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Franz Ignaz Danzi (1763-1826)

Franz Danzi , the son of the court musician of the Palatinate Karl Theodor and first violoncellist Innocenz Danzi, was born in Mannheim in 1760, studied at several schools there and then devoted himself to the art of music. He learnt to play the piano and sing with his sister Franziska, later married to Le Brün, but from his father, who was a good violoncellist, he learnt to play the violoncello, in which capacity he was also employed by the court music in Mannheim and then came to Munich with it in 1778. From his youth, however, he felt an inner urge towards musical composition and poetry. In the former he received lessons from the Kapellmeister Vogler, in poetry he educated himself by reading and socialising with learned men in Mannheim and Munich. Even as a boy of twelve, he produced very fine music that revealed his genius and taste. Since he wrote several operas, such as: Triumph der Treue; Die Mitternachtstunde; and Der Kuß, which were all applauded in Munich, he was promoted to Vice-Kapellmeister in 1796, whereupon he wrote the operas: Der Caliph von Bactad, and Iphigenie, but also produced several masses, Herr Gott dich loben wir, Stabet Mater, and the like, which were received everywhere with the applause they deserved, and received universal praise in musical newspapers and journals. He travelled extensively and gained great fame, especially on the Rhine, in Berlin and in Stuttgart, which is why the King of Württemberg took him into his service as Kapellmeister in 1806 and paid him a generous salary. Danzi is generally famous and known as an insightful and thorough composer, and is particularly admired for his dignified ecclesiastical style, which is entirely in keeping with the spirit of prayer; he is a strict contrapuntalist, and therefore sometimes sacrifices the theatrical effect in operatic music. What he writes is written with deliberation, and shows of a great theoretically and practically educated composer. But he is also very well educated in literature and well versed in all scientific subjects. The journal Aurora, published in Munich in 1804 and 1805, and other German journals contain very fine essays that flowed from his pen and attest to this man's erudition and elegant style.
His wife was Margaretha, the daughter of the famous theatre director Theobald Marchand in Munich, a good singer who died only too early. Several of his compositions were published in engravings in Paris, Mainz, Leipzig, Munich, etc. His simphonies, quartets, concertos, songs, ballads, piano sonatas, etc., some of which were published in engravings, others in manuscripts, are telling proofs of his art, his taste and his deep insight into the secrets of music, but for this very reason they are also generally appreciated and popular.
Footnotes
1 A ballad is a type of song consisting of several verses of a poem about love, and since it was originally sung while dancing, the poetry has a verse structure appropriate to the dance. It is of Italian origin and got its name from ballo (the dance), and the ballad was already common in Italy in the 12th century. Our modern ballads do not deviate noticeably from the romances and, because they are now usually only intended for singing, require a lyrical verse style. The melody of the ballad, whose character is determined by the content of the poem, is not bound to any particular form or time signature. For some time now, it has not been repeated with each verse of the text, as in a song, but the whole text has been set to music.

Franz Danzi Danzi, (Franz), der Sohn des churpfälzischen Hofmusikus und ersten Vionzellisten Innocenz Danzi, wurde zu Mannheim 1760 geboren, studirte daselbst einige Schulen, und widmete sich dann der Tonkunst. Er lernte mit seiner Schwester Franziska, nachmals vereheligter Le Brün, Klavier spielen und singen, von seinem Vater aber, der ein guter Violonzellist gewesen, das Violonzellspielen, in welcher Eigenschaft er auch bei der Hofmusik zu Mannheim angestellt wurde, und dann 1778 mit derselben nach München kam. Von seiner Jugend auf fühlte er aber einen innern Drang zur musikalischen Komposition, und zur Dichtkunst. Im erstern erhielt er Unterricht beim Kapellmeister Vogler, in der Dichtkunst bildete er sich durch Lektüre, und den Umgang mit gelehrten Männern in Mannheim und München. Schon als Knabe von zwölf Jahren verfertigte er ganz artige Musiken, die sein Genie und seinen Geschmack verriethen. Da er mehrere Opern schrieb, als: Triumph der Treue; die Mitternachtstunde; und der Kuß, welche in München allen Beifall fanden, so wurde er 1796 zum Vizekapellmeister befördert, worauf er die Opern: der Caliph von Bactad, und Iphigenie schrieb, nebstdem aber mehrere Messen, Herr Gott dich loben wir, Stabet Mater, u. dgl. verfertigte, die überall mit dem verdienten Beifall aufgenommen wurden, und in musikalischen Zeitungen und Journalen allgemeines Lob erhielten. Er machte verschiedene Reisen, und erwarb sich besonders am Rhein, in Berlin, und in Stuttgard große Celebrität; daher ihn auch der König von Würtemberg 1806 als Kapellmeister in seine Dienste nahm, und ihn reichlich besoldet. Danzi ist als ein einsichtsvoller und gründlicher Kompositeur allgemein berühmt und bekannt, und vorzüglich bewundert man an ihn seinen würdevollen, ganz dem Geiste des Gebets entsprechenden Kirchenstil; er ist ein strenger Kontrapunktist, und opfert daher manchmal der Regel den theatralischen Effekt in Opern-Musiken. Was er schreibt ist mit Ueberlegung geschrieben, und zeigt von einem großen theoretisch und praktisch gebildeten Kompositeur. Aber auch in der Litteratur ist er sehr gebildet, und in allen Fächern der Wissenschaften bewandert. Die zu München 1804 und 1805 erschienene Zeitschrift Aurora, dann andere deutsche Journale enthalten sehr schöne Aufsätze, die aus seiner Feder flossen, und dieses Mannes Gelehrtheit, und eleganten Stil beurkunden. Seine Gattinn war Margaretha, die Tochter des berühmten Schauspiel-Direktors Theobald Marchand in München, eine gute Sängerinn, welche nur zu frühe der Tod dahin rafte. Von seinen Kompositionen kamen mehrere Stücke zu Paris, Mainz, Leipzig, München etc. im Stiche heraus. Seine Simphonien, Quartetten, Konzerte, Lieder, Balladen, Klaviersonaten u. s. m. die theils im Stiche erschienen, theils in Manuscripte bekannt wurden, sind redende Beweise seiner Kunst, seines Geschmackes, und seines tiefen Blickes in die Geheimnisse der Musik, aber eben deßwegen auch allgemein geschätzt und beliebt. Fußnoten

1. Ballade, ist eine Art von Gesang über mehrere Strophen eines Gedichtes, das die Liebe zum Gegenstand hat, und da sie ursprünglich tanzend gesungen wurde, so hat die Poesie einen dem Tanze angemessenen Versebau. Sie ist italienischen Ursprunges, und hat ihre Benennung von Ballo (der Tanz) erhalten, auch war die Ballade schon im 12ten Jahrhundert in Italien üblich. Unsere modernen Balladen weichen nicht merklich von den Romanzen ab, und erfodern, weil sie jetzt gewöhnlich nur für den Gesang bestimmt sind, eine lyrische Versart. Die Melodie der Ballade, deren Charakter vom Innhalte des Gedichtes bestimmt wird, ist weder an eine besondere Form, noch besondere Taktart gebunden. Seit einiger Zeit hat man angefangen sie nicht, wie beim Liede, mit jeder Strophe des Textes zu wiederholen, sondern den ganzen Text in Musik zu setzen.

Elector Karl Theodor

Karel Theodoor was a great music lover, who also played an instrument (flute) himself. The Elector's orchestra in his residence city of Mannheim was the most famous and also the largest (60 musicians) court orchestra of its time in Europe. The Mannheimer Schule therefore attracted many composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the winter of 1780, Mozart was commissioned by the elector to write an opera, Idomeneo. The first performances took place at the Residenztheater in Munich on 29 January 1781. Mozart lavished high praise on Innocenz Danzi, who was one of the highest paid musicians at court of Karl Theodor, for his cello performance at the premiere of Idomeneo

Mozart - Johann Nepomuk della Croce

Mozart

Between 1777 and 1778, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent a total of five months in the city of Mannheim. On one hand, he eagerly observed the pioneering musical efforts of the Manheim Orchestra, which included unified bowing, the independent treatment of wind instruments and the employment of a dedicated conductor. On the other hand, he fell passionately in love with Aloysia Weber. Given his initial romantic infatuation and his never-ending quest to secure a proper job, Mozart probably did not notice the unassuming fifteen year-old boy who had recently been invited to join the cello section of the famous Orchestra. Franz Ignaz Danzi (1763-1826), however, had no problems remembering Mozart’s visit! In fact, it served not only as the inspiration to publish his first compositions, but also was the defining moment that launched an extended and successful musical career.


THE DULCKEN FAMILY, INSTRUMENT MAKERS - MUSICIANS


• Johannes Daniël Dulcken (21 april 1706 – Antwerpen 11 april 1757) x Susanna Maria Knopffllin
• Johannes Lodewijk (Louis)Dulcken I (1735 - † tussen 1793 en 1795 München) x Catharina Koning
• Johannes Lodewijk (Louis) Dulcken II (1761 - † München 1836) [brother Johannes Dulcken ( 26 December 1768 - †?)]

Louis Dulcken x Sophie Le Brün

Brün, (Sophie Le), the daughter of the famous Bavarian court musician Ludwig August Le Brün, and the great singer Franziska Le Brün, née Danzi, was born in London on 20 July 1781, learnt the basics of music in Munich with Knechtl, the piano with Streicher, and the basso continuo with Schlett, and married the royal Bavarian mechanical piano maker Johann Ludwig Dülken in Munich on 18 April 1799. She is a true artist on the piano in every respect, and plays this instrument with spiritual expression, true feeling and extraordinary skill. When she travelled to Paris, Switzerland and Italy, her excellent playing enchanted every listener, and connoisseurs and artists conceded her the first rank in this art. In addition to this, she sings very well, has a deep insight into the essentials of music, combines her great practical musical knowledge with theoretical knowledge to the same degree, and has a thorough understanding of composition. She has composed several concertos, sonatas and the like for the piano; it is a pity that they have not become generally known through engraving or printing. On 25 June 1831 Louis Dulcken relinquished his post as royal keyboard instrument maker; he died five years later. In his will Dulcken named as heirs his wife Sophie Lebrun (b London, 20 June 1781–d Munich, 23 July 1863), his sons Theobald and Heinrich, his married daughters Louise and Franziska Bohrer, and his then unmarried daughters Violande, Johanna, and Caroline Dulcken. Theobald as business manager and Heinrich as builder apparently completed their father’s commitments after his death but soon closed the shop. Both sons eventually moved to London where Theobald became a wool merchant and Heinrich an organist. Louise and Franziska had married the brothers Max and Anton Bohrer; Louise became court pianist in Stuttgart. Violande became a concert singer in Munich. Dulcken's son Theobald became Louis partner about 1816, and the business continued until 1831, when Louis Dulcken retired.

Théobald Dulcken 1800-1882 Married in 1828, Munich, Bavière, Allemagne, to Louise Marie David 1811-1850
Heinrich Dulcken, organist, 1801 Married to Auguste Burghaagen
Louise Sophie Dulcken 1803-1857 Married to Maximilian Caspar Anton Bohrer 1785-1867
Franziska Dulcken 1805-1873 Married to Joseph Anton Bohrer 1783-1863
Violanda Dulcken, prix du Conservatoire de Paris 1810-1863/ Married 18 April 1837 (Tuesday), Munich, Bavière, Allemagne, to Jean
François Adolphe Bouvier 1802-1862