Carl Friedrich Abel (22 December 1723[n 1] – 20 June 1787)[2][3] was a German composer of the Classical era. He was a renowned player of the viola da gamba, and produced significant compositions for that instrument.
On Bach's recommendation in 1743 he was able to join Johann Adolph Hasse's court orchestra at Dresden, where he remained for fifteen years.[3][5] In 1759 (or 1758 according to Chambers),[1] he went to England and became chamber-musician to Queen Charlotte, in 1764.[3][5] He gave a concert of his own compositions in London, performing on various instruments, one of which was a five-string cello known as a pentachord, which had been recently invented by John Joseph Merlin.[6]
In 1762, Johann Christian Bach, the eleventh son of J.S. Bach, joined him in London, and the friendship between him and Abel led, in 1764 or 1765, to the establishment of the famous Bach-Abel concerts, England's first subscription concerts. In those concerts, many celebrated guest artists appeared, and many works of Haydn received their first English performance.
For ten years the concerts were organized by Mrs. Theresa Cornelys, a retired Venetian opera singer who owned a concert hall at Carlisle House in Soho Square, then the height of fashionable events. In 1775 the concerts became independent of her, to be continued by Abel and Bach until Bach's death in 1782. Abel still remained in great demand as a player on various instruments new and old. He traveled to Germany and France between 1782 and 1785, and upon his return to London, became a leading member of the Grand Professional Concerts at the Hanover Square Rooms in Soho. Throughout his life he had enjoyed excessive living, and his drinking probably hastened his death, which occurred in London on 20 June 1787.[7] He was buried in the churchyard of St Pancras Old Church.
One of Abel's works became famous due to a misattribution: in the 19th century, a manuscript symphony in the hand of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was catalogued as his Symphony no. 3 in E flat,K. 18, and was published as such in the first complete edition of Mozart's works by Breitkopf & Härtel. Later, it was discovered that this symphony was actually the work of Abel, copied by the boy Mozart—evidently for study purposes—while he was visiting London in 1764. That symphony was originally published as the concluding work in Abel's Six Symphonies, Op. 7.
In 2015 new manuscripts of Abel's viola da gamba music were found in the library of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, in a collection from the Maltzahn family palace in the town of Milicz in Poland,[8] originally brought back from London by Count Joachim Carl of Maltzan [de].
Allegro, WKO 205 from 27 Pieces for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba
Allegro from 27 Pieces for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba
Sonata in G-Major, WKO155 for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba
^Randel, Don Michael, ed. (1996). "Carl Friedrich Abel". The Harvard biographical dictionary of music. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press. pp. 1–2. ISBN0-674-37299-9.
^ abcdHoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abel, Carl Friedrich". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-ak Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, IL: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. pp. 24. ISBN978-1-59339-837-8.
^ abSadie, Stanley, ed. (2001). "Carl [Karl] Friedrich Abel". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. I A-Aristotle (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Grove's Dicitonaries Inc. pp. 15–18. ISBN1-56159-239-0.
^Freiberg, Sarah. Conversation with Magical Merlin, Internet Cello Society. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
^"Carl Friedrich Abel | German composer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
^"Catalogue: Carl Friedrich Abel (1723–1787) Maltzan Collection" (PDF). guentersberg.de. December 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
Sources
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Abel, Karl Friedrich" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
S. M. Helm: Carl Friedrich Abel, Symphonist. London 1953
'Karl Friedrich Abel (1723–87)' by Andrew Pink, in Le Monde maçonnique des Lumières (Europe-Amériques) Dictionnaire prosopographique. Charles Porset and Cécile Révauger (eds) Paris: Editions Champion, 2013. ISBN978-2-7453-2496-2
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carl Friedrich Abel.
carl, friedrich, abel, december, 1723, june, 1787, german, composer, classical, renowned, player, viola, gamba, produced, significant, compositions, that, instrument, portrait, thomas, gainsborough, 1777, contents, life, selected, works, opus, number, works, l. Carl Friedrich Abel 22 December 1723 n 1 20 June 1787 2 3 was a German composer of the Classical era He was a renowned player of the viola da gamba and produced significant compositions for that instrument Portrait of Carl Friedrich Abel by Thomas Gainsborough 1777 Contents 1 Life 2 Selected works by opus number 3 Works list 4 Notes and references 5 Sources 6 External linksLife EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Abel was born in Kothen 3 4 a small German city where his father Christian Ferdinand Abel had worked for years as the principal viola da gamba and cello player in the court orchestra In 1723 Abel senior became director of the orchestra when the previous director Johann Sebastian Bach moved to Leipzig The young Abel later boarded at St Thomas School Leipzig where he was taught by Bach On Bach s recommendation in 1743 he was able to join Johann Adolph Hasse s court orchestra at Dresden where he remained for fifteen years 3 5 In 1759 or 1758 according to Chambers 1 he went to England and became chamber musician to Queen Charlotte in 1764 3 5 He gave a concert of his own compositions in London performing on various instruments one of which was a five string cello known as a pentachord which had been recently invented by John Joseph Merlin 6 In 1762 Johann Christian Bach the eleventh son of J S Bach joined him in London and the friendship between him and Abel led in 1764 or 1765 to the establishment of the famous Bach Abel concerts England s first subscription concerts In those concerts many celebrated guest artists appeared and many works of Haydn received their first English performance For ten years the concerts were organized by Mrs Theresa Cornelys a retired Venetian opera singer who owned a concert hall at Carlisle House in Soho Square then the height of fashionable events In 1775 the concerts became independent of her to be continued by Abel and Bach until Bach s death in 1782 Abel still remained in great demand as a player on various instruments new and old He traveled to Germany and France between 1782 and 1785 and upon his return to London became a leading member of the Grand Professional Concerts at the Hanover Square Rooms in Soho Throughout his life he had enjoyed excessive living and his drinking probably hastened his death which occurred in London on 20 June 1787 7 He was buried in the churchyard of St Pancras Old Church One of Abel s works became famous due to a misattribution in the 19th century a manuscript symphony in the hand of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was catalogued as his Symphony no 3 in E flat K 18 and was published as such in the first complete edition of Mozart s works by Breitkopf amp Hartel Later it was discovered that this symphony was actually the work of Abel copied by the boy Mozart evidently for study purposes while he was visiting London in 1764 That symphony was originally published as the concluding work in Abel s Six Symphonies Op 7 In 2015 new manuscripts of Abel s viola da gamba music were found in the library of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan in a collection from the Maltzahn family palace in the town of Milicz in Poland 8 originally brought back from London by Count Joachim Carl of Maltzan de Allegro WKO 205 from 27 Pieces for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba source source Allegro from 27 Pieces for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba source source Sonata in G Major WKO155 for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba source source Performed by Phillip W Serna Viol Problems playing these files See media help Carl Friedrich Abel 1723 1787 Duetto in G Major A3 5A from the Maltzan Collection source source Performed by ViolMedium Eric Miller amp Phillip W Serna Problems playing this file See media help Selected works by opus number Edit adapted from the listing in the article on Abel at fr wikipedia org Op 1 6 Overtures or Sinfonias 1761 Op 2 6 Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin and Cello ad libitum 1760 Op 3 6 Trio Sonatas for 2 Violins and Basso Continuo 1762 Op 4 6 Overtures or Sinfonias 1762 Op 5 6 Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin and Cello ad libitum 1762 Op 6 6 Sonatas for Keyboard and Flute 1763 Op 7 6 Symphonies 1767 Op 8 6 String Quartets 1768 Op 9 6 Trio Sonatas for Violin Cello and Basso Continuo 1771 Op 10 6 Symphonies 1771 Op 11 6 Concerti for Keyboard and Strings 1771 Op 12 6 Flute Quartets 1774 Op 13 6 Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin 1777 Op 14 6 Symphonies 1778 Op 15 6 String Quartets 1780 Op 16 4 Trio Sonatas for 2 Flutes and Basso Continuo 1781 Op 16 6 Trio Sonatas for Violin Viola and Cello 1782 Op 17 6 Symphonies 1785 Op 18 6 Sonatas for Keyboard and Violin 1784 Works list EditCollapsed listSymphony Op 1 No 1 in B flat major WK 1 Symphony Op 1 No 2 in C major WK 2 Symphony Op 1 No 3 in D major WK 3 Symphony Op 1 No 4 in E flat major WK 4 Symphony Op 1 No 5 in F major WK 5 Symphony Op 1 No 6 in G major WK 6 Symphony Op 4 No 1 in D major WK 7 Symphony Op 4 No 2 in B flat major WK 8 Symphony Op 4 No 3 in E flat major WK 9 Symphony Op 4 No 4 in C major WK 10 Symphony Op 4 No 5 in G major WK 11 Symphony Op 4 No 6 in D major WK 12 Symphony Op 7 No 1 in G major WK 13 Symphony Op 7 No 2 in B flat major WK 14 Symphony Op 7 No 3 in D major WK 15 Symphony Op 7 No 4 in F major WK 16 Symphony Op 7 No 5 in C major WK 17 Symphony Op 7 No 6 in E flat major WK 18 Symphony Op 10 No 1 in E major WK 19 Symphony Op 10 No 2 in B flat major WK 20 Symphony Op 10 No 3 in E flat major WK 21 Symphony Op 10 No 4 in C major WK 22 Symphony Op 10 No 5 in D major WK 23 Symphony Op 10 No 6 in A major WK 24 Symphony Op 14 No 1 in C major WK 25 Symphony Op 14 No 2 in E flat major WK 26 Symphony Op 14 No 3 in D major WK 27 Symphony Op 14 No 4 in B flat major WK 28 Symphony Op 14 No 5 in G major WK 29 Symphony Op 14 No 6 in E flat major WK 30 Symphony Op 17 No 1 in E flat major WK 31 Symphony Op 17 No 2 in B flat major WK 32 Symphony Op 17 No 3 in D major WK 33 Symphony Op 17 No 4 in C major WK 34 Symphony Op 17 No 5 in B flat major WK 35 Symphony Op 17 No 6 in G major WK 36 Symphony in C major WK 37 Symphony in B flat major WK 38 Symphony in E flat major WK 39 Symphony in B flat major WK 40 Symphony in D major WK 41 Sinfonia concertante for oboe quartet in B flat major WK 42 Sinfonia concertante for oboe quartet in D major WK 43 Periodical Overture in D major WK 44 Overture to Love in a village in D major WK 45a Overture to The summer s tale in B flat major WK 45b Flute Concerto No 1 in C major WK 46 Flute Concerto No 2 in E minor WK 47 Flute Concerto No 3 in D major WK 48 Flute Concerto No 4 in C major WK 49 Flute Concerto No 5 in G major WK 50 Flute Concerto No 6 in C major WK 51 Cello Concerto in B flat major WK 52 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 1 in F major WK 53 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 2 in B flat major WK 54 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 3 in E flat major WK 55 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 4 in D major WK 56 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 5 in G major WK 57 Keyboard Concerto Op 11 No 6 in C major WK 58 Flute Concerto No 7 in D major WK 59 Cello Concerto in C major WK 60 String Quartet Op 8 No 1 in F major WK 61 String Quartet Op 8 No 2 in B flat major WK 62 String Quartet Op 8 No 3 in E flat major WK 63 String Quartet Op 8 No 4 in D major WK 64 String Quartet Op 8 No 5 in A major WK 65 String Quartet Op 8 No 6 in F major WK 66 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 1 in C major WK 67 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 2 in A major WK 68 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 3 in F major WK 69 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 4 in D major WK 70 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 5 in B flat major WK 71 Flute Quartet Op 12 No 6 in G major WK 72 String Quartet Op 15 No 1 in E major WK 73 String Quartet Op 15 No 2 in C major WK 74 String Quartet Op 15 No 3 in E flat major WK 75 String Quartet Op 15 No 4 in G major WK 76 String Quartet Op 15 No 5 in F major WK 77 String Quartet Op 15 No 6 in A major WK 78 Raccolta for keyboard in C major WK 79a Raccolta for keyboard in B flat major WK 79b Trio Sonata Op 3 No 1 in G major WK 80 Trio Sonata Op 3 No 2 in C major WK 81 Trio Sonata Op 3 No 3 in B flat major WK 82 Trio Sonata Op 3 No 4 in D major WK 83 Trio Sonata Op 3 No 5 in A major WK 84 Trio Sonata Op 3 No 6 in E flat major WK 85 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 1 in A major WK 86 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 2 in C major WK 87 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 3 in G major WK 88 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 4 in B flat major WK 89 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 5 in D major WK 90 Trio Sonata Op 9 No 6 in F major WK 91 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 1 in G major WK 92 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 2 in D major WK 93 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 3 in C major WK 94 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 4 in A major WK 95 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 5 in D major WK 96 Trio Sonata Op 16a No 6 in G major WK 97 Trio Sonata Op 16b No 1 in G major WK 98 Trio Sonata Op 16b No 2 in D major WK 99 Trio Sonata Op 16b No 3 in C major WK 100 Trio Sonata Op 16b No 4 in G major WK 101 Trio Sonata for 2 violins amp cello in A major WK 102 Trio Sonata for 2 violins amp cello in A major WK 103 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in G major WK 104 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in D major WK 105 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in G major WK 106 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in F major WK 107 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in C minor WK 108 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in G major WK 109 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in G major WK 110 Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in D major WK 110a Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in G major WK 110b Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in C major WK 110c Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in B flat major WK 110d Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in C major WK 110e Trio Sonata for 2 flutes amp cello in C major WK 110f Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 1 in C major WK 111 Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 2 in F major WK 112 Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 3 in D major WK 113 Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 4 in B flat major WK 114 Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 5 in G major WK 115 Keyboard Trio Op 2 No 6 in E flat major WK 116 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 1 in B flat major WK 117 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 2 in G major WK 118 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 3 in E major WK 119 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 4 in C major WK 120 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 5 in A major WK 121 Keyboard Trio Op 5 No 6 in F major WK 122 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 1 in C major WK 123 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 2 in G major WK 124 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 3 in G major WK 125 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 4 in E major WK 126 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 5 in F major WK 127 Flute Sonata Op 6 No 6 in G major WK 128 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 1 in G major WK 129 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 2 in F major WK 130 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 3 in A major WK 131 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 4 in B flat major WK 132 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 5 in C major WK 133 Violin Sonata Op 13 No 6 in E flat major WK 134 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 1 in G major WK 135 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 2 in A major WK 136 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 3 in C major WK 137 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 4 in E flat major WK 138 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 5 in B flat major WK 139 Violin Sonata Op 18 No 6 in F major WK 140 Violin Sonata in C major WK 140a Keyboard Sonata in B flat major WK 140b Sonata for viola da gamba No 1 in C major WK 141 Sonata for viola da gamba No 2 in A major WK 142 Sonata for viola da gamba No 3 in D major WK 143 Sonata for viola da gamba No 4 in G major WK 144 Sonata for viola da gamba No 5 in A major WK 145 Sonata for viola da gamba No 6 in E minor WK 146 Sonata for viola da gamba No 7 in G major WK 147 Sonata for viola da gamba No 8 in A major WK 148 Sonata for viola da gamba No 9 in G major WK 149 Sonata for viola da gamba No 10 in E minor WK 150 Sonata for viola da gamba No 11 in C major WK 151 Sonata for viola da gamba No 12 in G major WK 152 Sonata for viola da gamba No 13 in G major WK 153 Sonata for viola da gamba No 14 in D major WK 154 Sonata for viola da gamba No 15 in G major WK 155 Sonata for viola da gamba No 16 in D major WK 156 Sonata for viola da gamba No 17 in E minor WK 157 Sonata for viola da gamba No 18 in D major WK 158 Sonata for viola da gamba No 19 in G major WK 159 Sonata for viola da gamba No 20 in D major WK 160 Sonata for viola da gamba No 21 in D major WK 161 Sonata for viola da gamba No 22 in C major WK 162 Sonata for viola da gamba No 23 in A major WK 163 Sonata for viola da gamba No 24 in A major WK 164 Sonata for viola da gamba No 25 in D major WK 165 Sonata for viola da gamba No 26 in D major WK 166 Sonata for viola da gamba No 27 in G major WK 167 Sonata for viola da gamba No 28 in D major WK 168 Sonata for viola da gamba No 29 in D major WK 169 Sonata for viola da gamba No 30 in C major WK 170 Sonata for viola da gamba No 31 in G major WK 171 Sonata for viola da gamba No 32 in D major WK 172 Sonata for viola da gamba No 33 in A major WK 173 Sonata for viola da gamba No 34 in G major WK 174 Sonata for viola da gamba No 35 in A minor WK 175 Sonata for viola da gamba No 36 in F minor WK 176 Sonata for viola da gamba No 37 in A major WK 177 Sonata for viola da gamba No 38 in G major WK 178 Sonata for viola da gamba No 39 in A major WK 179 Sonata for viola da gamba No 40 in D major WK 180 Sonata for viola da gamba No 41 in D major WK 181 Sonata for viola da gamba No 42 in G major WK 182 Sonata for viola da gamba No 43 in A major WK 183 Sonata for viola da gamba No 44 in C major WK 184 Arpeggio for viola da gamba in D major WK 185 Allegro for viola da gamba in D major WK 186 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 187 Tempo fi minuetto for viola da gamba in D major WK 188 Adagio for viola da gamba in D major WK 189 Vivace for viola da gamba in D major WK 190 Andante for viola da gamba in D major WK 191 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 192 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 193 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 194 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 195 Fuga for viola da gamba in D major WK 196 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 197 Allegro for viola da gamba in D major WK 198 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 199 Tempo di minuetto for viola da gamba in D major WK 200 Tempo di minuetto for viola da gamba in D major WK 201 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 202 Piece for viola da gamba in D major WK 203 Con variatione for viola da gamba in D major WK 204 Piece for viola da gamba in D minor WK 205 Piece for viola da gamba in D minor WK 206 Allegro for viola da gamba in D minor WK 207 Piece for viola da gamba in D minor WK 208 Adagio for viola da gamba in D minor WK 209 Minuetto for viola da gamba in D major WK 210 Allegretto for viola da gamba in A major WK 211 Allegro for viola da gamba in A major WK 212 Minuet for keyboard in C major WK 213 Minuet for keyboard in D major WK 214 Minuet for keyboard in G major WK 215 Minuet for keyboard in G major WK 216 March in F major WK 217 March in F major WK 218 March in F major WK 219 March in F major WK 220 March in F major WK 221 March in B flat major WK 222 March in F major WK 223 Andante for string quartet in E flat major WK 224 Flute Quartet in F major WK 225 Flute Quartet in D major WK 226 Flute Quartet with viola da gamba in G major WK 227 Cello Duet in D major WK 228 Concertino for 2 clarinets in E flat major lost WK 229 5 adagios for string quartet WK 230 Dolly s eyes are so bright WK 231 4 soli for flute lost WK 232 Frena le belle lagrime WK deestNotes and references EditNotes The Chambers Biographical Dictionary gives his year of birth erroneously as 1725 1 References a b Chambers Biographical Dictionary ISBN 0 550 18022 2 page 3 Randel Don Michael ed 1996 Carl Friedrich Abel The Harvard biographical dictionary of music Cambridge Mass Belknap Press of Harvard Univ Press pp 1 2 ISBN 0 674 37299 9 a b c d Hoiberg Dale H ed 2010 Abel Carl Friedrich Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol I A ak Bayes 15th ed Chicago IL Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc pp 24 ISBN 978 1 59339 837 8 Abel Karl Friedrich in Chambers s Encyclopaedia London George Newnes 1961 Vol 1 p 7 a b Sadie Stanley ed 2001 Carl Karl Friedrich Abel The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol I A Aristotle 2nd ed New York NY Grove s Dicitonaries Inc pp 15 18 ISBN 1 56159 239 0 Freiberg Sarah Conversation with Magical Merlin Internet Cello Society Retrieved 29 January 2009 Carl Friedrich Abel German composer Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 30 March 2018 Catalogue Carl Friedrich Abel 1723 1787 Maltzan Collection PDF guentersberg de December 2018 p 3 Retrieved 7 January 2018 Sources EditChisholm Hugh ed 1911 Abel Karl Friedrich Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed Cambridge University Press S M Helm Carl Friedrich Abel Symphonist London 1953 Karl Friedrich Abel 1723 87 by Andrew Pink in Le Monde maconnique des Lumieres Europe Ameriques Dictionnaire prosopographique Charles Porset and Cecile Revauger eds Paris Editions Champion 2013 ISBN 978 2 7453 2496 2External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Carl Friedrich Abel Free scores by Carl Friedrich Abel at the International Music Score Library Project IMSLP newly found manuscripts in 2017 Portraits of Carl Friedrich Abel at the National Portrait Gallery London Portals Classical music Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carl Friedrich Abel amp oldid 1121798199, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
