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

Kurpfalz: Seiner Churfürstlichen Durchleucht zu Pfalz etc. etc. Hof- und Staats-Kalender für das Jahr .... 1781

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)

Soloists and orchestra members of the Orchestra of Elector Karl Theodor - Franziska Le Brün , Ludwig August Le Brün, Innocenz Danzi, Franz Danzi .mechanical piano maker Johann Ludwig Dülken

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.

1800 - Theobald Ludovicus, zoon van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia - Théobald Dulcken - Married in 1828, Munich, Bavière, Allemagne, to Louise Marie David 1811-1850

1801 - Philippus Henricus, zoon van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia - Heinrich Dulcken, organist - Married to Auguste Burghaagen

1803 - Louise, dochter van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia

Female piano prodigies:(with their ages at the time of their first public performance) Louise Dulcken, married to Bohrer (1803–1857), aged 11
Leopoldine Blahetka (1809–1885), aged 8
Fanny Sallamon (1809–after 1839), aged 10
Antonie Oster (1811–1828), aged 10
Louise David, married to Dulcken (1811–1850), aged 10
Marie Moke, married to Pleyel (1811–1875), aged 8
Delphine Schauroth (1813–1887, aged 9
Josephine Seipelt (1816–1841), aged 9
Clara Wieck, married to Schumann (1819–1896), aged 10
Freia Hoffmann, Instrument und Körper, Frankfurt am Main, Leipzig 1991, chapter ‘Wunderkinder’, pp. 309–335; Ingrid Fuchs, ‘,Bewundrungswerthes Kind! deß Fertigkeit man preißt …’

Louise Dulcken kreeg samen met haar zus Fanny pianoles van hun moeder. Hun eerste openbare optreden vond plaats in 1814 in München. 20 jul 1824 trouwde ze met cellist Max Bohrer (1785-1867). Haar zus Fanny trouwde 20 jul 1824 met zijn broer Anton. In 1826 werd hun zoon Carl Theodor geboren. In 1827 verhuisden beide echtparen naar Parijs, waar ze samen concerten gaven. In augustus 1828 schreef de Münchener Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung over een concert in Parijs: "Mad. Max. Bohrer, die nog niet in Parijs te horen was geweest, speelde een trio van Beethoven en variaties op haar eigen compositie op het lied: der Schweizerbub” (Münchener aMZ 1828, Sp. 720). Tijdens de gezamenlijke concerten, waarop werken van Beethoven, Mozart en Haydn werden gespeeld, bracht Louise Bohrer ook solostukken ten gehore, bijvoorbeeld werken van Henri Herz. Door de julirevolutie in 1830 verdreven, verlieten de Bohrers Parijs en verhuisden eerst naar Londen en daarna naar Stuttgart. Louise Bohrer was vanaf ongeveer 1831 hofpianiste en lerares van de prinsessen in Stuttgart.

Prinzessin Sophie Friederike Mathilde von Württemberg & Prinzessin Marie Friederike Charlotte von Württemberg

Sophie Friederike Mathilde prinses van Württemberg (* 17 juni 1818 in Stuttgart; † 3 juni 1877 in Huis ten Bosch) was als eerste echtgenote van de Nederlandse koning Willem III van 1849 tot 1877 koningin der Nederlanden.

Prinses Sophie Friederike Mathilde van Württemberg (1818–1877) was de eerste vrouw van koning Willem III van Nederland en koningin-gemalin van Nederland en groothertogin-gemalin van Luxemburg van 1849 tot aan haar dood in 1877.

Ze werd op 17 juni 1818 in Stuttgart geboren als dochter van koning Willem I van Württemberg en groothertogin Catharina Pavlovna van Rusland. Hierdoor was ze een volle nicht van haar toekomstige echtgenoot, koning Willem III, aangezien haar moeder de zus was van zijn moeder, Anna Pavlovna van Rusland.
Sophie trouwde op 18 juni 1839 met Willem, toen nog prins van Oranje. Het huwelijk was moeilijk, gekenmerkt door persoonlijkheidsconflicten en meningsverschillen, maar ze stond algemeen bekend als een intellectueel, een verzamelaar en een toegewijde moeder. Ze was ook een prominente figuur in de Nederlandse samenleving, bekend om haar sterke wil en haar inzet voor verschillende maatschappelijke doelen.



Sophie Friederike Mathilde Princess of Württemberg (born 17 June 1818 in Stuttgart; died 3 June 1877 in Huis ten Bosch) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1849 to 1877 as the first wife of King William III of the Netherlands.

Prinzessin Sophie Friederike Mathilde von Württemberg (1818–1877) was the first wife of King William III of the Netherlands and the Queen consort of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg from 1849 until her death in 1877.

Born in Stuttgart on June 17, 1818, she was the daughter of King William I of Württemberg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. This made her a first cousin to her future husband, King William III, as her mother was the sister of his mother, Anna Pavlovna of Russia.
Sophie married William, then the Prince of Orange, on June 18, 1839. The marriage was challenging, marked by personality clashes and differing views, but she was widely known as an intellectual, a collector, and a devoted mother. She was also a prominent figure in Dutch society, known for her strong will and engagement in various social causes.

Zie de geboorten van Wilhelm Maria Friederich & Sophie Marie Johanne
Samen met haar man en diens broer Anton Bohrer gaf Louise Bohrer in 1833 en 1834 concerten in Stuttgart. In september 1835 werd hun zoon Wilhelm Maria Friedrich geboren, in 1837 hun dochter Sophie Marie Johanne. In 1842/43 ondernam Max Bohrer een concertreis naar Amerika. Of Louise Bohrer haar man vergezelde, is niet te achterhalen.

Louise Dulcken and her sister Fanny received piano lessons from their mother. Their first public performance took place in Munich in 1814. On 20 July 1824, she married cellist Max Bohrer (1785-1867). Her sister Fanny married his brother Anton on 20 July 1824. In 1827, both couples moved to Paris, where they gave concerts together. In August 1828, the Münchener Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung wrote about a concert in Paris: “Mad. Max. Bohrer, who had not yet been heard in Paris, played a trio by Beethoven and variations on her own composition on the song: der Schweizerbub”. (Münchener aMZ 1828, Sp. 720). During the joint concerts, at which works by Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn were played, Louise Bohrer also performed solo pieces, for example works by Henri Herz. Driven out by the July Revolution in 1830, the Bohrers left Paris and moved first to London and then to Stuttgart. From around 1831, Louise Bohrer was court pianist and teacher to the princesses in Stuttgart. See the births of Wilhelm Maria Friederich & Sophie Marie Johanne Together with her husband and his brother Anton Bohrer, Louise Bohrer gave concerts in Stuttgart in 1833 and 1834. In September 1835, their son Wilhelm Maria Friedrich was born, followed by their daughter Sophie Marie Johanne in 1837. In 1842/43, Max Bohrer undertook a concert tour of America. It is not known whether Louise Bohrer accompanied her husband.

1805 - Franzisca Magdalena , dochter van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia Francisca (Fanny) kreeg, net als haar zus Louise, les van haar moeder. In 1824 trouwde ze met de violist Joseph Anton Bohrer (1783-1863) en verhuisde in 1827 met hem, haar zus en diens man Max naar Parijs. Over haar concertactiviteiten kunnen geen betrouwbare uitspraken worden gedaan. In de “Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung” worden vaak concerten van “Mad. Bohrer” vermeld, maar een eenduidige toewijzing aan Fanny Bohrer is niet mogelijk. Volgens Schilling stond ze “als praktisch pianiste vrijwel op gelijke voet” met haar zus, waardoor kan worden aangenomen dat ze net als haar zus samen met haar man optrad en in een trio of mogelijk ook in een kwartet met Max en Louise Bohrer speelde. Ze is de moeder van Sophie Bohrer.
Like her sister Louise, Francisca (Fanny) was taught by her mother. In 1824, she married the violinist Joseph Anton Bohrer (1783–1863) and moved with him, her sister and her sister's husband Max to Paris in 1827. No reliable statements can be made about her concert activities, although the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung frequently mentions concerts by “Mad. Bohrer”, although it is not possible to clearly identify these as Fanny Bohrer. According to Schilling, she was “probably quite equal to her sister as a practical pianist,” so it can be assumed that, like her sister, she performed with her husband and played in a trio or possibly also in a quartet with Max and Louise Bohrer. She is the mother of Sophie Bohrer.

1807 - Violanda Dulcken, dochter van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia

1808 - Juliana Johanna , dochter van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia

1813 - Alexander, zoon van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia

1817 - Carolina Charlotte, dochter van Jan Lodewijk (Louis) en Sophia

Ferdinand Quentin Dulcken (1837–1901)
Sophie (Louise Auguste) Dulcken 6 March 1835 in London, † 15 July 1923 in Dinard (Brittany), pianist
(Sarah) Isabella (Auguste) Dulcken, Dulken, married name Braun