Grützmacher published a great number of compositions. Those which have had the widest circulation are the two Concertos, Op. 10 (A minor) and Op. 46 (E minor); the Hungarian Fantasia (Op. 7), the Nocturne (Op. 32), the Scherzo (Op. 30), the Transcriptions of Classical Music (Op. 60), the “Daily Studies,” the Twenty-four Studies (Op. 38), as well as three Songs with Violoncello obbligato (Op. 50). He added considerably to the enrichment of violoncello literature by his transcriptions of Haydn’s, Mozart’s, Beethoven’s, and Schumann’s Sonatas, as well as of two of Beethoven’s Violin Romances, and of Schumann’s “Kinderscenen.” He further arranged for the Violoncello the Thirty-six “Songs without Words” of Mendelssohn, about twelve selected Piano pieces by Schumann and Chopin, the Violin Sonata (Op. 19) and the Romance (Op. 44) by Rubinstein, the “Pensées fugitives” by Steph. Heller and Ernst, and many other pieces of music. Grützmacher also brought out new editions of classical and modern compositions, with the addition of careful annotations. We must here mention the two Gamba Sonatas of Joh. Seb. Bach, as well as his six Violoncello Suites; a Gamba Sonata by Handel and by Phil. Em. Bach, six Boccherini Sonatas with the addition of a piano accompaniment, a Sonata by Bonifazio Asioli, some Violoncello Compositions of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Chopin; a “Thème Russe varié” by Ferd. Ries, the ten Concertos and six easy Instruction Pieces for Violoncello by Bernhard Romberg, as well as twelve Exercises by Dotzauer (Op. 107), with the addition of a second violoncello part.
In a special manner Grützmacher is deserving of merit by his highly successful method of instruction in violoncello playing. Even during his active work in Leipsic he formed several excellent cellists, whose names are Leopold Grützmacher, Kahnt, Wilfert, Hilpert, and Hegar.
Leopold Grützmacher, a younger brother of the cello master already mentioned, born on September 4, 1835, at Dessau, was taught cello playing first by Drechsler and then by his brother, while Fr. Schneider conducted his theoretical education.
Leopold Grützmacher belonged successively to the Theatre and Gewandhaus orchestras in Leipsic, to the Court band at Schwerin, to the orchestra of the German National Theatre in Prague, and to the Meiningen Court band. From the latter he was called, in 1876, to Weimar, as solo cellist to the Grand Ducal Kapelle. Like his brother he was also distinguished by the title of “Chamber Virtuoso” and “Concertmaster.” He published for the violoncello two Concertos (Op. 6 and 9) and several smaller, pleasing, and well worked out compositions.
Leopold Grützmacher educated his son, whose Christian name was Friedrich, as a cellist. He has already afforded agreeable proofs of his executive capacity in his public appearances, and is a member of the Weimar Royal orchestra.
Moritz Kahnt, born on April 27, 1836, in Löbnitz (near Leipsic), received instruction in his parents’ house from his seventh to his fourteenth year not only on the violin and the piano, but also on several wind instruments. Later he devoted himself by preference to violoncello playing, in which he was Grützmacher’s pupil for three years in the Leipsic Conservatoire. During the same time he received instruction at the above-named Institution in composition and the organ. From the year 1855 he has been first cellist of the Concert Orchestra, as well as teacher in the school of music at Basle. Besides his post as organist he superintends the direction of a Musical Union there.
Bruno Wilfert, born on July 26, 1836, at Schmalzgrube, in Saxony, began his education first as violinist under the town musical director at Kirchberg (in the neighbourhood of Zwickau), then went with him to Glauchau, and there began cello playing. Twice a week he journeyed, with his violoncello under his arm, to the town of Zwickau, three hours distant, in order to get instruction from the violoncellist, Fr. Herrmann, a pupil of F. A. Kummer, who belonged to the town orchestra. Later on he became Grützmacher’s pupil at Leipsic. By his unceasing industry Wilfert succeeded so well that in the year 1864 he was appointed solo cellist to the German Theatre at Prague. Since the foundation of the Prague Musical Union (1876) he has belonged as a co-operating member to the Quartet Society. The cello compositions of Wilfert which have appeared are Two Pieces (Op. 1), Hungarisch (Op. 2), Fantasia on Airs from the “Masked Ball” (Op. 3), Two Drawing-room Pieces (Op. 4), and a “Nocturne” for four Violoncellos (Op. 5).
Friedrich Hilpert, born March 4, 1841, at Nuremburg, went to the Leipsic Conservatoire, was there pupil of Grützmacher, and having finished his studies found an appointment in the Karlsruhe orchestra. He then went to Zurich, where he made the acquaintance of the distinguished violinist, Jean Becker (who died on October 10, 1884); with him, in 1866, in connection with the Italians Masi and Chiostri as second violin and tenor, he founded that artistic union which, as the “Florentine String Quartet,” attained to such great reputation on account of its excellent performances. In 1875 Hilpert separated from his Quartet companions in order to take the place, hitherto filled by Röver, which had been offered to him in the Grand Opéra and the Conservatoire at Vienna. After the lapse of a year, he gave up this appointment again, and became, under the title of Chamber Virtuoso, a member of the Meiningen Hofkapelle, and was employed as soloist in the concert tours under the direction of Hans v. Bülow. When he relinquished this undertaking, he entered the Royal orchestra at Munich, to which he still belongs. Hilpert is reckoned one of the best German cellists of the present day. The publication arranged by him of a collection of “classical studies” by Couperin, Rameau, Bach, and Martini are worthy of notice.
Emil Hegar also, born on January 3, 1843, at Basle, received his education, like the above-named cellists, from Grützmacher, at the Leipsic Conservatoire. In the year 1866 he was appointed, on account of his much esteemed performances, first Violoncellist of the Academy Orchestra, as well as teacher at the Conservatoire at Leipsic. Compelled by a nervous affection to abandon entirely, a few years later, Violoncello playing, he devoted himself to the study of singing, and became a singing master. He worked with success as such in the school of music in his native town. The loss which cello playing sustained in him is proved by his pupil,
Julius Klengel, one of the most excellent and purest violoncello players of the younger generation. He was born on September 24, 1859, at Leipsic, and is now working in his native town as first cellist in the Gewandhaus Concerts and as teacher at the Conservatoire. Klengel has not only made himself known outside the sphere of his work by his remarkable playing, but also as a most attractive composer for his instrument. Amongst his works we will mention only the compositions published, as Op. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, and 20. Of those of his works not numbered must be named a collection of “Unsere Lieblinge,” which contains “the most charming melodies of ancient and modern times,” cleverly arranged with piano accompaniment.