The Violoncello and Its History

by Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski

Carl Drechsler, finally, born on May 27, 1800, at Camenz, in the kingdom of Saxony, early studied violoncello playing. He began his career as a military musician at Dessau. At the same time he assisted as cellist in the orchestra there. Through the recommendation of Friedrich Schneider, who discerned the young man’s talent, the Duke of Dessau granted him the means, in 1824, of placing himself under Dotzauer’s direction for further cultivation. After this he undertook a long concert tour. The great success of this caused his name to be well known, with the result that, in the year 1826, he was permanently established in the orchestra at Dessau, with the title of Concertmaster.

Drechsler’s performances were characterised as much by faultless purity and refinement as by feeling and tasteful rendering. His playing was not powerful, but pleasing by its grace and delicacy. He was everywhere received with welcome, and, as he responded to all that was demanded as an excellent leader of his instrument in the orchestra, he was an eagerly sought guest at all musical festivals. After he was pensioned, in 1871, he chose Dresden as his residence. He did not, however, long enjoy the amenities of retirement, for he died in the year 1873.

His son, Louis, born on October 5, 1822, at Dessau, formed himself under the direction of his father as a clever violoncellist. He lived and worked as such for a long time in Edinburgh.

Drechsler, the father, was an excellent teacher. Through him Dessau was for a time affiliated to the Dresden school of cello playing, in which he educated excellent artists, amongst whom the best known are Lindner and Grützmacher.

August Lindner,[111] born on October 29, 1820, at Dessau, after he had completed his studies, was appointed, in the year 1837, to the Hofkapelle at Hanover, to which he belonged until his death (June, 1878). He enjoyed the reputation of a distinguished violoncellist. Of his compositions we must mention a Concerto (Op. 34), Nine Drawing-room Pieces (Op. 18), Six Fantasias (Op. 38), Divertissements for young cellists (two parts, Op. 32), Concert au Salon (two parts), Three Paraphrases on Motifs from Meyerbeer’s “Huguenots” and “Le Prophète,” as well as Verdi’s “Ernani” (Op. 12), and a long list of Opera Potpourris. Besides these, Lindner produced a new edition of L. Duport’s “Essai sur le doigter du Violoncelle.”[112]

His pupil, Bernhard Thieme, born on June 11, 1854, in Altenburg, began his musical career after he left school, under the town musician at Penig, in Saxony, and when at eighteen he returned home from there, he received cello instruction, for a short time, from the Kapellmeister, Toller. He very soon found employment in the Berlin Orchestra. He then went, as first cellist, with the Fliegen Orchestra, for a summer, to St. Petersburg, in the same capacity; a few months later he entered the Bückeburg Kapelle. He was subsequently occupied in the Hofkapelle at Hanover for two years, and during this period he enjoyed the excellent teaching of Aug. Lindner. Since 1879 he has filled the place of solo cellist in the town orchestra at Baden-Baden.

The Dresden school of cello playing, founded by Dotzauer, and continued by Kummer, received a still greater forward impulse through Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Grützmacher.

This far-famed artist, whose efficiency was a great ornament to the Dresden “Kapellinstitute,” was born on March 1, 1832, in Dessau, and after he had learned from his father, who was an esteemed member of the Ducal band, the elements of music, benefited from the instruction of Carl Drechsler. Thus the teaching of Dotzauer, whose pupil Carl Drechsler was at the place whence it had emanated, was further developed—a most valuable gain for the artistic life of the Court of Saxony.

Grützmacher came to Leipsic in the year 1848, fundamentally well prepared for his vocation, and entered a private choral society in order to be thoroughly conversant with the necessary routine in orchestra playing. He was soon invited to take part in the Gewandhaus and the Euterpe Concerts. In the latter he made his début at the beginning of February, 1849, as solo player, with Variations by Franchomme. The first violoncellist of the Leipsic Gewandhaus was a certain Wittmann. As, however, his performances did not fully satisfy, Bernhard Cossmann was engaged in 1848 for the solo parts and for the cello teaching at the Conservatoire. Then when Cossmann responded to the invitation to go to Weimar, Grützmacher took his place, although at the same time he was a regular member of the opera orchestra. From that period he was the chief representative of his instrument in Leipsic. Not the less however did he strive indefatigably to progress in his Art, keeping unceasingly in view the goal of perfection. How well he succeeded in reaching it is proved by the dominant position which he gained and maintained. Julius Rietz, who was himself an able violoncellist, and had had during his Directorship in Leipsic many opportunities of observing Grützmacher’s extraordinary executive capacity, rated him very highly, and was in the habit of admiringly expressing himself with regard to the incomparable, exemplary and thorough training of his left hand. It is, therefore, the more intelligible that he made him every offer possible in order to gain him for the Dresden Hofkapelle, after he had undertaken its direction. This happened in 1860, and in the same year Grützmacher was summoned to Dresden as Kummer’s successor. From this time he travelled through Germany, Holland, England, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia, and was received everywhere with triumph; but he was also distinguished in many ways at the place of his work. In course of time he received from the King of Saxony the title of Chamber Virtuoso, later he was appointed Royal Concert leader, and on his twenty-fifth jubilee of service he was honoured far and wide in manifold ways.

In Grützmacher’s playing were happily united the endowments of a finished mastery of complex technical difficulties and delicate manner of expression, more especially in the rendering of Cantilena. He is not only a virtuoso of the first rank, but also an excellent interpreter of classical chamber music. For this latter qualification the foundation had already been laid by a careful musical education under his father’s roof, to which Friedrich Schneider had substantially contributed. He pursued his theoretical studies under the direction of this master.