JOHANN JOACHIM QUANTZ On ‘Playing the Flute — SS A COMPLETE TRANSLATION WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY EDWARD R, REILLY FABER AND FABER 24 Russell Square _ LondonFirst published in memlxvi by Faber and Faber Limited 24 Russell Square London W.C. 1 Printed in Great Britain by Vivian Ridler at the University Press, Oxford All rights reserved on . fis ae 107. B va 2 ve Ey ai iE a SIBLIOTHEEK | 5 © this translation by Faber and Faber 1966CONTENTS INTRODUCTION - page ix PREFACE TO THE TRANSLATION ESSAY OF A METHOD FOR PLAYING THE TRANS- VERSE FLUTE DEDICATION PREFACE INTRODUCTION. Of the Qualities Required of Those Who Would Dedicate Themselves to Music CHAPTER 1. Short History and Description of the Transverse Flute 11. Of Holding the Flute, and Placing the Fingers 11. Of the Fingering or Application, and the Gamut or Scale of the Flute rv. Of the Embouchure v. Of Notes, their Values, Metre, Rests, and Other Musical Signs vi. Of the Use of the Tongue in Blowing upon the Flute Sxcrion I: Of the Use of the Tongue with the Syllable fior dé : Sxcrron II: Of the Use of the ‘Tongue with the Word tirt Sxcrron III; Of the Use of the Tongue with the Word dia’, ot the so-called Double Tongue SuppLEMENT: Several Remarks for the Use of the Oboe and Bassoon vir. Of Taking Breath, in the Practice of the Flute vitr. Of the Appoggiaturas, and the Little Essential Graces Related to Them XXXV 29 36 39 49 60 7 rp 76 719 85 87 91vi Ix. * xi. XIIL. XIV. XV. XVI. XVIL. XVIII Contents Of Shakes What a Beginner Must Observe in His Independent Prac- tice O£ Good Execution in General in Singing and Playing Of the Manner of Playing the Allegro Of Extempore Variations on Simple Intervals Of the Manner of Playing the Adagio Of Cadenzas What a Flautist Must Observe if he _ Plays in Public Concerts Of the Duties of Those Who Accompany or Execute the Accompanying or Ripieno Parts eee with a Con- cettante Part Sscrion I; Of the Qualities of a Leader of an Orchestra Srcrion II: Of the Ripieno Violinists in Particular Srcrion III: Of the Violist in Particular Sxcri1on IV: Of the Violoncellist in Particular Srcrron V: Of the Double Bass Player in Particular SEcrTIon VI: Of the Keyboard Player in Particular Sxcrron VIL: Of the Duties ‘That All Accompanying Instrumentalists in General Must Observe How a Musician and a Musical Composition Are to Be Judged INDEX OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTERS BIBLIOGRAPHY 109 119 129 136 179 196 205 206 215 237 24r 246 250 266 295 343 357qv. ILLUSTRATIONS . The Title-page of the First German Edition facing page + . Pythagoras at the Forge, Discovering the Laws of Pitch. From an engraving by G. F. Schmidt in the first German and French editions of the’ Essay of a Method for Playing the Trans- verse Flute. A note on this engraving in Quantz’s own hand has recently been uncovered with several letters of Quantz to Padre Martini in the Civico Museo Bibliggrafico Musicale in Bologna, In this note, probably included in a gift copy: of the Essay sent to Martini in 1763, Quantz indicates that the engraving alludes to the fact that his own ancestors had been blacksmiths and that, in legend at least, the profession of his forefathers had “already contributed something to the growth of music” facing page 11 . Illustrations of a Quantz Flute. From an engraving designed to illustrate an article on Quantz’s flutes in Vol, II (1777) of the Sapplément to Diderot’s Encyclopédie faving page 29 A Chamber Concert, From an engraving by G. F. Schmidt in the first Getman and French editions of the Essay of a Method for Playing the Transverse Flute facing page 342INTRODUCTION ‘THe value of Quantz’s Essay of a Method for Playing the Transverse Flute as a major source of information about eighteenth-century musical practice and thought has been long recognized. The work has been repeatedly cited on a wide range of topics from the time that musicians and scholars fitst began to comprehend fully that an understanding of earlier approaches to performance might have a vital beating on the convincing re-creation of music of the past. The reasons that the Essay has been so frequently singled out, rather than one of the other flute tutors of the period, lie in the unusual scope of the treatise, and in the detailed treatment that Quantz accords his subject. If the work were no more than a reproduction of the standard material found in most eighteenth-century flute methods, it would probably be considered only as a particularly good example of a commonly encoun- tered type. But Quantz was an exceptional teacher, and his treatise was conceived as far more than an introduction to flute playing. In the Essay he offers his readers a comprehensive programme of studies for the per- forming musician. Quantz’s aim was that of good music teachers everywhere, ‘to train a skilled and intelligent musician, and not just a mechanical . . . player ...1 To provide a basis for the realization of this goal he organized the Essay as three more or less separate but closely interrelated treatises. Rach deals with an important phase of the performer’s training, but each is also designed so that it can be read independently of the others. ‘The first is devoted to the education of the solo musician, the second to accompany. ing, and the third to forms and styles. The first of these three divisions (Chapters I-XVJ) is carefully arranged in two sequences of chapters. The first ten begin by introducing the student to the history, the structure, and the mechanics of his instrument, that is, embouchure, tone production, fingering, and articulation. ‘The basic forms of ornamentation, appoggiaturas and shakes, are then dealt with; and a general review, with some remarks on individual practice, concludes the exposition of the rudiments of flute playing. ‘The next six chapters of the opening treatise form mote advanced stages of the performer’s training. In them Quantz is primarily concerned with developing the ability of the student to recognize and convey the character of each work that he performs. ‘The various types of fast and slow pieces and their appropriate execution are explored, as well as dynamics, free ornamentation, and cadenzas. Discussion of these areas leads naturally to the final chapter of this portion of the Essay, in which * See the Preface to the Essay.x Introduction the student is advised on problems associated with bis performance in public, Having provided the flautist with a solid musical and technical founda- tion on his own instrument in the first patt of his work, Quantz then directs the attention of his pupil to those instruments that would accompany him in concerts, Chapter XVI, which forms roughly one-third of the book, consists of a number of separate sections devoted to the ‘duties’ of the Jeader of an ensemble, cach member of the string family, the keyboard player, and accompanists in general. In turn many important subjects are taken up in addition to matters connected with the technique of each individual instrament. Tempo markings, intonation, problems of balance, the size and arrangement of an ensemble, and many other matters are considered in detail” ~~ In the concluding portion of the Essay (Chapter XVII), Quant rounds out his student’s training with a lengthy discussion of contemporary forms and styles, The first half of this discussion is devoted to clearly worded descriptions of most of the principal types of composition then cultivated, especially those favoured in the courts of central and northern Germany. ‘The remainder consists of a comparison and evaluation of Italian, French, and German styles of petformance and composition. The Essay as a whole is preceded by an excellent introduction on “The Qualities Required of Those Who Would Dedicate Themselves to Music’. This section, like many others in the Essay, vividly brings home the con- stancy of certain aspects of musical life, and still offers much sound advice to those interested in becoming professional musicians. ‘That Quantz intended his work for musicians of all kinds is cleat both from the manner in which the Essay is organized and his own Preface. Only about 50 pages of the original 334 are devoted exclusively to the flute. Although the first of the three main divisions of the work was conceived specifically for the flute, most of the material after Chapter VU is equally applicable to other instruments and to singing. The preceding discussions of notation, breathing, and articulation, how- ever, also contain much valuable information for performers other than flautists. Quantz’s actual treatment of the various subjects with which he deals matches the breadth of his basic plan. As an expetienced teacher he had obviously recognized the need to be clear and specific. He also strove dili- gently to avoid the superficiality of those methods that offéred quick mastery of an instrament with little effort. In many areas he provides much more conctete information about important points of performance than either his immediate predecessors or his followers; and his attention to detail—even if at times it becomes pedantic—considerably enhances the value of the Essay as a guide for modern performets. Subjects such as extempore embellishments, dynamics, cadenzas, and tempo ate explored more fully than in any other treatise of the time. The valuable works ofIntroduction xi C. P. E, Bacht and Leopold Mozart which appeared shortly after that of Quantz, show a considerable extension of the treatment of the keyboard and violin as well as of some other matters, but frequently seem to assume some knowledge of Quantz’s treatise. ‘The unique combination of breadth and detail found in the Essay could scarcely have been better designed to provide a more stimulating intro- duction to musical thought, performance, and style in the eighteenth century, and mote than justifies a long overdue complete translation into English. Yet, important as the treatise is, modern petformers must remember that the work is the synthesis of the experience of one man active at a particular period in time and in a certain milieu, Solutions to the various problems of performance were as diverse during that time as they ate today. Quantz’s general approach in his Essay, and his specific treatment of the many subjects that he examines, grew out of yeats of personal experience in all the phases of music that he discusses. During his long career he was active and successful as a solo and orchestral performer on a variety of instruments, as a composer, as a teacher and writer on music, as a director of a chamber ensemble, and as a maker of flutes. ‘To see the Essay in its historical context, a picture of his life and musical training, anda knowledge of some of his compositions are both valuable. In Quantz’s case the catch. all label ‘teacher of Fredetick the Great’ has done much to obscure zecognition and study of the crucial quatter-century that he spent at Dresden, as well as to link subjective feelings about Frederick with esti- mates of Quantz. ‘The old maxim that ‘theory is always fifty years behind practice’ has also tended to cloud the fact that Quantz was very much a part of his time, and that his work was conceived in relation to the music cultivated during his prime. Happily, Quantz himself has provided many of the essentials of his background in a short autobiography, written in 1754 and published the following year.3 This work forms the basis for much of the brief sketch that follows. Born (30 January 1697) the son of a blacksmith in the village of Ober- scheden in Hanover, Quantz’s early love of music grew out of his en- * Bussay ou the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments, translated and edited by William J. Mitchell (New York: W. W. Nortaa, 1949). +A Treatise on the Fundamental Principles of Violin Playing, translated by Editha Kaocker (London : Oxford University Press, 1948). 2 Herm Johann Joachim Quantzens Lebenslauf, von ihm selbst entworfen’, in F. W. Marpurg, Historisch-kritische Beytrage zur Aufuahme der Musik, i (1753), pp. 157-250. This work forms the primary basis for all later accounts of Quantz’s life, from that of Hiller to those found in current reference works. A facsimile reprint is included in W. Kab, Selbrtbiographien deutrcher Musiker des XVUL. Jahrhunderts (Cologne: Staufen-Vetlag, 1948), pp. 104-57, with an intro- duction and many useful notes by the editor. An English translation appeats in P, Nettl, Fi gotten Musicians (New York: Philosophical Library, 1951), pp. 280-319. A. partial translation and paraphrase is also included in C. Burney, The Present State of Music in Germany, the Nesher- lands, and United Provinces (1773). See Dr. Burney's Musical Tours in Europe, edited by Bercy A. Scholes (2 vols.; London: Oxford University Press, 1959), ii, pp. 183-95. The passages quoted in this introduction, however, have heen freshly translated by the present writer.xii Introduction counters with it at village festivals, These he attended with a brother, Jost Matthies, who occasionally took the place of one of the village musicians, But Quantz’s father opposed the boy’s interest, and when the child was 9 insisted that he should begin work in the family trade. ‘The death of the father in the following year, 1707, suddenly gave the reluctant apprentice the opportunity to escape from the ‘career laid out for him. An uncle, Justus Quantz, who was 2 town musician at Mersebutg, offered to take him in and train him. Although the uncle also died only a few months after his nephew’s arrival in Merseburg, Quantz continued his apprenticeship for the next five years under Johann Adolf Fleischhack (dates unknown), son-in-law and successor to Justus. Fleischhack was apparently an indifferent master, but Quant during his Merseburg years gained a useful practical founda- tion in his chosen profession. Orphaned at so carly an age, he seems to have turned all of his energies to music, ‘The main requirement of a town musician was passable proficiency on a variety of instruments. During his apprenticeship Quantz studied the violin, oboe, trumpet, cornett, trombone, horn, tecordet, bassoon, ’cello, viola da gamba, and double bass. On the violin, his principal instrument, he gained sufficient tech- nical mastery to play works by Heinrich Biber (1644-1704), Johann Jakob Walther (¢. 1650-1717), Henrico Albicastro (c. 1680-c. 1730), Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), and Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767). Among the other instruments the oboe and trumpet were those on which he became most competent. On his own initiative he made his first attempts at composition, and studied the harpsichord under Johann Friedrich Kiesewetter (d. 1712), a telative who was organist at the church of St. Maximi, Kiesewetter introduced him to the latest works of Telemann, Melchior Hofmann (d. 1715), and Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729). Quantz completed his apprenticeship at the age of 16,-and then re- mained with Fleischhack as a journeyman for two yeats and four months. During this time he already aspired to a higher level of musicianship than he found in Merseburg, and hoped to go to Berlin or Dresden to con- tinue his studies. In 1714, when the death of the brother of the Duke of Saxony-Mersebutg caused a temporary suspension of musical activities, Quantz travelled ta Dresden.? He attempted without success to discover an opening in the beautiful Residenzstadt of Augustus Il, the Elector of Saxony (under the title Frederick Augustus I) and King of Poland, Even- tually he found work in Pirna, under the town musician Georg Schalle (1670-1720), and while there he came to know the director of the Dresden town band, Gottfried Heyne or Heine (d. 1738), who employed him when additional players were needed for weddings. * For further information on Quantz’s family and his early teachers, see W. Nagel, ‘Miscel- Janen’, Monathei fir Mushgescicte, xxix (1897), pp. 69-78. * Quant2’s choice of Dresden was probably influenced by the fact that the Royal Chapel in Berlin was dishanded by Frederick William I in 1713.Introduction xiii Quant2’s brief stay in the vicinity of Dresden in 1714 marked a turning- point in his cateer as both performer and composer. His acquaintance- ship with Heyne became the first step towards a position in Dresden. And while at Pirna he first encountered the concertos of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), works which were to have a decisive influence on his develop- ment as a composer. His reaction to them, noted in his autobiography, reflects that of a whole generation of German composers: ‘As a then completely new species of musical pieces, they made more than a slight impression on me. I did not fail to collect a considerable assortment of them. In the future the splendid titornellos of Vivaldi provided me with good models.’: Returning to Mersebutg in September 1714 Quantz completed the remaining year and a half of his service as a journeyman. In the year fol- lowing the conclusion of his formal training, he received several different offers for positions as a violinist, oboist, or trumpet player. The realization that he would be ‘the best among bad’? performers made him wait for a more attractive opening to appear. In March 1716 his hopes were tewartded by an offer from Heyne to become a member of the Dresden town band. . ‘The twenty-five years from 1716 to 1741, during which Dresden re- ‘mained the centre of Quantz’s activities, constitute the most interesting and critical era in his life, The rich cultural environment of the city during the reigns of Augustus II (1670-1733) and Augustus III (Fredetick Augustus II; 1696-1763) provided him with both the stimulus and the opportunity to develop into a mature performer and composet. The strong impression made by the high standards that the young man encountered in the Dresden orchestra (not the town band to which he at first be- longed) is most vividly conveyed in his own words : ‘Thus in March 1716 I went to Dresden. Here I soon perceived that merely hitting the notes as the composer wrote them was still far from the greatest excellence of a musical artist. ° ‘The Royal Orchestra at that time was already in a particularly flourishing state, Through the French equal style of execution introduced by Volumiet,3 the concertmaster at that time, it already distinguished itself from many other orchesttas; and later, under the direction of the following concertmaster, Mr. Pisendel,* it achieved, through the introduction of a mixed style, such tefine- ment of performance that, in all my later travels, I heard none better. At that time it boasted various celebrated instrumentalists, such as Pisendel and Veracinis * Quantz, ‘Lebenslauf’, p. 205, On the influence of Vivaldi’s concertos in Germany, sec M. Pincherle, Vivaldi, Genius of the Baroque (New York: W. W. Norton, 1957), pp. 219-66, and ‘A. Hutchings, The Barogue Concerto (New York: W. W. Noston, 1961), pp. 201-25. * Quantz, ‘Lebenslaul’, p. 205. 3 Jean-Baptiste Volumiet (1677-1728). Volumier had come to Dresden in 1709 from Berlin. + Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755). 5 Brancesco Veracini (1690-1768) was in Dresden from 1717 to 1722. His Op. 1, Sonate a vialino solo e basso, appeared there in 1721.xiv Introduction on violin, Pantaleon Hebenstreit™ on the pantalon, Sylvius Leopold Weiss? on the lute and theorbo, Richter on the oboe, and Buffardint on the transverse flute, to say nothing of the good violoncellists, bassoonists, horn players, and double bass players. ‘Hearing these celebrated people I was profoundly impressed, and my zeal to inquire farther into music was redoubled, I sought in time to put myself in a position to become a passable member of so excellent a society. For although T otherwise enjoyed the way of life of the town musician, the tiresome playing of dances, which is so harmful to more refined performance, made me yearn for a release from it.s In the year after his removal to Dresden, Quantz took advantage of the freedom offered by another period of mourning to continue his training in composition. He went to Vienna, and there studied counterpoint briefly with Pux’s pupil Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745), who was later to become one of the court composers at Dresden. In March 1718, at the age of 21, the young and ambitious town musi- cian was able to move into the fringe of the illustrious circle of the court orchestra. After an audition he was accepted as an oboist in the newly formed Keine Kammermusik known as the ‘Polish Chapel’. This small ensemble of twelve musicians accompanied the King on his visits to War- saw, but also remained in Dresden for substantial periods. Besides im- proving Quantz’s salary and standing, the new position was decisive in other ways. Seeing no prospect for advancement as an oboist because of the seniority of other members of the ensemble, he turned setiously to the study of the transverse flute, since the flautist in the group willingly allowed him the first chair. Quantz’s only formal instruction on the in- strument came from the renowned French player, Buffatdin, with whom he studied for four months, Buflardin’s speciality, he notes, lay in the execution of fast pieces. Quantz’s activities in the Polish Chapel also strengthened his iaterest in composition, especially of works for the transverse flute, At that time the instrument had a rather small repertoire of pieces specifically written for it. Unable to secure promised instruction from one of the two masters of the Dresden chapel, Johann Cheistoph Schmidt (1664-1728), and hesi- tant to approach his rival Heinichen,7 Quantz taught himself by studying the scores of established mastets, ‘attempting, without plagiary, to imitate their manner of writing in trios and concertos’.§ The strongest personal influence that he acknowledges in his musical * Pantaleon Hebeostreit (1669-1750). The pantalon, ot pantaleon, was a large dulcimer with 18 strings, played with two small hammers. 2 Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1686-1750). 3 Johann Christian Richter (1689-1744). 4 Pierre Gabriel Bulfardin (1690-1768) 5 Quantz, ‘Lebenslant’, pp. 206-7. ® Quantz was not a pupil of Fux, as is incorrectly stated in some reference works, He did, however, use Fux’s Gradus ad Parnassun in the training of his students ia composition. 7 The fullest account of musical life at the Dresden court, with its two Kapellmeisier, is still found in M, Farstenau, Zar Geschichte der Musik wnd des Theaters am Hofe 2u Dresden (2 vols. Dresden: R. Kuntze, 1861-2), * Quanty, ‘Lebenslauf’, p, 210.Introduction xv development is that of the violinist noted above, Johann Georg Pisendel, .a pupil of Torelli, Vivaldi, and Montanari, whose friendship he gained in his early years at the Dresden court, He praises Pisendel, at that time Volumier’s second in command in the direction of the Royal Orchestra, warmly as both man and artist: From this equally great violinist, worthy concertmaster,’ excellent musical artist, and truly honest man, I not only Jearned how to execute the Adagio,? but from him profited most fully in connection with the selection of compositions? and the performance of music in general, By him I was encouraged to venture further in composition. His style then was already a mixture of the Italian and the French, for he had already travelled through both countries as a man of ripe powers of discernment, In his tender years he sang as a chapel boy in Ansbach under the excellent singer and singing master Franc. Antonio Pistocchi,¢ and thus had the opportunity to lay the best foundation for good style. At the same place, however, he learned the violin from Totelli.s His example took such deep root in me that J have since always preferted the mixed style in music to the national styles. In matters of style I am also not a little indebted to the attention that T have always paid to good singers. ‘This acknowledgement gives the clearest possible evidence of Quantz’s obligation to Pisendel for certain basic features of his approach to pet- formance and for his notions about the mixtute of national styles. It also confitms the fact that Quantz’s style was strongly affected by his experi- ences at Dresden and thus, to a considerable extent, reflects the practices of one of the most important musical centres in Germany from about 1720 to 1740. Quanty’s perception of the significant differences between Italian and French modes of performance and composition developed from his con- tact with each at Dresden. The orchestra under Volumiet was grounded. in the French discipline of orchestral playing used, from the time of Lully, in the performance of French overtures and dances.7 Quantz’s only in- struction on the flute also came from a Frenchman, Buffardin. But French influences, which were strong at the Saxon court in the first decades of the century, were gradually submerged by the increasing importation of Htalian opera and opera singers, and by the wide dissemination of the sonatas and concertos of Corelli, Torelli, Vivaldi, and Albinoni, to cite only a few of the most significant composers. Quantz had become familiar with the concertos of Vivaldi in 1714, and there can be little question that they formed an important part of the repertoire of the Dresden orchestra. At least one concerto was written 1 Pisendel became concertmaster of the Dresden orchestra officially in 1729. 2 i.e. slow moveinents. See the Essay, Chapter XIV. 3 Das Ausnchmen der Satze. This phrase is not clear. Burney translates it as ‘to compose in many parts’; Nett! gives ‘the interpretation of movements’, * Francesco Antonio Mamilani Pistocchi (1659-1726). See the Essay, Chapter XVII, § 56. 5 Giuseppe Torelli (1658-1709). See the Essay, Chapter XVIII, §§ 30 and 58. © Quantz, ‘Lebenslauf?, pp. 210-11. 7 See the Essay, Chapter XVII, Section II, § 1, and the accompanying footnote.xvi Introduction specifically for the Dresden company, and a number of concertos and sonatas were written expressly for his friend Pisendel (who has left an interesting ornamented version of at least one Vivaldi adagio).' Quantz’s genuine appreciation of the richness of the Italian style of singing and vocal composition dates from 1719, when two operas, Ascanio? and Teofane, by the Venetian composer Antonio Lotti (1666-1740), were per- formed as part of the martiage festivities of Crown Prince Frederick Augustus and Maria Josepha, eldest daughter of Empetor Joseph I of Austria, For the occasion a brilliant group of Italian singers, including Francesco Bernardi (Senesino, ¢. 1680-c. 1750), Matteo Berselli (dates unknown), Vittoria Tesi (1700-75), and Margherita Durestanti (dates un- known), was engaged, a gtoup that also attracted Handel to Dresden in his quest for singers for the Royal Academy of Music in London.3 Although a dispute between Senesino and Heinichen, pethaps precipitated by the agreement which Handel reached with Scnesino and Berselli, brought about a suspension of further Italian opeta productions for several years, the impressions that Quantz had already gained were among the most important in forming his ideals of performance. Jn the years that followed he constantly studied the styles of the best vocalists of his day. After his entry into the Polish Chapel, Quantz gradually established himself as a player of more than average abilities, and gained the support of several patrons. A planned visit to Italy, supported by some Polish nobles, fell through in 1722. But the following year Quantz, together with the lutenist Weiss and Carl Heinrich Graun (1704-59), the future Kapell- meister of Frederick the Great, was able to journey to Prague for the coronation of Chatles VI. All took part as orchestral players in the performance of the opera Costanza e fortezza by Johann Joseph Fux (1660— 1741), the noted composer and theorist who headed the musical estab- lishment of the Viennese court. The work was produced in a magnificent style, with spectacular staging, a large chorus (with the youthful Franz Benda, a later friend of Quantz and concertmaster of Frederick the Great, among its members) and orchestra, and an excellent cast of singers.* Quantz was thus given further opportunities to hear many of the best singers and instrumentalists of his day. Also while at Prague he heatd the already celebrated violinist Tartini (1692-1770), who had recently entered the service of Count Kinsky. In 1724 Quantz finally saw his hopes for a period of study in Italy fulfilled. Prince Lubomirsky, one of his supporters at court, obtained * See Pincherle, Viveldi, pp. 43, 51, 84, 95-96, 247- 2 Ascanio was frst performed in 1718, but was repeated on 7 Sept. 1719. 3 See O. E, Deutsch, Handel, a Documentary Biography (London: A, & C. Beck, 1955), _ PP. 89-99. + The opeta has been reprinted in Denhméler der Tonkunst in Osterreich, Jabegang XVII. with reproductions of the striking original sets. For Quantz’s interesting comments on the work and the singers who patticipated in the performance, see ‘Lebenslauf’, pp. 216-20, and Nettl, Forgotten Musicians, pp. 294-7. .Introduction xvii petmission for him to make the southward journey in the suite of Count von Lagnasco, the new Polish minister to Rome. But what began as a visit to Italy was gradually extended into a three-year grand tour, with stays in France and England as well. During these travels Quantz took advantage of every occasion on which he could familiarize himself with the works of the most well-known composers and the styles of the most famous singers and instrumentalists. . ‘The greater part of his sojourn in Italy was spent in Rome, where he studied counterpoint under Francesco Gasparini (1668-1727), maestro di cappella at St. John Lateran, and author of a useful manual on thorough- bass, L’armonico pratico al cimbalo (1708). But he also visited almost every town where he could hear interesting music. Naples, Florence, Leghorn, Bologna, Ferrara, Padua, Venice, Modena, Reggio, Parma, Milan, and ‘Turin all formed part of his itinerary. A list of composers whose works he heard includes most of the im- portant figures of the day: Alessandro Scatlatti (1660-1725), his son Domenico (1685-1757), and his student Johann Adolph Hasse (1699- 1783), Giuseppe Ottavio Pittoni (1657-1743), Pietro Paolo Bencini (d. 1755), Giovanni Battista San Martino (Sammattini, 1701-75), Giovanni Andrea Fiorini (dates unknown), Francesco Mancini (1672-1757), Leonardo Leo (1694-1744), Francesco Feo (1691-1761), Nicola Antonio Porpora (1686-1768), Leonardo Vinci (1690-1730), Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Maria Capelli (d. 1726), Domenico Satri (1679-1744), Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739), Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1750), and Antonio Lotti. In Naples he became friendly with Hasse,' who within a few years was to become the most popular operatic composer in Italy and Germany, and Kapellmeister at Dresden. Through Hasse he was introduced to Alessandro ! \Scarlatti and won his favour in spite of an initial unwillingness to listen to ‘wind players because of the frequency of bad intonation. Among performers Quantz gave the greatest attention to singers. ‘The most impressive was the castrato Carlo Broschi (1705-82), known as Farinelli, then at the beginning of his career. Quantz heard him on a number of occasions, and they became personally acquainted? Perhaps an indication of Quantz’s own skill at the time is found in the fact that at Naples he was invited to perform in a concert which featured Hasse, Farinelli, the contralto Tesi, and the ‘incomparable’ ’cellist Franciscello (1692-1739). Other notable singers whom he heard were Carestini, al- ready familiar from Dresden, Anna Maria Strada (dates unknown), Giovanni Battista Pinacci (dates unknown), Annibale Pio Fabti (1697~ 1760), Nicolé Grimaldi (Nicolino, 1673-1732), Mazianna Gaberini (Romanina; d. 1734), and Giovanni Paita (dates unknown). * Stylistically Quantz’s works are probably closest to those of Hasse, although Hasse carries the process of simplification a step further. 2 For some examples of Farinell’s repeetoire and his style of embellishing vocal patts, see F, Habéck, Die Gesangshumst der Kastraten (Vienna: Universal-Edition, 1923). The stylistic similarities between some of Quantz’s works and the arias presented here is worth noting, C2817 bxviii Introduction With the exception of the oboist Giuseppe Sammattini (c. 1693~c. 1750), Quantz found Italy lacking in good performers on woodwind instra- ments, but was able to hear excellent string players such as the ’cellists Giovannini (dates unknown) and Franciscello, and the violinists Vivaldi, Francesco Montanari (d. 1730), Ludovico Madonis (¢. 1700-c. 1768), Giovanni Battista Somis (16861763) and his young pupil, Jean-Marie Leclait (1697-1764). As may be seen in the Essay! he disapproved of some of the tendencies that he noticed in Italian instrumental performance, and in general preferred the best Italian singers as models for his own style, but there can be no question that he was influenced to some extent by the works and execution of these artists. After a stay of almost two years in Italy Quantz moved on to France, arriving at Paris in August 1726. There he remained for seven months. His reactions to French musical life were typical of many Germans of his day. French opera he found in a poor state, suffeting from too great an adherence to Lully’s works, a poor orchestra, and bad singing methods. On the other hand he was impressed by French acting, staging, and danc- ing, and especially by the excellence of many individual instrumentalists, Tn Patis he encountered many good performers on the transverse flute, including among others Jean-Jacques Naudot (d. 1762), and Michel Blavet (1700-68). A warm friendship developed with Blavet, the finest French flute player of his day and an excellent composer for the instru- ment. Among other performers Quantz singles out the gambists Antoine Fortcroix (Forcqueray, 1672-1745) and Roland Marais (c. 1680-¢. 1750), and the violinists Giovanni Pietro Guignon (1702-74), an Italian player active mainly in France, and Jean-Baptiste Anet (b. 1661), but also notes that ‘there was no dearth of good organists, clavier players, and violon- cellists’? During the period of his visit to Paris, Quantz also madc his first attempt to improve the structure and intonation of his flutes by adding another key to the one-keyed instrument then in use, a modification that he explains at some length in the Essay. In spite of orders to return to Dresden early in 1727, the now well- travelled performer and composer found himself unable to resist the im- pulse to extend his journey to England. His brief visit there lasted from 20 March to 1 June, and more than justified his expectations. He found Italian opera, as presented by the Royal Academy of Music under Handel’s direction, in its ‘fullest bloom’ .4 He heard G. B. Bononcini’s Astyanax and the ‘splendid music’s of Handel’s Admetus, and was strongly impressed both by Handel’s direction of the opera orchestra and by his music. He witnessed and gives a good account of the famous rivalry between the prima donnas Faustina and Cuzzoni, although in later years he was pethaps a little biased in favour of Faustina, whom he had frequent opportunities ¥ See Chapter XVII, §§ 59-61. 2 ‘Lebenslaut’, p. 239. » See the Essay, Chapter III, §§ 8-11. 4 ‘Lebenslauf”, p. 239. 5 Loc. cit. ~i Introduction xix to hear in Dresden after she had become the wife of his friend Hasse. Solo instrumentalists heard in England included Handel on the harpsichord and organ, the violinists Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762), his pupil Matthew Dubourg (1703-67), the brothers Pietro (1679-1752) and Prospero (d. 1760) Castrucci, and Mauro d’Alais (dates unknown), and the flautists Karl Friedrich Weidemann (d: 1782) and John Festing (d. 1772). Quantz seems to have been sorely tempted to remain in England, and was urged to do so by Handel. But his sense of obligation to Augustus IT won out, and on 1 June 1727 he began the return trip to Dresden, travel- ling through Holland (with visits to Amsterdam, the Hague, Leiden, and Rotterdam), Hanover, and Brunswick. His three-year European tour ended with his arrival at Dresden on 23 July 1727. Quantz’s travels form the final stage of his training, and mark the beginning of his international reputation as a performer and composer. Dating his journeys he had been able to hear an astonishing number of the best composers and performers of his day. At the same time he scems to have made a considerable impression on those who heard him. Within a year ot two of his visits, printed collections of his music began to appear in France, England, and Holland. At least eleven such collections have been preserved from the years 1728 to about 1750, and several others are known to have been issued. Neatly all seem to contain relatively youthful works of the composer. Although Quantz specifically disavowed some of the compositions published in England and Holland, the authenticity of about half can be established; and the fact that some spurious works were issued under his name simply confirms the general esteem in which he was held.t While travelling Quant had continued his study of composition by imitating the styles that he encountered at the places he visited. At Dresden he began to review his experiences, ‘to put [his] ideas in order’, and to set about ‘forming an individual style’ At present we know that forty trio sonatas, some of which are duplicated in the prints mentioned above, and ten concertos, all preserved in manuscripts in the Sachsische Landesbibliothek, definitely belong to the years from 1716 to 1741. A considerable group of the solo sonatas and concertos later incorporated into the collection of Frederick the Great may also belong to this period. Unfortunately the chronology of these manuscripts cannot be definitely fixed as yet, although the printed works seem to forma key toa solution of this problem in some cases. Thus it is difficult to trace a full picture of the various phases of Quantz’s development as a composer during these formative years.3 * For a list and discussion of eighteenth-century editions of Quantz’s compositions, see Appendix I of my ‘Quantz’s Versuch einer Anveisung die Flite traversiere 2u spielen: a Trans- lation and Study’, unpublished dissertation, University of Michigan, 1958, ii, pp. 753-80. The dates of some of these collections can now be established mote specifically. 2 Lebenslaut’, p. 244. > An interesting study of a group of Quantz’s trio sonatas, together with a thematic catalogue of Quantz’s forty-seven works in this form, is contained in Karl-Hcinz Kohler, ‘Die Triosonatexx Introduction After his return to Dresden his position again improved considerably. In March 1728 he was made a member of the main Saxon Kape/le at Dres- den, with a salary of 250 thalers in addition to his former stipend of 216 thalers, and was no longet required to double as an oboist. Thenceforth he seems to have been singled out as one of the outstanding performets in the Dresden orchestra. ‘The young virtuoso’s thirty-first year also saw the beginniag of an important new relationship. The King of Prussia, Frederick William 1, paid a state visit to Dresden together with his 16-year-old son, Frederick. In August 1728 Augustus If paid a return visit to Berlin, and brought with him a group of his best musicians, including Pisendel, Weiss, Buffardin, and Quantz. Quantz made a particularly strong impression on Crown Prince Frederick (and his sister Wilhelmine), and their mother offered him a good position. Quantz claims that he could not secure his freedom from the Dresden establishment. From that time, however, he was allowed to visit Berlin, and later Ruppin and Rheinsberg, each year in order to teach Frederick the flute. Although Quantz’s tutelage of Frederick began in 1728, it must be emphasized that his home and the centre of his activities remained in Dresden for another thirteen years, and that Dresden in these years entered its most floutishing period of musical activity. In 1725 Italian opera was cultivated again, with the active support of the Crown Prince and future King, Augustus III. In 1731 his friend Hasse, who had mean- while achieved an enormous success in Italy, was appointed Kapellmeister; and Hasse’s wife, the notable singer Faustina, became one of the principal singers in the company. Also during these yeats Quantz had several oppor- tunities to hear Johann Sebastian Bach perform on the organ; and as the Essay shows, he was not to forget the strong impression made by the great musician as a performer, although his estimate of Bach as a com- poset is uncertain. A few lines from the autobiography suggest how much he enjoyed and benefited from the musical life in which he participated : The beautiful church music, the excellent operas, and the extraordinary virtuoso singers that I was able to hear in Dresden brought me ever new pleasures, and constantly excited new enthusiasm.” Tt seems unlikely that Quantz would have seriously considered ex- bei den Dresdener Zeitgenossen Johann Sebastian Bachs’, unpublished dissertation, Friedrich Schiller-Universitat Jena, 1956, pp. 20-26, 39-41, 81-102 and, in the volume of examples, pp. 41-47. The most extended study of Quantz’s music attempted thus far is found in Adolf Raskin, ‘Johann Joachim Quantz. Sein Leben und seine Kompositionen’, unpublished dis- sertation, Universitit Kéln, 1923. Although very useful as a preliminary study, the portion of this work devoted to Quantz’s compositions leaves many basic questions unanswered, and the author's attempt at a general chronology fails to take a number of factors into account. An extensive but incomplete list of compositions is inckuded, but the thematic incipits are lacking in the copy available to me, An older maouscript thematic catalogue, by C, Zoeller, also ia complete, but with incipits, is found in British Museum Add. 32148. G. Thouret, Katalog der Musiksammlung auf der Kéniglichen Hlausbibliothek (Leipzig : Breitkopf & Hartel, 1895), pp. 164~ 91, lists the main body of works that formed a part of Fredetick’s collection. 1 ‘Lebenslauf’, p. 245-Introduction oxi changing this position for a much less stimulating and much more tenu- ous one under Crown Prince Frederick without considerable rewards. Frederick’s artistic activities as a young man were brutally opposed by his father. And only after his imprisonment in the fortress of Kiistrin in 1730, and his apparent submission to his father’s wishes, was he able to gradu- ally begin the secret organization of his own private musical ensemble. On Quantz’s recommendation his friend, the violinist Franz Benda, was employed by Frederick in 1733.1 But in that same year when Augustus TI of Saxony was succeeded by his son, Quant retained his Dresden post. He reports that his salary was raised to 800 thalers, and permission was gtanted to continue his visits to Frederick, as well as to the Margrave of Bayreuth, who was now counted among his pupils; but he was not allowed to leave the service of the new Elector and King, Augustus IIL. A passage ina letter of 6 November 1733 by Frederick to his sister Wilhel- mine suggests, however, that Quantz. may have been playing a familiar game, and also indicates that the relationship between teacher and student was not without moments of strain. ‘Quantz is probably pleased that his new lord has ascended the throne,’ Frederick writes, ‘Since he does not wish to change from horse to donkey, he has considered it advisable to break his word to me; for he had promised to enter my service.’2 Quantz conveyed his appreciation of the benevolence of his ‘new lord? and sought his continued favour the following year by dedicating a printed collection of sonatas to him, entitled Sei sonate a auto traversiere solo, ¢ cembalo, dedicate alla Maestd d’ Augusto TIT. Re di Pollonia, Elettore di Sassonia. . . Opera prima (Dresden, 1734).3 These sonatas form the first collec- tion for which the composer himself was directly responsible, and reflect his care in preparing works for publication. In his preface he reports that some of the solo sonatas already published under his name in England and Holland ate spurious, and that the others contain numerous printer’s errors. The remaining years of the now successful performer, composer, and teacher at Dresden are marked by only two other recorded events. In 1737, at the age of 40, he was married, or, if a story published after his death is true, was tricked into marriage to Anna Rosina Carolina ? See Benda’s autobiography in Nettl, Forgotten Musicians, pp. 222-4. * Quoted in Kahl, Se/bstbiographien, pp. 275-6. Quantz’s original petition for a raise in salary, dated 27 March 1733, is preserved in the Sachsisches Landeshauptarchis in Dresden, and hhas been reprinted in La Mara, Musikerbriefe aus finf Jahrhumderten (2 vols.; Leipzig: Breitkopt & Hirtel, 1886), i, pp. 185-6, A second petition, along the same lines as the first, dated 9 July 1733, and the order for the salaty increase, dated 21 September 1733, ate also preserved in the same archives. * The first five of these sonatas have been issued in a modern edition ‘tevised’ by Oscar Fischer (Leipzig: Forberg, 1921). The edition, however, reflects an almost total indifference to Quantz’s teaching, as well as poor editorial practices in general. Better versions of the fitst and fourth sonatas are presented as the first two of Drei Sonaten by Quantz, ed. by F, Schroeder Ceipzig: VEB Breitkopf & Hirtel, 1963). * See R. W. Marpurg, Legende einiger Musikheiligen (Breslau: Korn, 1786), p. 67, and E. L. Gerber, Historisch-biographisches Lexicon der Tonkiustler (2 vols.; Leipzig: Breitkopf, 1790-2), ii, pp. 212-13,xxii Introduction Schindler (née Hélzel), probably the widow of a horn player in the Dresden orchestra. The meagte evidence preserved suggests that the union was not a happy one. ‘Two yeats later, in 1739, he expanded his already tich field of activities to include the boring and tuning of flutes, a business that he also managed with considerable success for the remainder of his life." ‘The concluding period of Quantz’s life coincides with the rise of Prussia to the position of a major European power under the ambitious leadership of Frederick the Great. After he became King in 1740 the active young tuler was able to offer Quantz tetms which his Saxon patron could not match, and which the musician could not tefuse. In Berlin he was to have a position rarely equalled by an instrumental performer and com- poset in the eighteenth century. It was stipulated that he should teceive a stipend of two thousand thalers a year for life, in addition to a special pay- ment for my compositions, a hundred ducats for each flute that I would supply, and the privilege of playing only in the Royal Chamber Ensemble, not in the {opera] orchestra, and of taking orders from none but the King... # Few musicians could have asked for mote, and probably few could have failed to be somewhat envious of both the salary and prerogatives. Quantz obtained a release.from the King of Poland, and officially entered the service of Frederick in December 1741. From this time Quantz’s life settled down into a pattern which seems to have remained mote or less constant for his remaining thirty-two years. ‘The outer routine was dictated by Fredetick’s own inflexible schedule in musical as well as other matters. According to one reliable witness the months of December and January, together with the 27th of March, the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Mother, were set aside for regular theatrical entertainments . . . and performances [of opera] occur evety Monday and Friday of these two months. On the other days of the week during Carnival time masquerades, concerts, comedies and other entertainments alternate at court. At other times every day in the evening from 7 until 9 2 regular concert is performed in the chamber of the King, in which His Majesty himself is accus- tomed to demonstrate his penetrating and exquisite taste, and his exceptional facility on the flute. ‘This basic pattern seems to have been’ modified only by affairs of state. Opeta productions were suspended during the Seven Years’ War (1756- © On Quantz’s flutes, see G, Miller, ‘Die Quantz’schen Kénigs-Fléten’, Zeitschrift far Instru- fenban, lii (1932), p- 238. Several of his Autes arc preserved in the Dayton C. Miller collec- tion at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 2 ‘Lebenslauf”, p. 248, Quantz’s salary is confirmed by contempotary records now preserved in the Metseburg division of the Deutrehes Zentralarchiv. Sec. the former Br. Pr. Hausatchiv, Rep, 12 B Nr. 3 and Nr. ro. Other records show that Fredetick inquired after, ot helped to obtain, stipends for Quantz from various towns in 1742, 1744, and 1748, See the former Geh, Pr. Staatsarchiv, Rep. 33 0708, Rep. 34 1442, and Rep. 52.0 276. 3 Matpurg, Historisch-kritische Beytrige, i, p- 75.