| Today in Music History A Daily Look at Music History For Violin Students A Look at What Happened on Today's Date Long, Long Ago . . . Or Maybe Just Last Year |
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| TODAY IS June 19 |
| What Else Happened Today? |
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| Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz was born June 19, 1717 in Nemecky Brod inGermany. His father was an organist who later became a landowner and city council member. Johann probably received his early musical training from him. He attended Jesuit Gymnasium in Jihlava in 1728, and studied Philosophy at the University of Prague during the 1734-35 academic year. He probably left the University to establish a career as a violin virtuoso. |
| 1810 - Birth of German violinist Ferdinand David. Taught in Leipzig teacher and was concertmaster Gewandhaus concertmaster.
First to perform the Mendelssohn Viiolin Concerto. 1771 - Birth of Austrian composer Carl Zeller in St. Peter, Germany. 1869 - Last day of a five-day "Great National Peace Jubilee" with an orchestra of 1000 and a chorus of 10,000. All organized by bandmaster Patrick Gilmore performing in a specially-constructed hall in Boston's Back Bay. 1899 - Premiere of Elgar's Enigma Variations. Halle Orch at Queen's Hall, a Hans Richter concert in London. 1984 - Premiere of Leonard Bernstein's opera A Quiet Place revision. La Scala Opera House, John Mauceri conducting. The first version was first performed at the Houston Grand Opera on June 17, 1983. 1988 - Over 3,000 East Germans gathered at the Berlin Wall to hear Michael Jackson. Jackson was performing a concert on the other side of the wall in West Berlin. |
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| Johann Stamitz 1717-1757 |
| Stamitz was probably a violinist in the Mannheim Court in 1741 and 1742 due to contacts made during the coronation of Bavarian Elector Carl Albert as King of Bohemia. The earliest known concert appearance by Stamitz was in Frankfurt am Main on June 29 1742 at which he performed on the violin, viola d'amore, cello and double bass. The concert also featured a concerto he had written for two orchestras. Stamitz's professional career took off in Mannheim. In 1743 he was named "Erster Hoff Violinist" (First Court-Violinist); in 1745 or 1746. He was eventually named Concertmeister and in 1750, was named to the newly-created post of "Instrumental-Music Director". Under the Elector Carl Theodor the court at Mannheim became one of the most glittering in Europe. Although a patron of art and literature, Carl Theodor's primary interest was music, and he built his court into a musical capital. New operas, ballets and orchestral pieces were presented regularly. Theodor also employed musicians such as flautist Franz Xavier Richter, Johann Baptist Wendling, Ignaz Holzbauer, Innocenz Danzi and Anton Fitz to play in Stamitz's orchestra. The Mannheim orchestra presented weekly 'academies' in the "Knight's Hall" of the Electoral Palace. These were relatively informal social gatherings at which Stamitz's orchestra often played (often works composed by Stamitz himself). Stamitz's desire to achieve an accurate, precise performance undoubtedly led to what would become known as the Mannheim school of musical performance. C.F.D. Schubart stated, "No orchestra in the world ever equalled the Mannheimers' execution. Its forte is like thunder; its crescendo like a mighty waterfall; its diminuendo a gentle river disappearing into the distance; its piano is a breath of spring." In the late summer of 1754, Stamitz undertook a year-long journey to Paris, probably returning to Mannheim in the Autumn of 1755. Stamitz died in Mannheim March 30, 1757. His death record includes the statement, "Jo'es Stainmiz, director of court music, so expert in his art that his equal will hardly be found." |
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| GREAT Summertime Gift for your violinist friends. "The Only Metal Instrument I Want to Hold is my Spatula." |
| Can You Guess? There is another famous composer with the last name Stamitz, Carl. Can You Guess how Carl Stamitz and Johann Stamitz are related? Go to the Bottom of the Page for the Answer |
| Did You Guess? Johann Stamitz was Carl Stamitz's father. |
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| Stamitz Orchestral Trios |
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