Christian Kellerman. He is a native of Randers, in Jutland, and was born on January 27, 1815. It was his father’s wish that he should devote himself to commerce, but in this he was disappointed. Young Kellerman had inclinations for Art and, in order to gratify them, he went, in his fifteenth year, to Merk, in Vienna, whose pupil he was from 1830-1835. After having finished his studies he was heard with success in Vienna and visited with good result the other large cities of Austria and Hungary. In the year 1837 he gave concerts at St. Petersburg. Further tours increased his reputation and, after his return, he was summoned to be first Violoncellist in the Royal Danish orchestra. During the year 1861 he made a journey which led him into Upper Italy and then to Germany, where he remained until 1864. In Mayence he was, unfortunately, stricken with paralysis. He was, indeed, able to return again in a helpless condition to Copenhagen, but he died there two years after, on December 3, 1866. Kellerman composed a few things for his instrument, but nothing of much importance. His successor was F. Rauch, whose pupil, Rüdinger, filled the place of first Violoncellist in the Copenhagen Band.
Fritz Albert Christian Rüdinger was born in 1838 at Copenhagen. After he had gone through a preparatory course under Rauch, he received an appointment in the Royal Orchestra, but two years later he went to Dresden, to F. Grützmacher, whose pupil he was for some time. Having returned home, he again filled his former place as chamber musician, from which he was transferred, in 1874, to be first Cellist. He at the same time accepted the Professorship at the Copenhagen Conservatoire and he also takes part in the regular concerts and chamber music soirées of his birthplace.
Next to Rüdinger, Siegfried Nebelong must be mentioned as a Scandinavian artist. He went as a boy of five to Copenhagen, and later received his training as Cellist from Friedrich Grützmacher, in Dresden.
VIII.—THE SLAV STATES AND HUNGARY.
The Violoncello was brought to Russia, as already pointed out (p. [67]), by means of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp’s private band. Joh. Adam Hiller’s Wöchentliche Nachrichten die Musikbetreffend of May 21, 1770, contains the following: “When the Duke Carl Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (Peter the Great’s future son-in-law) fled to the Russian Imperial Court, during the distressed condition of his country, in the year 1720, he conveyed with him the members of his small private band. It consisted of about a dozen German well-trained musicians, of whom the most famous were two brothers, Hübner—the one was Kapellmeister and the other Concertmeister. The selection of music, until then unheard in Russia, consisted of Sonatas, Solos, Trios, and Concertos, by Telemann, Keiser, Heinichen, Schulz, Fuchs, and other famous Germans of the time, as well as by Corelli, Tartini, Porpora, and various Italian composers; but the instruments were a Piano, some Violins, besides a Viol d’Amore, an Alto, a Violoncello or Bassetto, a Contra-Basso, or great Bass Violin, a couple of Hautboys, a couple of German Flutes, two French Horns, two Trumpets, and Kettle Drums. Peter the Great was not only very often present at these ducal chamber concerts, but almost every week had them to play once at his Court. This music, therefore, met with general approbation, as it appeared to distinguished Russians more novel and more agreeable, when compared with other music, than any they had hitherto heard.... From that time many Russians offered themselves to be taught by these German musicians, in order to study music on various instruments. The Emperor Peter II. also took lessons on the Violoncello, from the clever master of that instrument, Riedel, a Silesian, who was also a good fencing master, and instructed the young Emperor likewise in that knightly art.”
During the life of the Empress Anna, the chamber music once introduced into the Russian Court was retained there, and in the absence of national artists was strengthened by drawing into it foreign talent. King August II. of Poland also contributed to this by giving up “some Italian virtuosi from his superfluity.” Amongst these was the Violoncellist, Gasparo. Later on Giuseppe dall’Oglio, from Padua, was attracted to the Russian Court. In the place of this artist—who, in 1763, after a twenty years’ service took his leave in order to return home—came the Italian, Cicio Polliari. To this period belongs the first Russian Violoncellist, named Chorschevsky, who received a place in the Imperial band. Up to the present, however, in regard to the Violoncello, and especially with respect to orchestral instruments, Russia has remained mainly dependent for supply from abroad. Nevertheless, since the middle of last century, the Cello has been cultivated with success by some Russian amateurs. Their names are—Prince Trubetzkoi, Baron Stroganow, and more recently Count Matthew Wielhorski. The latter, a pupil of Bernhard Romberg, specially distinguished himself by his performances. One of his nephews also, Count Joseph Wielhorski, who, with his talented brother Michael, a pupil of Kieseweter and Romberg, lived in Moscow, played uncommonly well both the Violoncello and the Piano. Robert Schumann, who in 1844, during his residence in the Kremlin, had intercourse with both Counts, expressed himself most enthusiastically in a letter to Fr. Wieck concerning Michael Wielhorski, declaring he was the most highly gifted dilettante he had ever met with.[137] Michael Wielhorski was born in Volhynia in 1787, and died in 1856. The Wielhorski family was of Polish descent, and took up their residence in Russia after the third division of Poland.
At the present time amongst Russian amateurs who play the Violoncello, Prince Tenischeff and the Senator Markewitsch are distinguished; the Grand Duke Constantine Nikolajewitsch also, a pupil of J. Seifert already mentioned, is a zealous Violoncello player.
The first really remarkable cellist whom Russia can call her own is