Multimedia Art Productions

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

Innocenz Danzi

Innocenz Danzi (c. 1730, Italy - 17 April 1780, Munich) was an Italian composer and father of Franz Danzi and Francesca Danzi. He was already well known as a solo cellist when he joined the Mannheim orchestra in 1754. In 1778 he moved with the court to Munich and retired in 1783.

Mozart - Johann Nepomuk della Croce

Another Mannheim Family of Musicians: the Danzis
Mozart liked the Mannheimers more than the people in Salzburg: the Mannheimers were, in any case, real music professionals, while most of the Salzburgers were just semi-professionals or simple amateurs, often even of bad level.
The Mannheim family of the Danzis was that kind of family of music professionals of high level Mozart wanted to be in connection with. The old Danzi was Innocenz Danzi, the famous first cellist at the Mannheim Court since 1754 and whose playing Mozart admired very much. Old Danzi had three children: Johann, who became violinist; Franziska, who became an important international Opera singer (better known as Lebrun, the surname of her husband, the famous oboist Ludwig August Lebrun, another Mannheimer); Franz, an important cellist, who became an important conductor and composer and a great promoter of Mozart and von Weber.
To understand the kind of relationship that existed between the Mozarts and the Danzis one must read a fundamental letter by Leopold Mozart: Vienna, 21 February 1785. «We lunched on Friday, the 18th, with Stephanie junior, just the four of us and Herr Le Brun, his wife, Karl Cannabich [i.e. son of the old Cannabich, director/conductor of the Mannheim orchestra, who became also a famous conductor and who wrote also a famous Cantata in memory of Mozart] and a priest. Let me tell you [i.e. Nannerl] at once that there was no thought of a fast-day. We were only offered meat dishes. A pheasant as an additional dish was served in cabbage and the rest was fit for a prince. Finally we had oysters, most delicious glacé fruits and (I must not forget to mention this) several bottles of champagne… The two concerts which Herr Le Brun and his wife are giving in the theatre are on Wednesday, the 23rd, and Monday, the 28th. All the boxes for the first concert were sold out on the 18th. These people are going to make an enormous amount of money.» Furthermore, in 1790 Franz Danzi married a famous music pupil of Leopold Mozart himself, the excellent opera singer Maria Margarethe Marchand, and, just as a curiosity, let us remember that Franziska Danzi Lebrun was born and died in the same years as Mozart… 1756 and 1791!
Munich, before 4 November 1790 Mozart to his wife «You can well imagine that I have had a good time with the Cannabichs, Herr Le Brun, Ramm, Marchand and Brochard, and that we have talked a great deal about you, my love. […] PS. Gretl [i.e. Maria Margarethe Marchand former pupil of Leopold] is now married to Madame Le Brun’s brother [i.e. Franz Danzi], so her name is Madame Danzi.»

Idomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante was first performed at the Cuvilliés Theatre of the Munich Residenz on 29 January 1781, under the musical direction of Christian Cannabich. The opera apparently owed much of its success at its first performance to the set designs: a notice in the Munich press did not mention Mozart by name but said (translation): "The author, composer and translator are all natives of Salzburg; the decors, among which the view of the port and Neptune's temple were outstanding, were masterpieces by our renowned theatre designer, court Councillor Lorenzo Quaglio, and everyone admired them tremendously.” Idomeneo was Mozart's first mature opera, in which he – unique among composers – for the first time and continuing this for all his subsequent operas, ended the work in the key of the overture. With Idomeneo, he demonstrated a mastery of orchestral color, accompanied recitatives, and melodic line. Mozart fought with the librettist, the court chaplain Varesco, making large cuts and changes, even down to specific words and vowels disliked by the singers (too many "i"s in "rinvigorir", which in Italian are pronounced as in bee)

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