Amongst Stiastny’s pupils, Joseph Valentin Dont was remarkable for his performances as quartet and orchestra player. Born on April 15, 1776, at Nieder-Georgenthal, in Bohemia, he received instructions from Stiastny in Prague, where he attended the school. In the year 1804 he was enrolled into the opera orchestra of the Vienna Kärnthnerthor Theatre, from which he was transferred to the Burg Theatre orchestra in 1828. On December 14, 1833, he died. His son, named Jacob, is the Viennese violinist, who died on November 18, 1888, and who was well known by the publication of his excellent practical works for the Violin.
Stiastny’s elder brother, Bernhard Wenceslaus, born at Prague, 1770, was also a Violoncellist, and was employed as first performer of his instrument in the orchestra of the Prague Theatre. Six Sonatas for two Violoncellos, and two instruction works were published by him. The first, entitled “Il maëstro e lo scolare, 8 imitazioni e 6 pezzi con fughe per due violoncelli”; the other is a cello school, entitled “Méthode de Violoncelle,” in two parts. This school is carefully worked out, though somewhat too elaborately, and yet not exhaustively; for the complicated technique of cello playing, especially as regards the thumb position, has not received adequate consideration.
Among the younger Bohemian cellists, Wladislaw Alois is distinguished, who was born June 15, 1860, at Prague, and received his artistic education at the Conservatoire there. At the end of 1878 he went to Kiev, where he gave instruction in the Institute of Music of the Musical Society on the Violoncello and Piano. In this place he remained for seven years. Since September, 1887, he has been occupied as Solo Cellist at the Imperial Theatre, as well as at the Conservatoire in Warsaw.
The Poles have produced a longer list of violoncellists. They began with Franz Xaver Woczitka, a most distinguished artist in his department, who was born in Vienna about 1730. In 1756 he entered the service of the Court of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He was subsequently member of the Electoral band at Munich, where he died. He left behind him in manuscript Concertos and Sonatas for Violoncello, which were highly prized in their time.
Nicol Zygmantowski, born in 1770, in Poland. Gerber asserts that already, as a child of six years and nine months, he attracted the admiration of all who were witnesses of his artistic proficiency; he died young. The Polish Count Oginski,[140] who was formerly much noted as a composer of Polonaises, says in his “Lettres sur la Musique,” that he had heard Zygmantowski when he was twelve years old, and adds that he possessed a wonderful talent.
Anton Heinrich Radziwill, Count of Otyka and Nieswicz, born on June 13, 1775, in the Grand Duchy of Posen, had a great musical talent, and was not only an agreeable Violoncellist but also a Composer. In the latter capacity he was extensively known through his music to Goethe’s “Faust.” For the Violoncello he published only one work, “Complainte de Marie Stuart,” with Piano accompaniment. The remainder of his published compositions consist of vocal pieces, of which one is arranged with guitar and cello accompaniment. He was appointed by the King of Prussia, in 1815, Governor of the Grand Duchy of Posen, and died in this prominent position on April 7, 1833. He spent a part of the year generally at Berlin. His house there was the centre of artist celebrities.
Korczmiet, properly Kaltschmidt, of German descent, an accomplished virtuoso player, lived and worked, from 1811 to 1817, at Wilna. He had in his possession a magnificent Stradivarius Cello, which had formerly belonged to Count Michael Wielhorsky. This instrument is now in the possession of Davidoff. There are no more particulars extant concerning Korczmiet.
Adam Hermann, born in 1800, at Warsaw, likewise of German descent, was member of the Imperial Opera orchestra, and teacher at the Conservatoire at Warsaw, where, about 1875, he died. During the years 1830-1875 he formed a great number of pupils, of whom, besides his son Adam, only Komorowski, Thalgrün, Moniuszko, and Kontski will be mentioned.
Adam Hermann, the son, who changed his name into the Polish form of Hermanowski, was born at Warsaw in 1836, received the first Cello instruction from his father, and in 1852 attended the Brussels Conservatoire for further training as a pupil of Servais. Dismissed from there after two years with the first prize, he returned home and undertook successful tours in Poland and Russia. He is at present living in the most absolute retirement at Warsaw.