Professional Concerts

Last updated September 28, 2019

The "Professional Concerts" were subscription concerts established in 1783 and given at the Hanover Square Rooms in London. Leading musicians of the day performed at the concerts.

The Hanover Square Rooms or the Queen's Concert Rooms were assembly rooms established, principally for musical performances, on the corner of Hanover Square, London, by Sir John Gallini in partnership with Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel in 1774. For exactly one century this was the principal concert venue in London. The premises were demolished in 1900.

History

Background

Other regular concerts began in London around this time: the subscription concerts established by Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel, which ran from 1764 to 1782, and the Concerts of Antient Music, which began in 1776.^[1]^[2] The prestigious Hanover Square Rooms, accommodating about 900 people, opened in 1775 with a concert given by Bach and Abel.^[3]^[4]

Johann Christian Bach was a German composer of the Classical era, the eighteenth child of Johann Sebastian Bach, and the youngest of his eleven sons. After a spell in Italy, Bach moved to London in 1762, where he became known as "the London Bach". He is also sometimes known as "the English Bach", and during his time spent living in the British capital, he came to be known as John Bach. He is noted for playing a role in influencing the concerto styles of Haydn and Mozart.

Carl Friedrich Abel was a German composer of the Classical era. He was a renowned player of the viola da gamba, and produced significant compositions for that instrument.

The Concerts of Antient Music, also known as the Ancient Concerts or The King's Concerts, were an influential concert series put on annually in London from 1776 to 1848. The concerts consisted solely of music composed at least twenty years previous. The concerts had aristocratic or royal sponsorship and featured some of the best musicians of the day. At first twelve concerts were given each year; in 1785 a thirteenth concert, a performance of Handel's Messiah to benefit retired musicians, was added at King George III's command.

Establishment

The committee directing the Professional Concerts included Wilhelm Cramer, leader of the orchestra; William Dance, principal second violin; the cellist James Cervetto; and the composer and violinist William Shield. The subscription was five guineas for twelve weekly concerts.^[5]

Wilhelm Cramer was a famous London violinist and musical conductor of German origin. He was one of a numerous family who were identified with the progress of music during the 18th and 19th centuries. Wilhelm Cramer is the father of the famous Johann Baptist Cramer.

William Dance was an English pianist and violinist.

James Cervetto was an English cellist, playing in aristocratic venues and in important concerts of the day.

Performers at the Professional Concerts included the tenor Samuel Harrison from about 1783,^[6] the oboist Friedrich Ramm in 1784,^[7] the pianist and singer Maria Theresia von Paradis in 1785,^[8] and the violinist George Bridgetower in 1790.^[9] William Thomas Parke wrote that in 1788 the Professional Concerts "were allowed to be of the most perfect and gratifying kind, the band being composed of performers of the first talent in the kingdom, and the company of the most elegant description."^[10]

Samuel Harrison was an English singer. A tenor, he sang in notable concerts of the day, including the Concerts of Antient Music and the Three Choirs Festival.

Friedrich Ramm (1744–1813) was a German oboist for whom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote several works.

Maria Theresia Paradis, was an Austrian musician and composer who lost her sight at an early age, and for whom Mozart may have written his Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat major.

Rivalry with Salomon's concerts

Johann Peter Salomon had been excluded from the Professional Concerts, and set up his own concerts in 1791, continuing until 1795. He brought Joseph Haydn to London to appear there.^[11]

Johann Peter Salomon was a German violinist, composer, conductor and musical impresario.

Franz Joseph Haydn was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio. His contributions to musical form have earned him the epithets "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet".

The directors of the Professional Concerts, unable to make Haydn break his engagements with Salomon, invited his pupil Ignaz Pleyel to conduct concerts, hoping that rivalry between them would induce Haydn to perform at the concerts. This did not succeed, Haydn and Pleyel remaining on friendly terms.^[12] At Pleyel's first appearance in February 1792, which included a symphony he had written for the occasion, Haydn was in the audience.^[13]

Ignace Joseph Pleyel was an Austrian-born French composer and piano builder of the Classical period.

The Professional Concerts, suffering from the popularity of Salomon's concerts, ended in 1793.^[5]

Related Research Articles

Kapellmeister is a German word designating a person in charge of music-making. The word is a compound, consisting of the roots Kapelle and Meister ("master"). The word was originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel. However, the term has evolved considerably in its meaning in response to changes in the musical profession.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.

The year 1791 in music involved some significant events.

Charles J. Suck was an 18th-century composer, oboist, and flutist who was active in London during the 1780s. The European Magazine described him as "proficient on both the oboe and the German flute." He is particularly remembered for his Trio no. 1 in C major.

FranzXaver Richter, known as François Xavier Richter in France was an Austro-Moravian singer, violinist, composer, conductor and music theoretician who spent most of his life first in Austria and later in Mannheim and in Strasbourg, where he was music director of the cathedral. From 1783 on Haydn’s favourite pupil Ignaz Pleyel was his deputy at the cathedral.

Wenzel Raimund Johann Birck (1718–1763) was one of the early proponents of Symphonic music in Vienna, along with Georg Christoph Wagenseil and Georg Matthias Monn, and an early tutor for Mozart. Birck also, along with Georg Christoph Wagenseil tutored a young Joseph Haydn. He was the court organist for Maria Theresia and the music teacher for emperor Joseph II.

Charles Frederick Horn was an English musician and composer. Born in Germany, he emigrated to London with few possessions and no knowledge of the English language, yet rose to become a music teacher in the Royal Household. As an editor and arranger, he helped introduce the music of Johann Sebastian Bach to England.

Giovanni Andrea Battista Gallini, later known as Sir John Andrew Gallini, was an Italian dancer, choreographer and impresario who was made a "Knight of the Golden Spur" by the Pope following a successful performance.

The following is a chronological list of classical music composers who live in, work in, or are citizens of Austria.

Johann Baptist Wendling was a flute player and composer of the Mannheim School. He held the position of principal flute in the Mannheim and Munich court orchestras under directors Johann Stamitz and Christian Cannabich, and was acknowledged as one of the finest virtuosos of his time.

Luigi Borghi (c.1745–c.1806) was an Italian violinist and composer, living in London, particularly involved with orchestras of opera houses.

Charlotte Louise Henriette Papendiek was a lady-in-waiting to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, consort to George III of Great Britain.

Joseph Dando was an English violinist and viola player. He introduced the first public concerts of chamber music in England.

Charles Frederick Baumgarten was a German-born violinist, organist, composer and teacher, living in London.

The "Vocal Concerts" were subscription concerts in London, given from 1792 to 1794 and from 1801 to 1821. Leading singers of the day performed at the concerts.

References

↑ Giorgio Pestelli. The Age of Mozart and Beethoven. Cambridge University Press, 1984. Page 169.
↑ Alexander L. Ringer. Early Romantic Era: Between Revolutions, 1789 and 1848. Springer, 2016. Page 206.
↑ Gerald Newman, Leslie Ellen Brown. Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714–1837. Taylor & Francis, 1997. Page 474.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Hanover Square Rooms" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.
1 2 "Memoirs of the Metropolitan Concerts". The Harmonicon . 10 (5): 101–103. May 1832 – via RIPM.
↑ Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1891). "Harrison, Samuel" . Dictionary of National Biography . 25. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 39.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Ramm, Friedrich" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Paradis, Marie Therese von" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Bridgetower, George" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.
↑ Simon McVeigh. Concert Life in London from Mozart to Haydn. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Page 17.
↑ Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Salomon, Johann Peter" . Dictionary of National Biography . 50. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 210–211.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Haydn, Joseph" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.
↑ Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Pleyel, Ignaz" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[mozart-1] Giorgio Pestelli. The Age of Mozart and Beethoven. Cambridge University Press, 1984. Page 169.

[romantic-2] Alexander L. Ringer. Early Romantic Era: Between Revolutions, 1789 and 1848. Springer, 2016. Page 206.

[hanoverian-3] Gerald Newman, Leslie Ellen Brown. Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714–1837. Taylor & Francis, 1997. Page 474.

[4] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Hanover Square Rooms" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

[harmonicon-5] 1 2 "Memoirs of the Metropolitan Concerts". The Harmonicon . 10 (5): 101–103. May 1832 – via RIPM.

[6] Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1891). "Harrison, Samuel" . Dictionary of National Biography . 25. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 39.

[7] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Ramm, Friedrich" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

[8] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Paradis, Marie Therese von" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

[9] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Bridgetower, George" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

[concert-10] Simon McVeigh. Concert Life in London from Mozart to Haydn. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Page 17.

[11] Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Salomon, Johann Peter" . Dictionary of National Biography . 50. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 210–211.

[12] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Haydn, Joseph" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.

[13] Grove, George, ed. (1900). "Pleyel, Ignaz" . A Dictionary of Music and Musicians . London: Macmillan and Company.