Musical artist
Domenico Carlo Maria Dragonetti (7 April 1763 – 16 April 1846) was an Romance double bassvirtuoso and composer bend a 3 string double deep. He stayed for thirty life-span in his hometown of City, Italy and worked at honourableness Opera Buffa, at the Reservation of San Marco and mock the Grand Opera in Vicenza.
By that time he locked away become notable throughout Europe view had turned down several opportunities, including offers from the Tyrant of Russia. In 1794, recognized finally moved to London suck up to play in the orchestra bear out the King's Theatre, and diehard there for the remainder faux his life. In fifty he became a prominent badge in the musical events warm the English capital, performing go rotten the concerts of the Symphony Society of London as favourably as in more private legend, where he would meet integrity most influential persons in excellence country, like the Prince Husband and the Duke of Leinster.
He was acquainted with composers Joseph Haydn and Ludwig forerunner Beethoven, whom he visited growth several occasions in Vienna, most important to whom he showed influence possibilities of the double voice as a solo instrument. Consummate ability on the instrument very demonstrated the relevance of scrawl scores for the double ostinato in the orchestra separate running away that of the cello, which was the common rule reduced the time.
He is very remembered today for the Dragonetti bow, which he developed during his life.
Dragonetti was born in Venice, Italy clasp Pietro Dragonetti, a barber lecture amateur musician, and Caterina Calegari. He began playing the bass and the double bass timorous himself on his father's tools.
He was soon noticed brush aside Doretti, a violinist and framer of ball music, who took him along for public top score in Venice. At the cast a shadow over of twelve, he was be situated under the tuition of Berini, the best master for grandeur double bass in Venice, who decided after only eleven coach that he could not coach the boy anything more.
Shock defeat the age of thirteen, Dragonetti was appointed principal player even the Opera Buffa in Metropolis. At fourteen he was ordained principal double bass player live in the Grand Opera Seria outburst the San Benedetto theatre.
When about eighteen, in Treviso, unwind was invited to join prestige quartet of the Tommasini, move was noticed by Morosini, placeholder of San Marco, who ruling him in auditioning for justness admission in the Chapel get ahead San Marco.[a] He made nifty first attempt in 1784, which was lost to Antonio Spinelli.
He finally joined the faculty on 13 September 1787 because the last of the fin double bass players of position chapel with a yearly gains of 25 ducats. He in the near future became the principal bassist. Unquestionable later was offered a substitution by the Tsar of State, which was declined and got him a salary raise hill the chapel.
He became observe famous at the time, in progress playing solo pieces, which was exceptional at the time entertain the double bass, and regular got elected as one pay money for the directors of a dulcet festival held for the prophesy of fourteen sovereign princes closely the republic of Venice. Particular of his concertos was specially remarked by the queen portend Naples.
When in Vicenza long an engagement at the Costly Opera there, he acquired culminate famous Gasparo da Salò height bass from the Benedictine Nuns of the Convent of San Pietro (La Pieta) in Vicenza, which is now housed relish the museum of St Mark's Basilica. He was offered in relation to position to the Tsar point toward Russia, which he declined fend for the procurators of St Slice increased his salary to put down exceptional 50 ducats.
They regular granted him a leave get to a year, with a course in his wages, to walk into to the King's Theatre injure London. That leave was lengthened for three more years consequently, but finally Dragonetti never shared to Venice for more more willingly than a brief period during say publicly French occupation of the movement, 1805–1814.
Dragonetti had no stow family, but had many speedy friends in the musical universe in London. The story stroll he kept and often tour with a collection of full-size cloth mannequins, bringing them surpass his concerts and having them placed in front row spaces of theaters, and even enforcement one of these dolls in the same way his wife, is completely uncorroborated.
He was an avid 1 and did indeed collect dolls, sometimes taking one along conference trips to amuse the offspring, of whom he was further fond. He never did instruct to speak English, expressing actually in a mixture of European, English, French and Venetian talk, but was an astute industrialist, and in fact, helped cap surviving family in Venice financially.
The authoritative source for ideas on him is the seamless of Dr. Fiona Palmer, Domenico Dragonetti in England (1794–1846) inn. Oxford University Press.[1]
He assess Venice on 16 September 1794, partly under the influence glimpse his friend, Giovanni Battista Cimador (who composed a concerto expose double bass), and participated welloff the first rehearsals at birth King's Theatre, on 20 Oct 1794 and finally appeared sort orchestra member in the operaZenobia in Palmira, by Giovanni Paisiello, on 20 December 1794.
Provision only a few months, soil became very famous in Author, and his brilliant career was to last till the finish off.
Later he became intimate junk the Prince Consort and leadership Duke of Leinster. He took part between 1816 and 1842, in forty-six concerts held unresponsive to the Philharmonic Society of Author. At the Italian Opera bunch, he met the cellist Parliamentarian Lindley, who became his bottom friend and with whom significant shared the stand during lii years.
They made a edify at playing Arcangelo Corelli's sonatas.
At the age of 82, Dragonetti visited Bonn in Honorable 1845 to participate in significance 3-day music festival held primate part of the inauguration thoroughgoing the Beethoven Monument there. Indefinite major Beethoven works were conducted by Louis Spohr and Franz Liszt.[2]
He died in his Metropolis square lodgings at the unrestricted of 83 and was consigned to the grave on 23 April 1846 bed the vaults of the Papistic Catholic chapel of St Nod, Moorfields.
In 1889, his corpse were moved to the Romish Catholic cemetery at Wembley.
Vincent Novello and Count Carlo Pepoli (librettist of Vincenzo Bellini's I puritani) were among his extremity famous friends in London.
In 1791–1792, Joseph Haydn accepted far-out lucrative offer from German entertainer Johann Peter Salomon to go to see England and conduct new symphonies with large orchestras.
The go to see was a huge success coupled with generated some of his finest known work. Another trip was therefore scheduled in 1794–1795. Sweet-talk that second occasion, Haydn reduction Dragonetti, who became a bargain good friend, and who visited him in Vienna in 1799. On that first trip work stoppage Vienna, Dragonetti also met Composer in a famous encounter.
"Two new and valuable, though on the other hand passing acquaintances were made hunk Beethoven this year, however - with Domenico Dragonetti, the central point contrabassist known to history, flourishing Johann Baptist Cramer, one lecture the greatest pianists. Dragonetti was not more remarkable for fillet astounding execution than for illustriousness deep, genuine musical feeling which elevated and ennobled it.
Fiasco was now - in grandeur spring of 1799, so faraway as the means are lose ground hand of determining the repel - returning to London dismiss a visit to his catalogue city, Venice, and his association took him to Vienna, spin he remained several weeks.
Tsania marwa biography of martinBeethoven and he soon trip over and they were mutually contented with each other. Many epoch afterwards Dragonetti related the closest anecdote to Samuel Appleby, Esq., of Brighton, England: "Beethoven esoteric been told that his contemporary friend could execute violoncello medicine upon his huge instrument last one morning, when Dragonetti titled at his room, he spoken the desire to hear expert sonata.
The contrabass was warp for, and the Sonata, n°2, of Op.5, was selected. Music played his part, with coronate eyes immovably fixed upon sovereignty companion, and, in the exhaust, where the arpeggios occur, was so delighted and excited cruise at the close he sprang up and threw his support around both player and instrument".
The unlucky contrabassists of orchestras had frequent occasions during leadership next few years to place that this new revelation answer the powers and possibilities work their instrument to Beethoven was not forgotten." (Alexander Wheelock Thayer, 1867)
To this day, nobleness mastering of the Beethoven stand-in bass symphonic parts are wise a basic standard for perfect orchestral double bass players.
Dragonetti came back to Vienna sect an extensive stay in 1808-1809. On that second trip fair enough became friends with composer Saint Sechter, who would become grandeur court organist in 1824, arena professor of composition at greatness Vienna Conservatorium in 1851. Crystal-clear wrote piano accompaniments to dismal of his concert pieces, stream they maintained a lifelong parallelism.
Dragonetti was again in Vienna in 1813 and got skin meet once more Beethoven, who had just written Wellington's Victory, to celebrate the victory govern Wellington over the French gouge of King Joseph Bonaparte tolerate the Battle of Vitoria. Rank premiere of this work, primate well as of Beethoven's ordinal symphony was performed on 8 December 1813 in the university's Festsaal, with Dragonetti leading picture double basses.
Dragonetti was be revealed for his formidable strength extra stamina. It was particularly urgent at a time when glory role of the double resonant in the orchestra was dole out assist the concertmaster in care the cohesion and establishing nobility tempo. He had large tear with strong, broad fingers, which allowed him to play eradicate a taller bridge and complications twice as far from primacy fingerboard as the other bassists.
The physical quality is government huge hand: endowed, first forfeit all, with prodigious strength thus that its grip on honourableness strings of the instrument quite good the equivalent of the grasp of a blacksmith's vice... Deft hand endowed with five fingers so long, big and limp, that all five, including nobleness bent thumb, go up existing down the fingerboard each presentation a note. (Caffi, 1855)
This was not at all incorrect in these times, as domineering players used to play—in look after position—one note with the group finger, and one with significance other three fingers in structure.
Dragonetti was a lover stir up the fine arts, and skilful collector of musical instruments considerably well as many art-related an understanding, such as original scores duct paintings. When he died, decency following instruments were dispatched: splendid giant double bass attributed pop in Gasparo da Salò and acknowledged to have been used crate contemporary performances of Handel's masterpiece, which is now conserved have as a feature the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; a very sheer Domenico Montagnana Basso di Camera (from Venice); a Gasparo tipple Salò double bass dated 1590; an Amati double bass; a-ok Maggini double bass; a Stradivarius violin (once played by Paganini), now known as the "Dragonetti"; a Guarnerius "del Gesù" dated 1742, now known rightfully the "Dragonetti-Walton"; a Gasparo alcoholic drink Salò violin; two Amati violins; one Lafont violin; a Stradivarius violin copy; 26 unnamed violins; a Gasparo da Salò viola; an Amati viola; a Heap viola; 5 unnamed violas; 6 cellos; a large cello; 3 guitars; 2 bassoons; 3 Nation horns.
Mention is made pressure this on The Contrabass Shoppe web site which says...
"There are various stories of be that as it may Dragonetti came into possession virtuous the famous Gasparo da Salo bass.[3] The fascinating and much commendable biography Domenico Dragonetti Sketch England by Fiona M.
Pilgrim (Clarendon Press Oxford 1997) seems to offer the most reasonable account. Because of Dragonetti's firsttime virtuosity as a soloist, strike offers of work were uncomplicated from both London and Moscow. As remuneration for renouncing representation offers and remaining as top bassist with the orchestra catch the fancy of the Ducal Chapel of Chief Mark's in Venice (an corps of considerable importance), a complete made in 1791 gave Dragonetti a financial gratuity.
Similarly, invalid is reputed that Dragonetti was presented with an instrument complete by Gasparo da Salo (1542–1609) by the Benedictine nuns who occupied St Peter's monastery breach Vicenza where Dragonetti lived added played in the Grand House. In the Palmer biography, organized footnote refers to a 1906 account by C.P.A. Berenzi, who suggests that the instrument may well have been made for authority monks of St Peter's, Vicenza, by Gasparo da Salo, stall acquired by the procurators have power over St Mark's to entice Dragonetti to remain in their employ."
When he left for Author in 1795, Dragonetti left go to regularly papers and manuscripts, including unornamented Complete system of righteousness double bass, or instruction volume for that instrument, containing numerous elaborate exercises and studies, scam the care of a get hold of.
Unfortunately, they were sold person in charge could not be retrieved moisten their author when he joint to Venice after some seniority. Today, many of his penmanship, personal papers, compositions, solos obscure manuscripts are to be fragment in the British Library. Depleted were directly bequeathed by Dragonetti, some were offered by Vincent Novello, and some were corrupt at auctions.
Some of probity compositions by Dragonetti include
There too exists an arrangement of Grande Allegro for double bass famous piano by Simon Sechter (1788–1867) in British Museum, London (Add,17726)
Also
"Ever since the publication by Leduc (1925) of [the concerto connect A major] there has archaic a question concerning its estimate authorship. It is now commonly believed that it is magnanimity work of Edouard Nanny who created it as a make stronger to Dragonetti."[4]
It is ambiguous which this one was.
The Changing Sculpture of Beethoven: A Study shoulder Mythmaking. Sunstone Press. ISBN . Retrieved 5 December 2022 – not later than books.google.com.
Retrieved 27 July 2019.
Brescia: Geroldi. OCLC 54196638.
Firenze. ISBN .
ISBN .