"My parents have no doubt told you what impressions I had when I saw Italy for the first time. I go from one pleasure to another, spending hours constantly learning something new and fresh. Immediately after I arrived, I discovered certain masterpieces that I study with great care and then think about them for several hours a day."
These words Felix Mendelssohn wrote to his professor Zelter in a letter dated October 16, 1830. At that time he was already traveling extensively through Europe, visiting the most significant centers of art and culture. At the suggestion of Goethe, who was a friend of the family, Felix's parents sent him to a three-year trip to Europe, which at that time was almost mandatory for all members of the upper class. Spending several months abroad were aimed at introducing young people to the culture and history of other countries. The most important destination on these tours was Italy. Felix spent time away from home between 1829 and 1831. He first visited England and then Italy, where he stayed in Rome, Florence, Milan and Naples. Thanks to these trips, some of his most beautiful works were composed and the artist himself was able to expand his perspectives and make good contacts in the art world.
Felix Mendelssohn was born in 1809 in Hamburg. The members of his family were very fond of music and art in general. His grandfather was the famous philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, his father Abraham had a refined taste in literature and his mother was very well educated. Felix apparently grew up in a favorable intellectual environment. Along with his very talented older sister Fanny, he had been learning music from a young age. Salons at their home in Berlin were frequented by prominent artists of the time. Felix was considered a child prodigy. At only seventeen, he wrote the Overture for Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is considered to be a true masterpiece.
"I feel I have completely changed since I came here. What is it that makes me feel good so much, I cannot define precisely. In any case, I'm different than I was before. My health is better and I'm happier, I gladly commit myself to composing , so I expect to achieve much more than I expected. When I get into my room early in the morning and see the sun shining brightly on my desk, I feel so comfortable and satisfied. It is late autumn now and I really wonder who would in our country expect warm weather, clear skies, grapes and flowers in that season ? After breakfast, I start working, playing, singing and composing until almost noon. After that I choose different historical monuments that I would like to visit that day. Sometimes I go to see the remains from ancient times, other times I go to the Borghese Gallery, St. Peter's Church or the Vatican. So every day is really worthy of remembering, and as time goes on, all those objects that I see are more and more engraved into my memory."
These words, quoted from Felix's letter, full of cheerfulness and enthusiasm, was addressed to his sister Fanny. It confirms that longer stays in Italy have greatly contributed to the improvement of his overall physical and spiritual well-being. In addition, Italy was obviously a truly inspiring place for him to create music, so he began writing his Fourth Symphony in A Major, which is known as the Italian. "It will be the most fun composition I've ever written." - said Felix to his sister Fanny. This was true and it can be heard in the first and the last movements of the symphony.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Italy was a popular destination for educated people and art lovers. Italy was the land of belcanto, a place where opera, oratorio and chamber cantata were born. It was the home of instrumental virtuosity, great violin masters, a place where composers created some of the most significant instrumental forms, such as solo concerto and sonata. Every musician who wanted to develop its creative potentials went to study in Italy or copied the works of great Italian masters. Let's not forget great Bach himself copied Vivaldi's concertos. Young and talented Georg Friedrich Hӓndel decided to shape his personal style in a country that had several prestigious music centers - Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and Naples. This proved to be very important for him as a composer.
Hӓndel discovered his individual style as being a synthesis of German and Italian elements. Thanks to the support of wealthy nobles and church dignitaries in Italy, he was able to write a large number of works, in which he honed his craft as a composer and prepared himself for composing operas and oratorios without which we cannot imagine the world of classical music today.
George Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Caro Sassone
Although Hӓndel's father wanted his son to be a lawyer, young musician showed exceptional talent from a young age and therefore greater interest in the arts. Seeing that young Georg possessed extraordinary potential, his father allowed him to study composition and music theory with Friedrich Wilhelm Zachau, a church organist in his native Halle. In addition, Hӓndel learned to play several instruments, such as harpsichord, organ, violin and oboe. Although he started studying law in Halle, Hӓndel also received a position as a church organist and soon decided to devote himself completely to music. In 1703 he went to Hamburg where he began working as a violinist at the opera house. Having already made contacts with the Medici family, he then headed to Italy at the end of 1706, where he would soon become a well-educated and confident master of almost every genre.
Hӓndel's popularity in Italy is evidenced by the fact that at the very end of that three-year period, before his departure to England, his opera Agrippina was successfully presented to Italian audience. On that occasion a flattering sentence echoed within the walls of the theater - "Viva il caro Sassone!". The opera premiered at the San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice and after the premiere it run for 27 nights in a row.
Meeting other musicians
Hӓndel met some of the most prominent representatives of Italian baroque, such as Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Archangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi and Tommaso Albinoni. While working in Italy, he earned considerable reputation as an organist and harpsichordist. According to an anecdote, there was a contest between a Hӓndel and Domenico Scarlatti. The conclusion was that they were both equally skilled as harpsichordists, but Hӓndel was a superior organ performer. Notwithstanding this little musical duel, the two artists have developed a deep respect for each other.
Handel and the Roman Cardinals
Hӓndel spent most of his time in Rome composing sacred and secular music commissioned by high-ranking church dignitaries. During winter months and carnivals, he went to major Italian opera centers - Venice and Florence. Thanks to his excellent performing skills, Hӓndel drew the attention of prominent figures in the high social circles of Rome and acquired loyal patrons who commissioned sacred and secular works from him. Cardinals Benedetto Pamphili, Pietro Ottoboni and Carlo Colona were all Hӓndel's patrons.
Cardinal Pamphili was particularly fond of music. He wrote libretti for operas and helped other composers. Famous baroque artists such as Archangelo Corelli, Alessandro Melani or Carlo Francesco Cesarini developed their careers thanks to this great patron of the arts. A special friendship developed between him and Hӓndel. German composer dedicated several cantatas to his patron, as well as the oratorio Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno.
Cardinal Ottoboni was one of the greatest patrons of his time. His protégés included the greats of the Italian Baroque - Archangelo Corelli, Alesandro Scarlatti, Antonio Caldara and Antonio Vivaldi. On Monday, he hosted concerts (the so-called academies) at his residence. In addition to musicians, Ottoboni helped artists from other fields, such as the architect Giovanni Battista Vaccharini or painters Sebastiano Conca and Francesco Trevisani.
At that time, operatic performances were banned in Rome, so composers turned to sacred and secular works, in which, quite interestingly, they made extensive use of typical operatic manners. Not only were the vocal writing and expression in the spirit of belcanto, but those compositions were sumptuously staged as if they were dramatic works. A good example of a distinctly virtuoso operatic style applied to the genre of sacred music can be seen in the aria Disserratevi, o porte d'Averno from Hӓndel's oratorio The Resurrection. This work was commissioned by Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli. It was performed in a magnificent staging in Ruspoli's home in 1708. He was one of the most important patrons in Rome and it was he who was responsible for the creation and performance of most of the composer's works from that period.
Marquis Ruspoli and Accademia degli Arcadi
In addition to affluent cardinals who were inclined to music, Hӓndel found support for his work in Marquis Francesco Maria Ruspoli. He formed part of a society Accademia degli Arcadi which brought together nobles, church dignitaries, writers and musicians. During regular weekly meetings, known as conversazioni, where they would discuss various topics, concerts were also held. Many of Hӓndel 's works were performed during those meetings. Numerous chamber cantatas for one or more voices with instrumental accompaniment were composed for such occasions. Among the members of this society was the noblewoman Aurora Sanseverino, who remained known in history as a great patron of the arts and an organizer of the salon at her home in Naples. Hӓndel composed the serenade Aci, Galatea, and Polifemo after her commission.
This period in Hӓndel's life was obviously very important, since he could perfect his style writing music for his patrons. This is how he prepared for future engagements in England. Even in his later works he "recycled" some of his music written during his stay in Italy.
Women as musicians were always present but did not have the opportunity to prove themselves to the same extent as their male colleagues. In the past, these were most often women who belonged to nobility or were born into a musical family. One of the most famous pianists of the Romantic era was Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of the well-known Felix, an artist who grew up in an extremely stimulating environment. Thanks to her husband's understanding, she was able to cultivate her musicality even after her marriage, although she was not able to conquer concert stages across Europe, such as her brother or other artists of the time.
Music education
Fanny was born on 14th of November 1805 in Hamburg to a wealthy Jewish family. Along with her brothers and sisters Felix, Rebecca and Paul, she received an excellent general and music education. As parents recognized their children's musical gift, they provided them with lessons in piano and music theory. Fanny and Felix studied piano with Ludwig Berger and music theory and composition with Carl Friedrich Zelter. For a few months in 1816, while in Paris, they received piano lessons from Marie Bigot, a renowned pianist who was especially appreciated by Beethoven and Haydn.
Given that the European intellectual elite gathered in the home of the Mendelssohn's in Berlin, no doubt it can be concluded that Fanny and Felix have been moving in a privileged artistic circles since they were young. This fact have certainly contributed to their overall education.
Since she studied with some of the most prominent teachers in Berlin, Fanny received an outstanding music education. She could display her talents as a performer and composer only in the narrow circle of her family and their friends or acquaintances. In a book written after her untimely death, music critic Ludwig Rellstab noted that she was just as talented as her famous brother and had reached a level of music education that only a handful of artists who dedicated their lives to music could achieve.
Music soirees
Although Fanny encountered many limitations in life, her desire to create music still came to fruition during concerts held at the homes of the Mendelssohn and Hensel family.
Her works were presented to a select audience during music events held every other week at the Mendelssohn home. These concerts named Sonntagsmusiken were established in the early 1820s and for these occasions Abraham Mendelssohn hired musicians to play every other Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Felix and Fanny also performed at these concerts. When Felix embarked on his first major trip to England, which favorably affected his career, the weekly concerts were suspended.
In the spring of 1831, Fanny restored that family tradition, but now within the framework of her home with the support of her husband Wilhelm Hensel. These famous music gatherings, according to Rellstab's testimony, were a small music festival where the works of composers of the past and present were performed. The enjoyment was guaranteed because during these concerts the best Berlin musicians played.
Fanny received an outstanding music education from the most prominent Berlin pedagogues, but she could display her talent only within family circles. In a book written after her untimely death, music critic Ludwig Rellstab noted that she was just as talented as her famous brother. He also said that she had reached a level of music education that was available only to a handful of artists who dedicated their lives to music.
Fanny's reputation among musicians
From 1839 to 1840, Fanny traveled with her husband through Italy and it was one of the most beautiful periods of her life. She finally received recognition for her work outside family circles and was able to meet various musicians who were highly opinionated about her works. Rellstab's words that speak of Fanny's talent and good music education are further corroborated by the following words written by Charles Gounod:
"Mrs. Hensel was a very knowledgeable musician and played the piano very well. Despite being small, she was a woman of excellent intellect and full of energy,
which could be seen in her fiery eyes. "
Fanny's opus
As her creativity could only be expressed in family circles, much of her work encompasses genres such as piano pieces and solo songs, though there were also chamber works and even larger vocal and instrumental works. The concerts held at her house eventually grew into notable cultural events and were attended by well-known people such as the Humboldt brothers, Franz Liszt, Clara Schumann, Heinrich Heine and others. Fanny then assembled an orchestra and a choir and organized performances of oratorios, opera arias and chamber music written by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Weber and Mendelssohn. It was then when the opportunity appeared to compose more complex genres that needed more performers. According to Rellstab, these concerts at the Hensel's enriched Berlin's musical life and represented the way in which Fanny could deal with the limitations she had to accept as a woman.
Fanny's works in print
Fanny's father Abraham wanted his daughter to concentrate on her future role of a wife and a mother, so public concerts and the publication of her works were out of the question, although he was aware of her talent. However, in 1827 and 1830, she nevertheless published five songs and a duet with a piano accompaniment under Felix's name. The systematic publication of her compositions began only in the last year of her short life. She was assisted in this by her family friend and in 1846 her compositions for piano and choir were printed under opus numbers from one to seven. Several other works by Fanny at the request of her husband Wilhelm Hensel were published posthumously by her brother Felix in 1850. Printing of this artist's complete oeuvre occurred only in the 1980s.
The famous opera diva of the Romantic era - Maria Malibran - was born on March 24th 1808 into a musical family. Her parents, father Manuel and mother Joaquina, brother Manuel and sister Pauline were professional musicians. Not only that, all the members of this family members were - singers. They left a significant mark in the history of music, especially in the fields of opera and vocal pedagogy. Maria has sung in operas that are now an integral part of the repertoire of famous opera houses around the world. Her voice type which could be described as coloratura contralto is very rare nowadays. Some of the roles she introduced are now being sung by sopranos or mezzos.
Maria Malibran and Gioacchino Rossini
Maria Malibran's name is largely associated with roles in Rossini's operas, such as Otello, Tancredi, Il Turco in Italia, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola and Semiramide. Many composers admired her extraordinary talent, beauty, acting skills and education. This is how Rossini described her:
"Her superior intelligence, breadth of knowledge and unimaginably fiery temper made her overshadow every other woman I knew."
Maria Malibran and Vincenzo Bellini
Besides performing roles in Rossini's operas, Maria Malibran often sung in the operas of Vincenzo Bellini. She performed the role of Romeo in I Capuletti e i Montecchi, the role of Amina in La Sonnambula, the title role in Bellini's Norma, as well as the role of Elvira in the opera I Puritani.
Among the admirers of Maria Malibran were some of the greatest composers of Romanticism, such as Chopin, Mendelssohn, Liszt. Vincenzo Bellini met Malibran in the spring of 1833 in London, when she performed with great success the role of Amina in his opera La Sonnambula. In a letter he sent to his colleague, Bellini revealed how fascinated he was with her enormous talent and Maria herself showed a keen interest and affection for his music, which meant much to him as a composer.
Voice and appearance
Her voice was agile, it spanned almost three octaves. Based on the variety of ornaments, intricate cadenzas, fiorituras and trills she herself wrote in the scores, it is easy to conclude that she could sing like a true virtuoso could perform on an instrument, like the violin or the flute However, what distinguished Maria Malibran as an artist was that she was able to use her purely technical vocal abilities as a means of expression. In addition, she was talented as an actress and proved to be both good as a comedian and as a tragedian, which certainly made her a complete artist. A French music critic writes about it:
"Malibran's voice is sonorous, full of brilliance and strength, it has that velvety quality that gave a special color to her interpretations of gentle and passionate arias. She possessed all the art of singing demanded - vivacity, precision, flexibility and ease of execution of various fiorituras and ornaments, adding to it strength, grace or flirtation when needed."
Considering she had an extraordinary voice range, ranging from the deep note of a contralto to the highest notes of a coloratura soprano, Maria Malibran sang equally well roles written for a variety of female voices. Such opera singers belong to a special type of female voice called soprano sfogato. These were deep female voices who had good lower register and a dark color, but could easily sing in the high register of a soprano, reaching even the highest notes of a coloratura soprano. Such singers were indeed very rare in the history of music. Apart from Maria Malibran, other female artists like Giuditta Pasta, Isabella Colbran or Giuseppina Strepponi had that kind of a voice. Music experts believe that Maria Callas was a worthy representative of this unique voice type.
Operatic career
After her operatic debut in London, when she as an 18 year old girl sang the role of Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Maria Malibran stayed with her family for about two years in America, where she delighted audiences in New York with her performances. During those years, the Garcia family was in fact the first to introduce Italian opera in America, performing works by themselves. That was not difficult given that the whole family was professionally engaged in singing. The first opera they performed was Rossini's The Barber of Seville in November 1825. Father Manuel sang the role of Count Almaviva, his wife interpreted Berta, their son Manuel was Figaro, while Maria sang Rosina.
At the end of 1827 Maria returned to Europe in order to develop her career. She achieved tremendous success in her native Paris, where she was celebrated as the most popular prima donna of the French capital. Many prominent artists such as Stendhal, Lamartine, Georges Sand, Liszt, Rossini and Chopin praised her. She also performed successfully in London, where she met Bellini. Maria was very much loved in Italy, where she also repeatedly delighted the audience. We can only imagine how an extraordinary artist would she have become if she had not fell off a horse in 1836. Although she suffered serious injuries on that unfortunate occasion, Maria refused to visit a doctor and continued to perform tirelessly until she passed away a few months later at the age of 28.
Pauline Viardot was the youngest child of Manuel and Joaquina García. She was born on July 18th, 1821 in Paris. Pauline's father Manuel García was an accomplished tenor and influential vocal pedagogue. He was one of Rossini's favorite singers. He wrote the role of Count Almaviva from The Barber of Seville for Manuel. Pauline's mother Joaquina was also a singer. Her brother Manuel Garcia invented the laryngoscope, an instrument that enables the examination of vocal cords. Although all of the children from the García family were musically gifted, the best of them was Pauline's older sister Maria, a true diva of the 19th century who captivated audiences with her voice, beauty and stage presence.
In addition to growing up in such an incredible environment, with parents and siblings more or less talented for music, young Pauline witnessed her family meet and discuss with the best artists of the 19th century. Given that her father had friendly relations with some of the leading musicians of the time, it is not a surprise his children easily entered opera and concert stages, which was of course preceded by an excellent education with optimal conditions for the development of musical abilities.
Pauline's talents
Pauline Viardot was a well-known opera singer whose career spanned more than two decades. When she retired from the stage, Pauline devoted herself to vocal pedagogy and composing. She also regularly organized music salons in her home, where some of the greatest composers of the Romantic era gathered. In addition to her lavish voice and expressive acting, Pauline was also fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, German and Russian. Her self-portraits show her as a gifted painter. It is a well-known fact that she read poetry with great passion, which in turn led her to compose numerous songs for voice and piano. She used poems of contemporary poets. Since she could communicate in different languages, there are songs written on Russian, German, Spanish, French or Italian texts in her oeuvre.
Music education
Pauline possessed a strong intellect, a personality eager for knowledge and of course exceptional musical ability. By the time she was eight, Pauline was so skillful as a pianist that she could accompany her father's students in his singing studio. For a while, her piano teacher was no less than the famous Franc Liszt, a great virtuoso who aroused audiences across Europe. Pauline was actually a great pianist, many artists praised her as a piano performer. Her first appearance on the concert stage was as a piano collaborator. However, when her father died, Pauline devoted herself to singing at her mother's urging, even though she actually wanted to be a professional pianist. In addition to piano and singing, Pauline also studied composition with Anton Reicha, professor at the Paris Conservatory. This comprehensive musical education enabled her to compose vocal and instrumental works after she retired as an opera singer.
Pauline Viardot and Frédéric Chopin
Pauline Viardot's friendship with Frédéric Chopin was very intimate, imbued with mutual respect. She met him at George Sand's summer residence in Nohant, where Chopin spent most of the year composing. During summer months, many prominent artists of the time came to the house, such as Franz Liszt, Eugene Delacroix, Gustave Flaubert and Honoré de Balzac. Chopin wrote some of his best compositions there.
Viardot and Chopin often spent their time together around the piano, giving each other advice on music. Pauline could hear something useful and constructive from Chopin considering her compositions and the Polish pianist could learn more about Spanish music and singing from her. Chopin was deeply interested in belcanto, an art which inspired him greatly. At Chopin's funeral in October 1849, Pauline Viardot participated in the performance of Mozart's Requiem. From a letter sent to George Sand one can see that she was very saddened by the news. Only after she heard about Chopin's death did she realize how much affection she had for him.
"He was a noble soul. I'm happy to have known him
and to have been his friend, ” - said Pauline Viardot.
She really appreciated Chopin's piano compositions, so she made arrangements of these pieces for voice and piano. Vocal arrangements of instrumental compositions form a significant part of Pauline's oeuvre. Her arrangements of Chopin's piano miniatures are certainly the most famous and the most performed. Two collections containing six poems each, based on Chopin's Mazurkas, were printed in 1864 and 1865 respectively. They were even printed in other languages, Polish among others.
In addition to her close friendship with Frédéric Chopin, which was filled with very warm mutual feelings, Viardot maintained contacts with many other artists of the time, often helping them make a career in music.
Pauline's successes in opera
Pauline performed her first operatic role at the Queen's Theater in London in 1839. She sang the role of Desdemone in Rossini's Otello. She performed the same role again at the Théâtre Iatlien in her native Paris. Since then she begun to mount success in many opera houses in Europe. Although Pauline was warmly received in theaters in London and Germany, her popularity was particularly high in St. Petersburg, where she first appeared in 1843 on the stage of the Imperial Theater. An acquaintance and then a long-lasting friendship with Ivan Turgenev dates from this period.
Pauline as a composer and pedagogue
Pauline never wanted to become a famous composer, but she wrote music primarily for her students. This doesn't mean her works had only an instructive value or that they were written to be performed during exams in music schools. On the contrary, her works have artistic value and are often extremely virtuosic. In addition to the well-known arrangements of Chopin's mazurkas, as well as compositions by other musicians, adapted for voice and piano, Pauline Viardot has also written original works, mostly vocal compositions, but her opus also contains choral and instrumental works, as well as five salon operas.
Music salons in the home of the Viardot family
During years Viardot family spent in Baden-Baden, after Pauline ended her operatic career, she devoted herself to composing and teaching. At the time, she also wrote short salon operas for her students. Her idea was to provide them with the opportunity to develop their singing and acting skills by participating in smaller opera productions, where they could be accompanied with a piano. For Pauline's three salon operas the libretto was written by the Russian poet Ivan Turgenev, a great friend of the Viardot's, while for the remaining two both music and lyrics were written by Pauline.
The Viardot family regularly invited distinguished guests to their home on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons. This part of Pauline's engagement was very important for young composers, since she was a patron of music and helped them establish their careers. She has helped many artists of French Romanticism, such as Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. Of course, one of the best ways to promote a composer is to participate in performances of their works. Pauline created the title role in Gounod's opera Sapho.
The musical evenings held on Thursday nights at their home were more formal. During those gatherings, the aforementioned composers were able to make important contacts and to have their works performed. That is how Pauline herself was introduced to the Parisian society as a very young girl, before making her debut on the concert and opera stage. On Sunday afternoons it was more fun and relaxing at the Viardot's, because only the closest friends gathered at their house. Opera parodies were performed and guests played an interesting game of portraits. It implied that each participant should draw a human character on paper and then, based on that drawing, they should describe in detail the physical and psychological characteristics of that person.
Caterina Cavalieri (1755-1801) was one of the best singers in Vienna at the time of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She was the first to interpret the role of Konstanze from the opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, as well as the role of Madame Silberklang in the singspiel The Impresario.
Antonio Salieri
Caterina Cavalieri and Antonio Salieri
She was born in 1755 as Katherina Magdalena Josepha Cavalier in Lichtenthal. Since her father Joseph Karl was a church musician, she received first music lessons in the family. One of the happiest circumstances that struck her as a young girl was meeting Antonio Salieri, one of the most esteemed teachers and composers of that time. She became his student and this gave her an excellent opportunity to develop her career in Vienna. Caterina's first appearances on the opera stage have earned her great acclaim. It helped the development of her career which lasted almost two decades. She made her debut in 1775 singing in La finta giardiniera by Pasquale Anfossi. This was followed by a role in Ignaz Umlauf's singspiel. Of particular note was the role of Nannette in Salieri's opera Der Rauchfangkehrer, which was written for Caterina.
Caterina Cavalieri as Nannette
While working in the service of the Imperial Theater, Caterina was among the best singers in the troupe, although she received less income than her Italian colleagues. She was obviously talented as an actress and a singer, but Caterina made progress thanks to Salieri. There was also another important fact. The period of her artistic activity coincided with the efforts of Emperor Joseph II to establish a national theater that would perform German operas. His wish was to create something that could compete with Italian opera. The aim of the Imperial Theater was to stage works of high quality in German language, because opera as a genre was seen as an efficient tool in the hands of those who cared about social policy. In spite of that, during this period composers produced works that went beyond the social circumstances of the time, so some of the operas are still performed today.
Cavalieri and Mozart
Caterina Cavalieri as an interpreter of Mozart's music
Caterina Cavalieri interpreted several great heroines from Mozart's operas. She premiered the role of Konstanze from The Abduction from the Seraglio and Madame Silberklang from The Impresario. When she was assigned Don Elvira at the Vienna premiere of Don Giovanni, Mozart wrote for her the aria Mi tradì quell'anima ingrata.
At that time, a Society of Musicians was active in Vienna. It organized concerts for its own purposes. This charity was intended to help musicians and their families. Leading composers of the time wrote for those occasions and also participated as performers. Such was the case with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Caterina Cavalieri. For one of the charity concerts, the composer wrote a cantata Davide penitente, borrowing music from one of his unfinished sacred works. He wrote the aria Tra l'oscure ombre funeste for Caterina, keeping in mind that she could easily sing beautiful and elegant melodies in legato, as well as coloraturas.
Caterina Cavalieri as Konstanze
Mozart's opera The Abduction from the Seraglio premiered in 1782 at the Burgtheater in Vienna under the auspices of the imperial project aimed at creating a national opera. Among the works prepared for these purposes, The Abduction from the Seraglio stands out as an opera which gained considerable success. The main roles were entrusted to members of a troupe formed for the national theater. Caterina Cavalieri sang the role of Konstanze. The role of Belmonte was given to a German tenor Valentin Adamberger, to whom Mozart also wrote some other compositions. Ludwig Fischer, a respected German bass and composer's friend, was hired to interpret the role of Osmin. The opera was a huge success at the premiere and it was often performed during Mozart's life. Today it is regularly staged in opera houses worldwide.
One of the most demanding arias for a coloratura soprano was written for Konstanze. It's her aria Martern aller Arten. The main features are the energetic singing in the middle register of the voice, against a strong orchestral accompaniment, as well as the coloraturas that cover the whole range of Caterina's voice. The average duration of this aria is about nine minutes. It requires vocal strength and dramatic intensity in all the registers, so a singer with a strong lyric voice is needed to perform it properly. Many coloraturas require a flexible voice that is able to perform virtuoso passages with ease. Nonetheless, the difficulty of this aria lies not so much in the coloraturas as in the endurance and strength of the singer. The tempo of this aria is fast, so the singer does not have much time to rest. The range of the aria spans more than two octaves, so a singer's voice should sound good both in its lower and higher registers.
Caterina Cavalieri began to withdraw from the operatic stage in 1790.
"A smart man will get the best education by traveling." - these words by Goethe find their best endorsement in the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Mozart family: Leopold, Wolfgang and Maria Anna
Mozart traveled a lot during his short life. Only during his stay in Salzburg (and that was until his was 25), Wolfgang was on the road for about a third of the time. Like no other child of his age, Mozart had the opportunity to get to know the European music scene, composers and musical style of the time. However, these travels were not only significant for his musical creativity, but also played an important role in shaping his personality, primarily through appearances in front of European noble families.
During his years in Vienna - from 1781 to 1791 - he did not travel as much. He lived in an artistic environment that shaped his personality and inspired him to compose. It should be remembered that he had a family back then, which was another reason for him to lead a more peaceful life. Thanks to these journeys, Mozart became what he ultimately was - a mature artistic personality. During those trips, he received orders for new compositions, got some valuable stimulus for further work and was inspired by the musical life of other cities, some of which were far more developed than his native Salzburg. Mozart learned a lot during those trips and he met not only a number of musicians, but also other celebrities of the time. All these experiences shaped his creativity and style.
There is no better way to understand the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart than to consider his travels around Europe. During his short life, Mozart visited ten European countries and more than two hundred cities. Whether small or big, they still contain the traces of a great composer. The planning and realization of these trips, from 1762 to 1773, were in the hands of his father Leopold. The main reasons for such trips at that time were education and further training, making contacts with other people, which in Mozart's case were musicians and music theorists. People would also travel in order to gain knowledge, exchange opinions and academic experiences.
A brief overview of the countries and cities he visited will be viewed from the perspective of today's European countries, bearing in mind that some of them did not exist as such in Mozart's time.
Belgium and Switzerland
Mozart traveled through Belgium when he was on his the way to France during a grand family tour of Western Europe. They wanted to reach major cities like Paris and London. Switzerland was also the country through which Mozart traveled, returning from Paris to Salzburg in the fall of 1766.
Germany
Mozart traveled to Germany five times. He visited Munich three times and Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig and Frankfurt am Main once. During his big family tour of Western Europe, as well as his second trip to Paris, Mozart left his mark in seventy-three cities. He has been to Augsburg five times, the hometown of his father Leopold. He visited Mannheim four times, where he met among others some of the members of the court orchestra. Three trips took him to Schwetzingen and Mainz.
Karl Theodore
Mozart made a special connection with the Mannheim court, led by princes Karl Theodore and Maximilian III. It was a place where the young composer hoped to get a permanent placement, though it did not eventually happen. However, playing of the orchestra there and establishing connections with excellent musicians greatly influenced his work. The reason why music played such a great role in Mannheim was because the nobles at the head of the court were very fond of it. Prince Karl Theodore was famous in history not only as a great aficionado, but also as a patron of music. Mozart wrote his opera Idomeneo for him. Karl Theodore's wife was an educated musician, so Mozart dedicated six sonatas for piano and violin to her.
Maximilian III
Prince Maximilian III was the first nobleman to whom Leopold introduced his talented children. It happened in 1763 during their big family tour of Europe. Later Mozart wrote his opera La finta giardiniera for him.
In Mannheim, Mozart also met Christian Cannabich, a violinist and composer who was employed as chief conductor of the court orchestra. That ensemble was considered one of the best in Europe. Along with other representatives of the so-called Mannheim school, Cannabich contributed to the development of the Classicism, which paved the way for great composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. He was born into a family of musicians. He owes his education to the best teachers of the time. Mozart was certainly very fortunate to have heard the music played by the Mannheim orchestra. Historian Charles Barney called this ensemble one of the most disciplined in Europe.
Christian Cannabich
(1731-1798)
France
Wolfgang at the Paris court
Mozart visited France two times, so Parisians saw him both as a child and later as a young man. During his first visit, he performed before King Louis XV and Madame Pompadour. He delighted the members of the court with his performances. That's when his compositions first appeared in print - it was his sonatas for violin and piano.
During his second stay in Paris, Mozart's mother died. It happened on July 3, 1778. Although he was not able to find a permanent job, Mozart wrote some of his best works - for example, famous Piano sonata in A minor and Paris Symphony.
England
During their big family tour, the Mozart's traveled from Salzburg via Germany and Belgium, with longer stays in Paris, to England. The family stayed in London for a total of fifteen months. Wolfgang and his sister Maria Anna gave concerts, including one at the royal court. In London, Mozart met Johann Christian Bach. This was the time when Mozart wrote his first symphonies.
Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)
Italy
Palaces with lush gardens, cheerful parties, music, architecture, painting - these were all synonymous with 18th century Italy. Mozart traveled with his father Leopold three times to that country. During their first visit, they stayed there from December 1769 to March 1771. Then they returned to Italy again and stayed from August to December 1771. Last time they went to Italy was in October 1772 and they stayed there until March next year.
Mozart visited a total of fifty-one cities, such as Rovereto, Verona, Padua, Milan, Cremona, Mantova, Rome and Naples. He would always remember the time spent there, because it was a country with great musical tradition. Italy brought so much to him - new acquaintances and knowledge. Its rich musical life helped him shape his taste in music. Among his most significant encounters was the one with a distinguished music theorist and composer Giovanni Battista Martini, who taught many prominent composers of the time. During his stay in Italy, Mozart composed his first string quartets and the so-called Milan operas - Ascanio in Alba, Mitridate re di Ponto and Lucio Silla. Mozart also received high honors as a musician - in 1770 he became a member of the Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna and Pope Clement XIV named him a knight of the Order of the Golden Spur.
W. A. Mozart as the knight of the Order of the Golden Spur
Netherlands
Mozart and his family resided in the Netherlands from September 1765 to April 1766. They visited cities such as Utrecht, Amsterdam, Harlem and The Hague, where Wolfgang and his sister performed concerts. In The Hague, Maria Anna fell ill and then the same happened to Wolfgang. Thanks to Princess Carolina of Nassau, they were both taken care of by the court physician and successfully recovered from typhus. During this period Mozart composed twelve pieces, including two symphonies and Galimathias Musicum.
Czech Republic
In October 1767, due to the smallpox epidemic, the Mozart family left Vienna for the Czech Republic. During later trips, they visited seven cities. Prague played a very important role in the last years of Mozart's life. He achieved great success in that city as a composer of such masterpieces like Prague Symphony in D major or Don Giovanni. His opera The Marriage of Figaro was very popular with the Prague audience. Mozart was certainly very fond of Prague because of his friendship with the Duschek family. Franz Xsaver Duschek was a renowned pedagogue, composer and pianist. His wife Josephine was an opera singer for whom Mozart wrote several compositions, including the aria Bella fiamma addio.
Although Chopin lived in a time when virtuosity on the piano flourished to great extent, with representatives such as Franz Liszt, Sigismond Thalberg or Paul Kalkbrenner, the Polish "piano poet" did not approach this brilliant style, either as an interpret or a composer. He turned to a different style of playing, one in which did not dominate power of the sound or spectacular technical skills. Upon his arrival in Paris in the 1830s, he gradually replaced the career of a concert pianist with performances in an intimate salon environment where he could play in front of a selected audience, usually made up of the members of European artistic and intellectual elite. Only in such circumstances of Parisian salons could Chopin showcase his unique style of playing the piano - a delicate, subtle touch and a sound full of different colors. That is why many of his compositions are characterized by tenderness and intimacy, which are further enhanced by the ever-recognizable sound so close to singing. In this text I will try to point out some of the main characteristics of his style that is reminiscent of belcanto.
Vincent van Gogh: A starry night
Nocturne - a song of the night
"... how Chopin dreams in reality, how he cries, how sweet, gentle and melancholic he sings ... He is a pianist of feelings, par excellence."
The composer's nocturnes can be described as "songs of the night," since the Italian name for the genre notturno refers to it (notte means night). They can also be called "belcanto on the piano" or perhaps "arias without words". These compositions are among the most beautiful Chopin wrote for his favorite instrument, to which he devoted himself almost entirely as a composer. Nocturne was very much in keeping with the aesthetics of the romantic style, because the very name of the genre indicates the evocation of images associated with night.
Accompaniment in the form of broken chords, over which a beautifully shaped melody in the player's right hand floats, are the basic characteristics of the nocturne. Its vocal quality is easily recognized - not only does the melody have similarities with Italian belcanto, but there are also numerous embellishments, which sound like cadenzas in operatic arias. These ornaments in Chopin's music do not have a role of merely displaying the suppleness of the player's hand, but form an organic part of his music. They make his works special, they are a source for rich sound coloring. In his Nocturne op. 9 br. 1 in b flat minor, the composer constantly changes the opening theme, every time in a different way. No doubt we can find this kind of sound in Bellini's operas.
"Chopin is first and foremost a poet, a sensitive one, trying to emphasize
a poetic quality in his music."
Belcanto on the piano
Chopin conveyed his early-instilled love of opera to the sound of his beloved piano by applying several key features, something no other composer had ever achieved. This singing quality of his works stems, first and foremost, from a desire to produce, as a singer would do, perfect legato on the piano and to embellish his delicate melodies with numerous fiorituras of ethereal character. In addition, Chopin also used rubato. The composer himself speaks of this:
"The left hand is the conductor; it must lose its base,
and with your right hand you can do whatever you want and can."
Those who were lucky to have listened to him play in the intimate atmosphere of Parisian salons would be fascinated by Chopin's playing, because he would also improvise. The art of improvisation was still one of the supreme skills an artist could achieve. It seems many ornaments in his music were actually just results of his improvisations.
Chopin often told his students that "if they wanted to play, they had to sing". One of his students Karol Mikuli once wrote that "under Chopin's fingers, every phrase sounded like a song". This statement confirms the fact that Chopin looked up to singers in search for his inspiration. For him singing was the purest expression of feelings, a melody of the heart expressed through legato cantabile, adorned with a multitude of fiorituras that flow like pearls over a keyboard. When Chopin was playing and teaching, he emphasized the melodiousness of the sound - "sing while you play", "you have to sing with your fingers". He recommended his pupils to adopt some of the singing rules as guidelines in interpretation, often suggesting that the pianist should move his wrist just like a singer takes his breath.
The influence of belcanto on Chopin's style
The need for creating a singing sound on keyboard instruments was not a novelty in the 19th century. Even before the emergence of Bellini's belcanto composers searched for that sound, but only in Chopin's oeuvre we find a consistent application of vocal music in piano performance. Although it cannot be said that Chopin created this idea, he was certainly the best representative of this style.
His technique was based on how the performer touches the keys. Chopin insisted on light touching and legato playing. He always avoided forte which he compared to the sound of dogs barking. Although his compositions exhibit great dynamic ranges and contrasts, which are of course essential to music in general, Chopin is still remembered for exploring different shades of piano. Ignaz Moscheles would compare this to a soft breath.
Since his music is so rich in sophisticated embellishments, Chopin asked his students to use their fingertips when playing, making sure that they slide from key to key, always bearing in mind that they should press them with care or, as the Italians would say, carezzando. In the scores we can also see numerous remarks about the ways in which pianists should interpret these ornaments. Since he was fond of delicacy in the sound, he wrote such expressions as con delicatezza (with delicacy), scintillante (brilliantly) and zeffiroso (like a breeze).
Chopin and divas of belcanto
Jenny Lind
When he was a boy, Chopin had the opportunity to enjoy opera performances in Warsaw. He heard famous Angelica Catalani, one of the greatest divas of the time. When he settled in Paris, Chopin came into contact with Bellini's operas, which left a significant mark on his music. One of the most obvious examples of this influence can be found in his Etude op. 25 no. 7 in c sharp minor, which was apparently composed as an homage to Bellini's belcanto. The main theme of this etude is based on the melody from the aria Teneri figli from Norma.
Maria Malibran
During his short life, Chopin collaborated with some of the greatest singers of the period, such as Maria Malibran or Pauline Viardot, two sisters from the famous Garcia family, as well as Jenny Lind, also known as the Swedish nightingale. Chopin learned a lot from his favorite singers and applied that to his music. That his piano compositions were also suitable for vocal arrangements can be seen in numerous vocal compositions written by Pauline Viardot. She transformed Chopin's piano pieces into songs.
The Viennese Weltmuseum contains one of the most important collections of Renaissance and early Baroque instruments, but also those from later periods. Exquisite instruments belonging to Archduke Ferdinand II and Emperor Leopold testify to what the extent music played an important role in the court of Habsburg. Instruments collected by the Obizzi and Habzburg-Este families provide a unique overview of nurturing the art of music in Austria over the centuries. The magnificent instruments from the collections of Emperor Joseph II, Empress Maria Theresa or Emperor Franz Joseph I show how skillful and creative the Austrian instrument makers were. Some of the instruments are associated with particular historical events or famous musicians, so one can see a violin belonging to Leopold Mozart or a piano Sigismond Thalberg played. The visitor can also inform himself how rich the music tradition was in Vienna, because there are instruments once played by famous musicians, such as Johann Strauss Jr, Joseph Lanner, Karl Michael Ziehrer or the Schrammel brothers.
Lira da braccio
Lira da braccio
Of the few surviving examples from the Renaissance period, a lira da braccio kept at the Vienna Museum is considered to be one of the most beautiful. It was made in a workshop of Giovanni D'Andrea and it dates from the beginning of the 16th century. The three-dimensional shape of the human torso results from the curvature of the upper and back parts of the instrument. Interestingly, a male character appears on the lower part of the instrument, while at the same time the shape of the instrument suggests a torso. The front of the instrument resembles the shape of a woman's body. This shows a close relationship between love and music. Of particular beauty and artistic craftsmanship are the sound holes.
Lira da braccio was very popular during the Renaissance period, especially in Italy, where it was used by artists who recited poetry and accompanied themselves in an improvisational manner. This instrument can also be found on paintings, usually in the hands of mythological figures such as Orpheus or Apollo or in depictions of angelic choirs. Leonardo da Vinci played lira da braccio.
Baryton
Baryton (1732)
In this collection, another unusual instrument can be seen, the name of which suggests another thing - a designation of a male voice. The word baritone itself is derived from two Greek words meaning "one that sounds deep". The instrument usually had six or seven strings, and the player held it vertically, holding it to his feet. There are also a number of added strings on the baryton, which can be used for enhancing the sound of other strings or by plucking. The instrument was in use until the late 18th century. After the interest in baryton declined in the era of Romanticism, it became popular again in the 20th century when musicians started thinking about how they should play old music according to historically informed performance.
Baryton was a favorite instrument of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. That is why Joseph Haydn wrote 175 pieces for his employer, the majority of which are trios for viola, cello and baryton. These are certainly the most beautiful pieces intended for such an ensemble. The baryton of Haydn's time had one special feature - the added strings were tuned an octave higher than the others. The picture shows a baryton made in 1732 by an Austrian instrument maker Daniel Achatius Stadlmann in Vienna.
Simon Schӧdler's baryton (1782)
Baryton was popular for some time in the second half of the 18th century and was mostly played by those who enjoyed making music in their spare time. Many of these music lovers belonged to aristocratic circles. At the Weltmuseum, one can see several barytones, for example one from Simon Schӧdler's workshop, built in 1782. In keeping with the fashion of the time, the instrument maker carved a man's head with a green hat on the pegbox.
The piano of Emperor Joseph II
A large part of the Weltmuseum collection is composed of pianos and precursors of this instrument. One of these once belonged to Emperor Joseph II, the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa. It was probably this instrument that was available to Mozart and Clementi during their duel in 1781 at the Imperial Court in Vienna. The Austrian emperor decided to arrange an unforgettable Christmas evening in the form of a musical duel for his distinguished guests - the Russian Archduke Paul and his wife Archduke Maria Fyodorovna. At the time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was slowly making his career as a freelance artist in the imperial capital by offering himself as a composer and pianist to Viennese audiences. Muzio Clementi, on the other hand, was already a prominent pianist, composer, pedagogue and publisher with a permanent address in London. At that point, he was on a three-year European concert tour. During this duel two virtuosos played their own compositions, showed their skills by playing pieces prima vista and improvising on given melodies. Although there were no winners, it seems that in Clementi's words, Mozart was a better performer. One of the pieces Mozart played during this event were his Variations Ah, vous dirai-je maman.
On the instrument belonging to the emperor the characteristics of the harpsichord are still noticed. The lightweight construction with a slim soundboard, decorated with a rosette, as well as the inlaid keys in the lower and higher registers, are unique features of Viennese instrument making.
Emperor Joseph II's piano
Clavichord (about 1785)
Instruments made for journeys
Musicians from the 18th century traveled often, so they needed instruments with robust construction, ones that could fit the size of a luggage. Leopold Mozart purchased one such instrument in Augsburg before embarking on a major European tour with his family in 1763. The clavichord from the Vienna Museum is attributed to Otto Joachim Tiefenbrunn and dates back to about 1785. Just besides this instrument there is a small hammer that was used for tuning. With this hammer musicians could tune the tuning pins on clavichords, spinets, harpsichords and pianos. This hammer kept in Weltmuseum was made in 1756.
Schubertiade
Square piano (around 1820) and a portrait of young Schubert
"He can simply do anything; he is a genius! He composes songs, masses, operas, string quartets, in short, anything he wants." This is what Antonio Salieri said about Franz Schubert, who was at that time only 17 years old.
In the early 19th century, music was often played in private rooms. The rise of the middle class led to this emergence of music played in households. Many intellectuals organised salons in their homes. There was a group of people who regularly held the so-called Schubertiades, during which composer's works were performed. In addition to the usual pianos, whether larger or square, there were also those built as upright pianos. These instruments acted also as attractive pieces of furniture and were designed in accordance with Biedermeier. Due to the growing interest in private music making, there was also a need for making instruments that would fit a given space.
For the purpose of the Schubertiade, the painter Wilhelm August Rieder rented a square piano from the workshop of a renowned instrument maker Anton Walter and his stepson Joseph Schöffstoss. There is evidence Schubert composed on that piano on several occasions, while Rieder at the same time painted in his studio. After composer's death, Rieder bought the instrument in memory of the great master who died very young.
Lyre guitar
Lyre guitar of Jacques Pierre Michelot (Paris, around 1800)
A lyre-shaped guitar that can be seen at the Weltmuseum belonged to a famous singer Johann Michael Vogl, a baritone who often sang at the gatherings that were reserved for Schubert and his close friends.
Thanks to the collaboration and friendship with Johann Michael Vogl, Schubert wrote some of his most beautiful songs, such as Erlkӧnig. The composer was fascinated by the beauty of Vogl's voice, and Vogl was on the other side impressed by the quality of Schubert's music. After they officially met in 1817, composer wrote his songs bearing in mind the character and voice of Johann Michael Vogl.
Pianos for home music making
Due to a high demand, piano makers had to build instruments that would take up less space. Because the tone on the square pianos was less powerful, pianos were made in such a way that strings could be placed vertically. This is how giraffe or pyramid pianos were created. Visitors can see examples of such instruments, created in the early 19th century, at the Weltmuseum in Vienna.
Giraffe piano (before 1819)
Pyramid piano (around 1820)
In addition to the upright pianos or the giraffes, there were also pianos with a built-in cabinets, which allowed people to store their sheet music. The Viennese Weltmuseum exhibits several examples of these instruments, like the one made by Christoph Erler in the second quarter of the 19th century.
Piano with a cabinet by Christoph Erler
Glassharmonica
Glassharmonica
The discovery of this unusual instrument - the glassharmonica - is connected to Benjamin Franklin and his 1761 visit to England. Thirty-seven adjustable glass jars are rotated using an iron spindle that is operated by pressing the pedals. Gold rims on the glass jars serve as markers for semitones. The players can touch them using their fingertips.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart saw this instrument at the home of Dr. Franz Mesmer and used it in two of his compositions. The famous mad scene from Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor, where the the leading female protagonist is accompanied by the flute and glassharmonica. In Weltmuseum there is one glassharmonica built by an unknown maker. It dates from the first half of the 19th century.
Mozart and the clarinet
Clarinet of an unknown maker (late 18th century)
Mozart was very fond of the clarinet and its noble and rich sound. That is why he has written several compositions for the instrument. The most significant interpreter of his works was the clarinetist Anton Stadler, to whom the composer dedicated his most beautiful works. At that time, the clarinet was still among the youngest instruments in the orchestra. In one of the letters addressed to his father Wolfgang wrote that he regretted about not having clarinets in Salzburg like in Mannheim, where he heard a fantastic court orchestra.
"I could never think that a clarinet is as capable of imitating the human voice as it is when you play it. Indeed, your instrument has such a soft and warm color that I find difficult to resist." - these words were written by Mozart to his friend Stadler in 1785.
Mozart composed Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in A Major, today one of the most beautiful compositions dedicated to this instrument, to his beloved friend Anton Stadler. Besides the concerto, he composed Clarinet Quintet and Trio for clarinet, viola and piano. There are also some beautiful obbligato sections in two arias from the opera La Clemenza di Tito. Thanks to Mozart, clarinet players received a good basis for a further development of the repertoire during the 19th century. The clarinet shown on this photo, built by an unknown instrument maker, dates from the late 18th century.
A metronome and a music stand
A metronome by Johann Nepomuk Melzel
Johann Nepomuk Melzel applied his patent for the metronome in 1816 in Paris. It was based on a clockwork mechanism which could set in motion a vertical pendulum with a moving weight at its end. The pendulum could be adjusted to count between 50 and 160 beats per minute. Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the first composers to use metronome markings in certain compositions (for example, in his Ninth Symphony).
A music stand for four musicians
Besides music instruments, there are also other interesting objects in this museum. Of special interest are the music stands intended for chamber music making. Stands like these were placed on the tables, which allowed four musicians to play together. The racks that could be bent are made using decoupage. This was often used to make furniture and piano racks in the late 19th century. The stand in this picture comes from Austria and was made around 1860.
Valuable stringed instruments
Leopold Mozart's violin
Judging by the handwritten mark and archival material, the violin that can be seen in the photo belonged to Leopold Mozart. Although it is said to have originated in the workshop of the famous Italian instrument maker Amati, the violin must have been made somewhere in Austrian lands in the second half of the 18th century. The ivory parts were added by later owners of the instrument. Leopold Mozart worked in the service of the Archbishop of Salzburg, first as a violinist and then as deputy kapellmeister. He did not advance beyond that position, but he was certainly dedicated to teaching his talented children - Maria Anna and Wolfgang Amadeus. In addition to composing, his duties in the workplace were to teach the boys of the Cathedral choir to play violin and piano. Although he left no significant mark in history as a composer, Leopold was noted in his time as the author of a comprehensive treatise on the art of playing the violin. That book made a name for him throughout Europe.
Niccolò Amati's violin (from 1640s)
There is one violin in the museum that was actually made in the workshop of Niccolò Amati. It dates from the 1640s. Amati was the most significant representative of a family that has been involved in violin making for four generations. After a terrible plague epidemic in Cremona in 1630, he was the only surviving violin maker to continue the family tradition. Amati trained a number of students, including Jacob Steiner (1619-1683). He was one of the most prominent violin makers who achieved high level of mastery, alongside famous Italians. His instruments were highly sought after in Europe until the end of the 18th century.
Jacob Steiner's viola da gamba
Steiner actually made different types of stringed instruments. Today, in addition to his violins, the violas are also sought after because they are rare and therefore valuable. They often feature carved lion's heads as a decoration for the pegbox. Steiner's viola da gamba exhibited in this museum dates back to 1673. The neck and the pegbox of this instrument have been replaced. There is also a carved snail as a decoration.
Viola da gamba was a popular instrument during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Most often it was heard in the ensemble (or consort), both at the royal courts and in private homes. As the popularity of the violin grew, these softer-sounding instruments, better suited for concerts in smaller rooms, went slowly out of use. It was not until the 20th century, with the advent of the early music revival movements, that the viola da gamba again became popular among musicians dedicated to historically informed performance.
Valuable pianos
Joseph Dannhauser's portrait of Konrad Graf (1840) and piano by Konrad Graf (around 1830)
On the occasion of his first appearance in Vienna in 1829, Frederic Chopin received a piano from a famous Viennese maker Konrad Graf. In one letter, a Polish virtuoso describes the piano as "a wonderful, perhaps the best Viennese instrument." When he in 1830 visited Vienna for the second time, Konrad Graf sent a piano to his residence, but before the apartment was ready to receive this famous guest, Chopin practiced on a piano at Graf's house.
The photo shows a portrait of Konrad Graf painted by Joseph Dannhauser and his piano made around 1830. On the painting we can see Konrad Graf depicted as a successful businessman sitting in front of his desk, where are probably the blueprints for his pianos. In the background of the painting is a portrait of Emperor Franz, who generously supported the development of Austrian industry. It was Graf who directed the wholesale production of pianos, because until the early 19th century, there were mostly smaller workshops in Vienna.
Konrad Graf piano (1839)
Another piano from Graf's factory can be found in the collection of this museum. It dates from 1839 and was sent as a gift to Clara Wieck, a pianist who delighted the Viennese audience at that time. Graf himself seems to have been impressed by the young artist. This piano was regularly played by Clara and her husband Robert, as well as Johannes Brahms, who visited the Schumann's in Düsseldorf.
Clara Wieck was one of the best pianists of the Romantic era. She was a child prodigy. She started appearing as a pianist in European cities at an early age, so her career spanned more than half a century. Clara contributed to the development of the piano recital by shaping its repertory more towards the promotion of serious works, as opposed to the popular concerts performed at that time. She has premiered many works by her husband Robert Schumann and her close friend Johannes Brahms. As a composer, she wrote piano, vocal, choral and chamber music. She was also a piano teacher.
The building of the Musikverein in Vienna was officially opened in 1870. At the opening concert of the small hall, later named after Johannes Brahms, was held on January 19th that year. The then celebrated pianist Clara Schumann played. Contrary to today's practice, pianos were rented for such purposes and the artist chose an instrument made by Johann Baptist Streicher. The piano was then owned by the Streicher family in memory of the event. Afterwards it was donated to the Weltmuseum.
Johann Baptist Streicher's piano (1868)
In the 1860s, Franz Liszt retired from the hectic life of a concert pianist and went to Rome. The collection of the museum contains a piano made in 1862 by Érard company. Liszt used it to write his late works, hold private lessons and give concerts in a private setting. After his death, the Polish virtuoso Ignacy Jan Paderewski played this piano in 1904. The concert was arranged for Pope Pius X in Vatican. The instrument was then completely forgotten until it was rediscovered and restored by Italian pianist Carlo Maria Dominici in 1991. This provided an opportunity for better understanding the works Liszt composed on that piano. The photo also shows a famous painting of Joseph Dannhauser. It was made in 1840 and the title is Liszt at the piano.
Piano Érard (1862)
Similar to Liszt, one of his contemporaries, noted pianist Sigismond Thalberg, who also played on a piano from the Érard factory, withdrew from his concert life. While Liszt lived in Rome, Thalberg settled in Posillipo near Naples. They both performed in an intimate setting, just in front of the invited guests, and played on pianos of very similar material, which can be seen in the Viennese museum. Both Liszt and Thalberg wrote compositions devoid of the dazzling virtuosity that made them famous in their earlier years.
Piano Érard (1863)
For the purposes of the 1867 World Exhibition in Paris, the Bӧsendorfer Company introduced two magnificent and lavishly designed pianos. It took apparently more than two years for the instruments to be built. The designer was Anton Grosser and the style shows elements of historicism. The gilded caryatids are reminiscent of the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, which was built at the same time as this piano.
Bӧsendorfer grand piano (before 1867)
Again about home music making
Harmonium was very popular as an instrument in Romanticism, but also in the early 20th century. Rarely seen in the concert hall, it was used more for home music making and in churches. Two pumps operated by the player's feet deliver the air that passes through a vibrating metal mouthpiece, which is producing the sound on the instrument. Particularly praised as an instrument maker in Austria was Peter Titz, who was appointed an instrument supplier for the Imperial Court in 1870. He also built an instrument called fisarmonica. The first instrument of this kind was made in 1818 in Vienna and soon began to be used as a substitute for organ in churches. In addition, it has become a common instrument in the field of home music making.
