Angelica Catalani LISTEN: Paganini writes down one of Catalani’s ‘roulades’ in concert 18th June 1823: Catalani/transcribed Paganini-‘Allegro Moderato’ Click on Higlighted words to follow Links Catalani’s career and notoriety was extraordinarily long. Initially inspired by the new instrumental virtuosi of the post revolutionary generation, she, in turn, was imitated by them two decades later. Leigh […]
March 8, 2011
Isambard Kingdom Brunel – Click on Highlighted words to follow Links Brunel married Mary Horsley, who had entranced Mendelssohn a few years earlier. The composer was one of the many travellers who Brunel showed over the workings of the Wapping Tunnel. Mary Horsley’s father, William had bought the house on Kensington Church Street [different name] […]
March 8, 2011
David Garrick – David Garrick swept regularly in and out of the Burney household, the concert halls and salons where Abel, Cervetto and Mozart performed. His magnetism entranced a whole generation of performing artists. He lived at Hampton House, Hampton Court, from 1745. Fanny Burney described a typical Garrick ‘entrance’ at their small residence at […]
March 8, 2011
Niccolò Paganini Click on SEGRETO Click on CAPRICES Live On the 13th May 1831, the young singer and pianist, John Orlando Parry wrote in his Journal, ‘Remarks on things in general’: /“That wonder of wonders, viz “Paganni” , arrived in the Country! He does the most inconceivable things on the Violin-He is going to […]
March 8, 2011
Mendelssohn Alma Schindler (later Mahler-Werfel) ‘connects’ with Mendelssohn Tuesday 24th January 1899 Pm. Composed a song by Heine … and believed it’s not bad. Unfortunately, as I later realised, Mendelssohn took pleasure in the song too – dangerour competition. Nothing can compare with my joy when I take a song I’ve just finished and play […]
March 8, 2011
Maria Cosway The Cornish poet, John Woolcot, better known by his pen-name of ‘Peter Pindar’ was deeply impressed by the music of the polymath artist composer Maria Cosway: ‘In music, her compositions are tender, elegant and persuasive.’ The connections between sitters can seem rather mysterious, and perhaps it was possible that links existed of which […]
March 8, 2011
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Click on Highlighted words to follow Links Like so many artists of his day, the young Mozart made his way to international success through the drawing rooms of the European nobility, of those of bon ton, and through meeting with other artists or amateurs, such as Lord Hamilton, with whom he […]
March 8, 2011
Thomas Jefferson – Thomas Jefferson was a lifelong musical enthusiast. He was a keen violinist, and notated his copy of Francesco Geminiani’s The Art of playing on the violin (1751) with quotations from Jean-Jacques Rousseau His large collection of music including the works of the greatest composers of his day, CPE Bach, Handel, Mozart and Haydn., […]
March 8, 2011
Josef Haydn Haydn’s Quartet Op 64 No 5 (6) is the most popular of all of his chamber works, and filled with the vigour and colour which so endeared him to players and audiences in the UK. It is, for all of its popularity, a revolutionary piece, inverting and subverting as many preconceptions about the […]
March 8, 2011
William Hamilton (NPG D35272‘A cognoscenti contemplating ye beauties of ye antique’ by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey hand-coloured etching, published 11 February 1801 Charles Burney’s visit (October 1770) to William Hamilton in Naples is one which I would have loved to tagged along on: ‘After dinner, we had music and chat till supper. As […]
March 8, 2011