Domenico Dragonetti in England (1794-1846) The Career of a Double Bass Virtuoso

by Palmer, Fiona M.

• ISBN13: 9780198165910
• ISBN10: 0198165919
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-02-12
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

Dragonetti devoted his life to the double bass. His career in England (1794-1846) is one of the most remarkable success stories in the annals of musical history. His unprecedented virtuosity elevated the double bass to a new status. In combination with his charismatic personality his musicaltalent dominated the English cultural world for more than fifty years. As performer, composer, collector, and friend, he exposed the unforeseen potential of the double bass. His formidable talent as a musician and businessman provides an unusual insight into nineteenth-century entrepreneurship. This first substantial biography and assessment of Dragonetti's career allows us to understand his importance in the history of music in general and of double-bass performance in particular.

Author Biography

Fiona Palmer is a double bassist in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, New Zealand.

Table of Contents

List of Plates	viii	(1)
List of Tables and Diagrams	viii	(1)
Note on Editorial Policy	viii	(1)
Abbreviations	ix	(2)
Library Sigla	xi
Introduction	1	(6)
PART I: BIOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE	7	(90)
1 Dragonetti's Venetian Connections	7	(15)
2 Dragonetti's English Years	22	(41)
3 Dragonetti as a Performer	63	(34)
PART II: EMPLOYMENT CASE-STUDIES	97	(136)
4 The King's Theatre	97	(25)
5 The Ancient Concerts	122	(20)
6 The Philharmonic Society	142	(44)
7 Miscellaneous Metropolitan Concerts	186	(20)
8 Provincial Engagements: Music Festivals	206	(16)
9 Epilogue: Dragonetti's Death and Estate	222	(11)
APPENDICES	233	(31)
I Dragonetti's Will	233	(7)
II Dragonetti's Bank Account with Coutts & Co. 1840-53	240	(10)
III Dragonetti's Compositions	250	(7)
IV Dragonetti's Residences in London	257	(7)
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY	264	(21)
I Manuscript Sources	264	(3)
II Published Sources and Dissertations	267	(18)
Index	285