Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904 › scan 358
Scan 358
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
14 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1dances. Joachim has trained a large number of excellent violinists. Among the best of his pupils are: J. Ludwig, well known as teacher and quartet-player in London, Hänflein (Hanover), Waldemar Meyer, Holländer (Cologne), Kruse (Berlin), Kotek (Berlin), Schnitzler (Rotterdam), Hess (Frankfort), Petri (Leipzig), Halir (Mannheim), Schiever (Liverpool), Gompertz (London), T. Nachez and many more. (See Table, pp. 318, 319.)
3In addition to Boehm's pupils, the Vienna school produced a number of eminent violinists, such as JOSEPH HELLMESBERGER, a pupil of his father, who was for a great many years the leading violinist at Vienna, enjoying a special reputation for quartet-playing; LEOPOLD AUER (born 1845), pupil of Dont, jun., and others. LEOPOLD JANSA (1797–1875) deserves to be specially mentioned as the teacher of the most eminent lady-violinist of the present day, WILMA NORMAN-NERUDA (born 1840). Madame Neruda (Lady Hallé), possessing a highly-finished technique, is not merely a brilliant soloist, but a thorough musician, versed in the whole range of musical literature, and an admirable quartet-player. It is, no doubt, largely owing to her immense success and popularity that of late years violin-playing has been much taken up by ladies, with various degrees of success.
5The school of Prague — started by F. W. PIXIS (1786–1842), a pupil of Fränzl at Mannheim, and of Viotti — has produced several violinists of note: J. W. KALLIWODA (1800–66), M. MILDNER (1812–65), who succeeded Pixis as Professor of the Violin at the Prague Conservatoire, and FERDINAND LAUB (1832–75), a violinist of the very first rank. [For the later development of this school under Professor Ševčik, see below.]
7It remains to mention a few violinists of eminence who do not stand in any direct connection with the established schools of violin-playing. FRANZ CLEMENT (1780–1842), who was a musician and player of remarkable genius, deserves specially to be remembered as the first who played in public, and for whom, in fact, was written, the Concerto of Concertos, the original MS. of which bears this inscription: 'Concerto par Clementa pour Clement, primo Violino e Direttore al teatro di vienna, Dal. L. v. Bthvn. 1806.' K. J. LIPINSKI (1790–1861) was mainly self-taught, an excellent, solid, and brilliant player; though not exercising, either as composer or teacher, much influence on violin-playing generally. BERNHARD MOLIQUE (1803–69), although a pupil of Rovelli's at Munich, must be called a follower of Spohr. His concertos take a high rank in violin-literature, and although they cannot rival Spohr's in spontaneity of ideas, they show, as it were, a further development of that master's violin-style and technique. During his long residence in England, Molique formed a number of pupils, the best known of whom was CARRODUS. OLE BULL (1810–80), a player of great originality, not free from charlatanism, was entirely self-taught, and has not inappropriately been described as a Northern Paganini. He belonged to no school, and exercised no influence on the style of violin-playing of the period.
9England has produced but few violin-players of eminence, and violin-playing has, as a rule, been represented in this country by foreigners. Thus we find Geminiani, Giardini, Wilhelm Cramer, Salomon, Viotti, Mori, Sainton, Straus, Norman-Neruda, as the leading resident violinists in London, while there is hardly an eminent player during the last hundred years who has not visited the country.
11The earliest English violin-player of note was DAVIS MELL, whom Hawkins calls the great rival of the German Baltzar. JOHN BANISTER (1630–79) was leader of the band of Charles II., in succession to Baltzar. MATTHEW DUBOURG (1703–67) was a pupil of Geminiani, and appears to have been a clever player. His pupil, JOHN CLEGG (1714–c. 50) was a brilliant virtuoso. J. ABRAHAM FISHER (born 1744) was a player of much talent, who travelled a great deal on the continent, but appears to have been much of a charlatan. THOMAS LINLEY (1756–78) studied under Nardini at Florence, but died young. GEORGE A. P. BRIDGETOWER (1779–184—), though not born in England, made his studies in London, and must have been a player of considerable powers, to judge from the fact that Beethoven played with him the Kreutzer Sonata for the first time in public. THOMAS PINTO (died 1773) and GEORGE F. PINTO (1786–1806) were born in London of Neapolitan parents. Both were clever violinists. Among modern players, the most eminent were HENRY BLAGROVE (1811–72), a pupil of Spohr, and the brothers ALFRED (1837–76) and HENRY HOLMES (1839–1905).
13There can be no doubt that the number of good violin-players is very much greater at the present time than it ever was before. Striking originality and genius are probably as rare as ever, but the improvement which has taken place in the rank and file during the last seventy years is truly astonishing. While formerly even the most famous orchestras contained but a few who could make any claim to be soloists, nowadays the great majority are thoroughly trained artistic players. One of the best-known teachers of modern times used to declare that the same concertos which during the first half of the 19th century were considered the ne plus ultra of difficulty, and were attempted in public by perhaps a very few of the most famous virtuosos, are now as a matter of course studied and fairly mastered by the average student at
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.