, with his talented brother MICHAEL, a pupil of Kieseweter and Romberg, lived in Moscow, played uncommonly well both the Violoncello and the Piano. Robert Schumann, who in 1844, during his residence in the Kremlin, had intercourse with both Counts, expressed himself most enthusiastically in a letter to Fr. Wieck concerning Michael Wielhorski, declaring he was the most highly gifted dilettante he had ever met with.[137] MICHAEL WIELHORSKI was born in Volhynia in 1787, and died in 1856. The Wielhorski family was of Polish descent, and took up their residence in Russia after the third division of Poland.

At the present time amongst Russian amateurs who play the Violoncello, Prince TENISCHEFF and the Senator MARKEWITSCH are distinguished; the Grand Duke CONSTANTINE NIKOLAJEWITSCH also, a pupil of J. Seifert already mentioned, is a zealous Violoncello player.

The first really remarkable cellist whom Russia can call her own is

KARL DAVIDOFF. He may be reckoned amongst the most famous representatives of his instrument at the present time. He was born on March 15, 1838, in the little Courland town, Goldingen, where he only spent, however, the two first years of his life, as his parents went to Moscow in 1840. He there began his studies with H. SCHMIDT, who was first Cellist at the Moscow Theatre. He carried on his further studies under H. Schuberth, in St. Petersburg. He received his theoretical training from Moritz Hauptmann, in Leipsic, where he appeared at the Gewandhaus Concert towards the end of 1859. This was such a brilliant _début_ that, when Fried. Grützmacher was called away from Leipsic to Dresden in 1860, Davidoff was offered his place, which he accepted. He did not, however, long fill it, having conceived the desire of undertaking a tour, which led him into Holland. He then travelled through Russia, when he returned to St. Petersburg. Not long after he was appointed Imperial solo cellist, and somewhat later (1862) teacher at the Imperial Conservatoire. In 1874 he took part in the concerts of the Paris Conservatoire. Two years after he was named Director of the Russian Imperial Musical Society in St. Petersburg, as well as Director of the Conservatoire there. He gave up the latter about two years ago.

Davidoff’s playing is especially distinguished for its perfect accuracy, as well as by a clever and easy mastery of the greatest difficulties. His Cello compositions consist of several Concertos and a collection of agreeable Drawing-room Pieces.

Amongst his pupils are ALBRECHT, KOUSNETZOFF, GLEEN, and WERGBILOWITSCH. The latter is famous for a fine, full tone. He played the Violoncello in the Auer String Quartet at St. Petersburg, and is also appreciated as a solo player.

To the most noteworthy cellists of St. Petersburg belongs also ARVED POORTEN, born at Riga in 1835. He was Kummer’s pupil in Dresden, and attended the Brussels Conservatoire afterwards. When he had played during tours in Russia, Belgium, and Holland, he became a member of the Russian Imperial band and teacher at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. Six “Morceaux caractéristiques” for his instrument appeared in print by him.

Amongst the younger Russian Cello players of importance must be mentioned: BRANDOUKOFF, DANIELSCHENKO, and SARADSCHEFF. These owe their training to William Fitzenhagen,[138] in Moscow.

ANATOLE BRANDOUKOFF, born in 1859 at Moscow, was Fitzenhagen’s pupil in the Imperial Conservatoire of his birthplace, from September, 1870, to May, 1878, and received as an acknowledgment on his departure from the said institution for the distinction he had gained, a gold medal together with an honourable diploma. His first journey was to Switzerland, where he gave concerts in Berne and Geneva with success. He afterwards went to Paris in 1879, appeared there and in other French towns, and then proceeded to London. He everywhere experienced favourable receptions. He gave concerts with extraordinary success during the winter of 1887-1888 at Moscow and St. Petersburg. He chose Paris as his permanent residence, where he is greatly appreciated not only as a solo player, but also as a quartet player. Until now only a Concerto of his Cello compositions has appeared and a few small pieces.

PETER DANIELSCHENKO, born at Kiev in 1860, pursued his studies under Fitzenhagen, in the Moscow Conservatoire, from 1873-1880. He was dismissed from there with the small gold medal as well as an honourable diploma, and, besides, received a special prize for composition. For a year he was then teacher of Cello playing and theory at the Imperial Music School in Charkow. During that time he appeared at concerts successfully in South Russia, and had a brilliant success in 1881 at the Great Exhibition in Moscow. He now entered the Imperial Band and undertook the Cello instruction at the Institute of Music of the Philharmonic Society. He remained in that position until 1887. Since then he has travelled in Switzerland, France, and South Russia.

IVAN SARADSCHEFF, born at Tiflis, in the Caucasus, in 1863, received his training as cellist from Fitzenhagen at the Imperial Conservatoire in Moscow, during the years 1879-1886. Distinguished by the grant of the great silver medal together with a diploma, after his departure from the Conservatoire he undertook the direction of the Imperial Music School at Tambov, but soon exchanged this place, in 1887, for that offered to him of teacher to the Imperial Music School of his birthplace.

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Amongst the Slavonian people, the Bohemians take the most prominent place, having ever distinguished themselves above others of their race in all that relates to music. The Bohemian Violoncellists of German extraction have already been noticed in the fifth section of this work. We shall now consider those of distinctly Slavonic descent.

The oldest Bohemian Cellist of whom we have any information, is

IGNAZ MARA, born about 1721 in Deutschbrod. He united to a fine intonation an execution full of expression. In 1742 he went to Berlin, was there married, and was received, apparently through the recommendation of his countryman, the Concertmaster, Franz Benda, into the Royal band, to which he belonged for more than thirty years. Mara died in Berlin in 1783. Of his Cello compositions, consisting of Concertos, several solo pieces and Duets, nothing has been printed.

His son, JOHANN BAPTIST, was more widely known. This was not due to his artistic endowments only, but to the dissipated wild life into which he fell from middle age in consequence of intemperate habits. Endowed with extraordinary musical talent, under the guidance of his father, he developed, during a proportionately short time, into such an excellent Cellist that Prince Henry of Prussia named him Chamber Musician. As he possessed a talent for mimicry, he had also to assist on the stage at the theatrical representations which took place in the Castle of Rheinsberg, inhabited by the Prince.

Mara was born on July 20, 1744. In the year 1773 he married the celebrated singer, Elizabeth Schmeling, who, at that time, belonged to the Berlin Opera. He made use of the large sums paid to his wife to gratify his passions, which led to many disasters and to matrimonial disturbances. Besides this he contracted debts. These irregularities increased to such an extent that his creditors were called together against him by the supreme court. As he had otherwise incurred the king’s displeasure, he resolved, in agreement with his wife, to get away secretly by night, but the attempted flight of the married couple was stopped, and Mara condemned to imprisonment. After he had again been set at liberty by the intercession of his wife, he succeeded once more, in 1780, in escaping with her, to avoid the tyranny of the King. They took the road by Vienna and Paris to London, where they arrived in 1784. During the year 1788-1789, they travelled in Italy, returned to London in 1790, went from thence to Venice, and then lived in London until 1792, where Frau Mara, wearied with the restless, wandering life of her husband, finally separated from him in 1799. Mara now returned to Berlin, but fell into straitened circumstances from having become unaccustomed to work and having neglected his art. He appeared, however, at one concert and then went to Sondershausen, where Gerber heard him, the author of the well-known Musical Lexicon, who said of him that he so finely rendered his Adagio, no orchestra need be ashamed of his playing; “and if, so continues Gerber, any one of his tones was out of tune, it was not the fault of his handling, but the bad and unequal stringing of his instrument. Perhaps his show pieces deserved less credit, which, however, appeared to be entirely in accordance with the taste of forty years ago. In other ways he conducted himself, while he was there, as a serious, accomplished, and thoroughly educated man, and gave not the slightest sign of inclination to intemperance. But he was in needy circumstances, and although his noble-minded wife had been frightfully disgusted at what she had suffered from him, yet in spite of this he was, from time to time, supplied by her with considerable sums of money.” Mara’s end was a sad one. He went, as Gerber further says, to Holland, where “his unhappy inclination for drink so gained the upper hand, that after having lost all sense of honour, he used to play for dancing, day and night, in sailors’ inns and miserable beer-houses, until at last, in the summer of 1808, at Schiedam, near Rotterdam, death set him free from this wretched life.” The Violoncello compositions of Mara, which consist of two Concertos, twelve Solos with Bass accompaniment, a Duet with Violin, and a Sonata with Bass, remained unpublished.

The Bohemian, JOSEPH ZYKA,[139] was about twenty years older than Jos. Baptist Mara. He received his education as Violoncellist at Prague, and belonged, from 1743-1764, to the Electoral band in Dresden. He then went with his son FREIDERICH, who was likewise a good cellist, as chamber musician to Berlin, where, according to Fétis, in 1791, he died; but, according to Fürstenau, at the beginning of our century. He is said to have left behind him, in manuscript, several Concertos.

JOHANN HETTISCH is distinguished as a remarkable Violoncellist. Born in 1748, in the Bohemian town Liblin, he was educated at the Piaristi College at Schlan, and then went to Prague in order to train as a musician. There he still was in the year 1772. Later, and indeed in 1788, he was, as Gerber asserts, employed at Lemberg in the Imperial civil service, from which it appears that in the flower of his age he had abandoned the practice of Art as a vocation. His playing seems to have been distinguished especially for its rich tone. According to Fétis, he left several Concertos and Cello Solos in manuscript.

The Catholic priest, FRANZ MENSI, born on March 27, 1753, at Bistra, where his father was tutor to Count Hohenems, early occupied himself with music, and when his parents went to Prague he became Joseph Reicha’s pupil for Violoncello playing while Cajetan Vogel instructed him in theory. Mensi also played the Violin. On both instruments he was considered clever, and not less so in composition. Some of his works, which consist of church music, Symphonies, and Quartets, are said to be preserved in the convent at Strahow. In the year 1808, Mensi was still living and working as curé at Pher. He also had some pupils, amongst these were JOH. BRODECZKY, WENZEL CZIŽEK, and Count SPORK.

J. STIASTNY (Stiasny) should be mentioned as one of the most distinguished Bohemian Cellists. He was born in Bohemia (according to Fétis at Prague) in 1774. The information regarding his education and his life are very limited. He is said to have been in the Prague Orchestra in 1800. On the title-page of his Op. 3, consisting of a Divertimento for Violoncello, he describes himself as Violoncellist to the Grand Duke at Frankfort. As the brief existence of the Grand Duchy of Frankfort, of which the Regent was Prince Primate of Dalberg, occurred within the years 1810-1814, there can scarcely be a doubt that Stiastny resided at Frankfort during that time. Later, about 1820, he bore the title of “Musical Director of Nuremberg,” and in that year lived at Mannheim. He appears to have gone from there to Great Britain, for many of his later works--as, for example, the “Trois Duos Concertans” (Op. 8) and the “Six pièces faciles” (Op. 9)--are dedicated to Englishmen. Amongst these compositions the Concertino (Op. 7), dedicated to Robert Lindley, may be favourably distinguished from similar productions among the Cello compositions at that period. The remaining Cello pieces of J. Stiastny, which consist of Variations (Op. 10), Rondo and Variations (Op. 12), two Sonatas with Bass (Op. 2), twelve light pieces for two Cellos (Op. 4), six similar ones (Op. 5), three Concerted Duos (Op. 6), and Six Solos with Bass (Op. 11) are qualified to be placed amongst the best productions of the older Cello literature, as they contained effects which for that period were entirely novel.

Amongst Stiastny’s pupils, JOSEPH VALENTIN DONT was remarkable for his performances as quartet and orchestra player. Born on April 15, 1776, at Nieder-Georgenthal, in Bohemia, he received instructions from Stiastny in Prague, where he attended the school. In the year 1804 he was enrolled into the opera orchestra of the Vienna Kärnthnerthor Theatre, from which he was transferred to the Burg Theatre orchestra in 1828. On December 14, 1833, he died. His son, named Jacob, is the Viennese violinist, who died on November 18, 1888, and who was well known by the publication of his excellent practical works for the Violin.

Stiastny’s elder brother, BERNHARD WENCESLAUS, born at Prague, 1770, was also a Violoncellist, and was employed as first performer of his instrument in the orchestra of the Prague Theatre. Six Sonatas for two Violoncellos, and two instruction works were published by him. The first, entitled “Il maëstro e lo scolare, 8 imitazioni e 6 pezzi con fughe per due violoncelli”; the other is a cello school, entitled “Méthode de Violoncelle,” in two parts. This school is carefully worked out, though somewhat too elaborately, and yet not exhaustively; for the complicated technique of cello playing, especially as regards the thumb position, has not received adequate consideration.