Johann Joachim Quantz 

Johann Joachim Quantz

Johann Joachim Quantz (January 30, 1697–July 12, 1773) was a German flautist, flute maker and composer.

Contents

Biography

Quantz was born in Oberscheden, near Göttingen, Germany, and died in Potsdam.

He began his musical studies as a child with his uncle (his blacksmith father died when Quantz was young. At his deathbed, he begged his son to follow in his footsteps), later going to Dresden and Vienna. It was during his time as musician to Frederick Augustus II of Poland that he began to concentrate on the flute, performing more and more on the instrument. He gradually became known as the finest flautist in Europe, and toured France and England. He became flute teacher, flute maker and composer to Frederick II of Prussia (Frederick the Great) in 1740. He was an innovator in flute design, adding keys to the instrument to help with intonation, for example.

Although Quantz wrote many pieces of music, mainly for the flute (including around 300 flute concertos), he is best known today as the author of Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversiere zu spielen (1752), a treatise on flute playing. It is of great interest today as a source of information on performance practice and flute technique in the 18th century.

List of Works

The works list was established by Horst Augsbach 1. QV stands for 'Quantz Verzeichnis', and Anh. for Anhang (supplement) when the authenticity of the works is spurious.

Flute Sonatas

The numbering follows the catalogue Catalogue des solos pour Sans Souci started in 1763 and continued in 1769 by the Catalogue des solos pour le Nouveau Palais that contains works of both Quantz and his student Frederick II, King of Prussia. These two catalogues start at number 88. The previous catalogue Catalogue des solos pour Potsdam containing sonatas Nos. 1-87 was lost. The sonatas by Quantz are numbered as follows: 88-105, 142, 219-361. The sonatas by Frederick II are: 106-141, 143-218. The sonatas with a Roman numeral numbering are part of the collection Sonata a flauto traverso solo e cembalo da Gio: Gioacchino Quantz.

Trio Sonatas

The variable instrumentation of the trio sonatas in indicated in parentheses. Some of the trio sonatas call for two instruments only with the harpsichord playing one dessus and the continuo. For example, 'Sonata for flute, (violin) & harpsichord (continuo)' means that it can be played by flute, violin and continuo or flute and harpsichord.

Flute Solos

The third group of compositions gathers works for 1 to 3 flutes without continuo.

Flute Concertos

Like the flute sonatas, the concertos are numbered according to the catalogues contemporary to Quantz, especially the Catalogue des concertos pour le Nouveau Palais. Quantz composed the concertos Nos. 1, 4-78, 80-85, 89 and 92-300. Frederick II composed only four concertos, Nos. 87, 88, 90 and 91. The concerto No. 2 is by Carl Heinrich Graun. As for the concertos Nos. 3, 79 and 86, the composer remains unknown. The flute concertos are listed in two categories, whether or not a viola part is included in the string accompaniment.

Flute Concertos without viola part

Instrumentation: Flute, solo; 2 violins and basso continuo.

Flute Concertos with viola part

Instrumentation: Flute, solo; 2 violins, viola and basso continuo.

Other orchestral works

Arias & Songs

Recently discovered works

The six flute quartets were discovered by Mary Ann Oleskiewicz in the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin archives after they were returned to Germany in 2001 2.

Media

External links

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Johann Joachim Quantz

References

  1. ^ H. Augsbach, Johann Joachim Quantz: Thematisch-systematisch Werkverzeichnis, (Stuttgart, Carus Verlag, 1997)
  2. ^ Mary A. Oleskiewicz, Quantz's Quartuors and Other Works Newly Discovered, Early Music 31 (2003) pp. 484-505.
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