Archive | K

(b. Dessau, Oct. 16, 1784; d. Schaffhausen, July 19, 1855), a famous flute virtuoso, son of the court organist and chamber musician, Joh. Gotthilf Keller. He was engaged successively at the courts of Berlin (till 1806), Cassels (till 1814), Stuttgart (till 1816), Donaueschingen, where ho was also Kapellmeister at the theatre, and his wife (Wilhelmine Meierhofer) operatic singer, 1817-49. In the latter year he retired to Schaffhausen on a pension. Keller composed chiefly for the flute (concertos, solos, etc.), and songs, some of which attained to great popularity (Mendel).

Towards the end of the 18th century a mechanical device was frequently attached to the English guitar or cither consisting of little buttons placed at the side of the instrument which, by a lever action, plucked the strings with small points or plectra, as in the spinet, or else struck the strings with small hammers, as in the pianoforte. For this latter purpose a detachable box furnished with 6 keys and 6 hammers (one for each set of strings) was affixed to the guitar just over the bridge, but notwithstanding the subsequent addition of so-called Trumpet, Harp, Hautboy and Cremona stops the keyed guitar failed to hold its own against the Spanish instrument (P L A T E X X X I . No. 3; see G u ita r ). f . w . o .

(b. Saalfeld, Thuringia, Apr.2 1721; d. Berlin, July 27, 1783), composer and writer on the theory of music, learnt the rudiments of music at home, the organ from Kellner of Grafenrode, and the violin from Meil of Sondershausen. Gerber, court organist there, taught him to play Bach's fugues, and recommended him to Bach, whose pupil he was from 1739-41. Several years were passed at Leipzig, in Poland, and at Lemberg. On his return to Germany he resumed the study of the violin under Zickler of Dresden, and in 1751 entered the service of Frederick the Great at Berlin as violinist. In 1758 he became Kapellmeister to Princess Amalie, and remained with her until his death, in Berlin, after a long and painful illness. During these twentyfive years he formed such pupils as Schulz, Fasch and Zelter, and devoted his leisure to researches on the theory of music. Of his many books on the subject, Die Kunst des reinen Satzes, two vols. (Berlin, 1771-70), alone is of permanent value. He also wrote all the articles on music in Sulzer's Theorie der schonen Kiinste, and warmly criticises Marpurg's Kritische Briefe, in which various charges had been brought against him. (See Q.-L.) He prided himself on the discovery that all music could be reduced to two fundamental chords, the triad and the chord of the seventh, and invented a new interval bearing the relation of 4 : 7 to the keynote, and which he called I :-but neither of these ideas has stood the test of time. As a composer his most interesting works are his fugues, remarkable for their correctness. In 1773-74 he edited a large collection of vocal compositions by Graun, who was a kind friend to him, and ' Psalmen und Gesange ' by Leo (Leonhard) Hassler. The autograph scores of several motets and cantatas, and a quantity of fugues, clavier-sonatas and similar works, are preserved in the State Library at Berlin and elsewhere. (See Q.-L.) Kirnberger was of a quarrelsome temper, and fond of laying down the law, which made him no favourite with his fellow-musicians. r. G.

(b. Biberach, Suabia, Sept. 30, 1752 ; d. there, Dec. 1, 1817), received a good education, both musical and general (Boeckh was one of his masters), and filled for some time the post of professor of literature in his native town. He combined with this the office of music-director from the year 1771. By degrees he gravitated to music, and in 1807 became director of the opera and of the court concerts at S tu t tg a r t ; but owing to successful intrigues against him, in a couple of years he resigned the post and returned to Biberach, where he died, with a great reputation as organist, composer and theoretician. In the last-named department he was an adherent of Vogler. The list of his productions as given in Q.-L. embraces many compositions, sacred and secular, vocal and instrumental, and eight theoretical and didactic works. Two of the former have an historical interest, and that from an accidental cause. The first is ' Le Portrait Musical de la Nature,' a grand symphony1 for two violins, viola and bass, two flutes, two oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets and drums ad lib., in which is expressed : (1) A beautiful co u n t ry , th e sun shining, gentle aire an d murmur ing brooks ; birds tw i t te r , a waterfall tumble s from th e mo u n ta in , th e sh ep h e rd plays his pipe, th e shepherdess sings, an d th e lamb s gambol around. (2) S uddenly th e sky d a rkens, a n oppressive closeness pervades th e air, bla ck clouds g a th e r , th e wind rises, d is ta n t th u n d e r is h ea rd , a n d th e storm a p proaches. (3) The tem p e s t b u r s ts in all its fury, th e wind howls a n d th e rain b ea ts , th e tre es groan a n d th e s tre ams ru sh furiously. (4) The Btorm gradua lly goes off, th e clouds disperse a n d th e sky clears. (5) N a tu re raises its joyful voice to heaven in songs of g ra t i tu d e to th e Crea tor (a hymn with variations). The second (if it be not an arrangement of a portion of the preceding) is another attempt of the same kind with a German title-' The Shepherds' pleasure interrupted by the storm, a musical picture for the organ.' These are precisely the subjects which Beethoven has treated, and Fetis would have us believe that Knecht actually anticipated not only the general scheme of the Pastoral Symphony but some of its figures and passages. But this is not the case. The writer purchased the score and parts of Knecht's work at Otto Jahn's sale, and is able to say that beyond the titles the resemblances between the two works are obviously casual, Knecht's being in addition commonplace, entirely wanting in that ' expression of emotions ' which Beethoven enforces, and endeavouring to depict the actual sights and sounds, which he deprecates, o.

(b. Roding, Bavaria, Dec. 4, 1708 ; d. Oct. 9, 1769), received his early education in the Benedictine Abbey of Priifening near Ratisbon, where he afterwards took the vows, and spent the rest of his life as organist and director of the choir, and occupied in musical composition. He enjoyed great reputation in his time as an organ player, and composer of works for the church. Lotter, the music publisher of Augsburg, acknowledged that he owed the foundation of his prosperity in business to his publication of Konigsperger's works, and the profits which were obtained for the composer himself were all generously devoted by him to the benefit of the Abbey, providing it with a new organ, purchasing valuable books for the library, and furnishing the means for the publication of literary works by the other brethren. His works are enumerated in Q.-L., and even more fully by Ernst von Werra in Haberl's Kirchen-musikalisches Jahrbuch, 1897, pp. 32-34. Both E. v. Werra and Eitner say that Konigsperger wrote for the theatre as well as for the church, but the works, as they enumerate them, are all for the church, and consist of- (1) A large number of masses, offertoria, vespers, litanies, etc ., all for voices with a considerable instrumental accompanimeDt- strings, horns, trumpets and drums. (2) Sonatas or symphonies for strings an d other ins truments with organ, evidently for church use. (3) Various sets of preludes an d fugues o r v ersetts In th e church tones for organ. Ritter (Geschichte des Orgelspiels, pp. 80, 161) considers the organ works to show good schooling, and to have more substance in them than similar works of his South German contemporaries. None appear to be reprinted in modem times. J . R. M.

(b. Vienna, 1900), composer, of Czech family, studied composition with Franz Schreker in Vienna and Berlin, and is now domiciled in the latter city. His works, which have led to his recognition as one of ths i Wwielewak;, 18). fo rem o s t comp o se rs of the younger g e n e r a t io n in Germany, are remarkable for the austerity of his contrapuntal outlook. He appears to be swayed by strictly musical, not to say even technical, impulses, and rarely, if ever, allows his course to be deflected by emotional or temperamental considerations. He takes the ' linear ' view of polyphony which prevails in so much recent German music, and is in fact one of its most uncompromising adherents. As with others, this has committed him to atonality, but rather as a corollary to his methods than as an integral feature of them, for he does not wilfully avoid the assertion of tonality where it presents itself in the course of development. His strong feeling for rhythm is possibly a racial trait, hut if so it stands alone, for he has nothing in common with the Czech national movement. His reputation was established by performances at various festivals, notably of a string quartet in 1921 and a symphony in 1923, followed in 1924 by the production of a comic opera in three acts, ' Der Sprung fiber den Schatten ' (op. 17). The following is a list of his works : Concertino for flute, vln., cembalo and s tr. orch. 29. Violin Concerto. 35 * The Seasons,' 4 sh o rt a eappella choruses (perf. Donaueschingen 1925). Opp. 1 to 11 were composed whilst Kxenek was studying with Schreker.

(b. Krotoschin, province of Posen, Sept. 12, 1818 ; d. Mar. 1, 1882), was famous chiefly as teacher of the piano. His father held the post of ' Landgorichts- sekretar ' at Krotoschin. He was first intended for the law, but preferred to devote himself to music. He was a pupil of Hauck from his eleventh year, having previously been under the tuition of A(bert Agthe. In 1837 he went to Berlin to study medicine. In 1842 he became a pupil of Czerny, and in 1846 was made Hofpianist to the King of Prussia. He founded, in conjunction with Stern and Marx, a Conservatorium at Berlin in 1 8 5 0 ; and in 1855, in consequence of some disagreement with his fellow-workers, he started a now institution under the namo of ' Neuo Akademie der Tonkunst ' in the same city, where he resided until his death. He devoted his attention principally to the 1 drawing-room ' style of composition, and published many transcriptions and arrangements for the piano, which are very popular. Of his original works the following are the most remarkable : Grand concerto in C minor for piano and orchestra (op. 55); Trio for piano an d strings (op. 77) ; Duos for piano and violin ; Ballades, Boleros, etc., for piano solo ; ' Les Etincelles,' ' Les Danai'des,' * La Gazelle,' etc. ; also collections of small pieces, such as ' Deux l 'ortefeuilles de musique, * Kinderleben,' two sets of &ieces (op. 81), * Les Fleurs anim^es.' Among his la te r works may e mentioned ' Ondine ' (op. 112), * C'oncert-^tude ' (op. 121). In 1877 he published a second edition of his ' Octave-school,' which is very valuable as an instruction book. His brother, (2) A d o l f (b. Feb. 23, 1823 ; d. Berlin, Dec. 25, 1862), was a distinguished musical critic in Berlin, and wrote Das Musikalisch- Schone (Leipzig, 1858), and Aesthetik des Clavierspiels (Berlin, 18G1). m. (3) F r a n z (b. Berlin, Apr. 12, 1844 ; d. there Dec. 9, 1913), son of Theodor, was educated in his father's Akademie, and produced some educational works as well as compositions. His opera * Mes de Castro ' was given in Berlin in 1877. (4) E r n s t (b. Berlin, Jan. 22, 1855), son of Adolf, became a well-known teacher of the piano and of composition in Berlin {Riemann).

(b. circa 1814 ; d. Aug. 4, 1879), younger daughter of Charles Kemble, the eminent actor, was educated for a concert singer. She appeared first in London at a concert of Ancient Music on May 13, 1835, and afterwards at the York Festival, but w ith little success. She then went to Paris for improvement, and from thence in 1837 to Germany, and early in 1839 to Italy, when she had lessons from Pasta on the Lake of Como. In that year she made her appearance a t La Fenice, Venice, as Norma with decided success. In 1840 she sang at Trieste, Milan, Padua, Bologna and Mantua with increasing reputation. In 1841 she returned to England, and on Nov. 2 appeared in an English version of ' Norma ' with marked success. In 1842 she sang in English versions of ' Le Nozze di Figaro,' 1 La Sonnambula,' 1 Semiramide,' and ' H Matrimonio Segreto.' In 1843 she was married to Edward John Sartoris, and retired from the profession. In 1867 she published her delightful .4 Week in a French Country House. B i b l .- See her Bister F anny Kemble's Records o f a Girlhood, and o th e r reminiscences. Mrs. Sartoris's own recollections were embodied in Pott Hours, 1880. w. H. h . ; addns. from D.N.B.

(b. Bishop Auckland, Durham, Feb. 7, 1 8 4 3 ; d. there, Dec. 4, 1923), a zealous and able amateur, who did a great work for the cultivation and appreciation of good music in the north of England. He graduated Mus.B. Cantab, in 1880, and received the hon. degree of Mus.D. from Durham University, 1914. His activity as a conductor was in connexion with three important northern societies : the Bishop Auckland Musical Society from 1875, the Middlesbrough Musical Union from its foundation in 1882, and the Sunderland Philharmonic Society from 1886. His independent position as an honorary conductor and adviser allowed him great freedom in arranging his programmes, which, while by no means neglect ing the great classics of choral and orchestral music, introduced many works which were either new to the country or at least unfamiliar. His habit of attending the principal festivals, at home and abroad-ho was a frequent visitor to Bayreuth-enabled him to keep in close touch with current music, and his influence on the music of the district in which he worked was healthful and enduring. He was an efficient organist, pianist and violoncellist, and composed several works for chorus and orchestra, of which the latest, a ' Choral I n Memoriam, for Voices, Violins and Trumpet' (Novello), composed ' in memory of our brave soldiers and sailors, 1914 and after,' may be cited, h . t .

(b. Paris, June 27, 1866 ; d. Brussels, Feb. 7, 1909), was educated at the Conservatoire under Mme. Emile Rety and Mme. Massart, where she carried off the first piano prize at 12 years of age. Shortly afterwards she played Beethoven's C minor concerto with conspicuous success at one of Pasdeloup's concerts, and from that time onwards she made annual appearances at all the most important Parisian concerts. In 1883 she came to England, and appeared a t a recital, at Mann's benefit at the Crystal Palace, and elsewhere. In the following year she appeared at the Philharmonic Society, and at all the first-rate London concerts. Richter, hearing her play in a private house, engaged her forthwith for the Philharmonic Concerts at Vienna, where she made a great success, as she did in Berlin in 1887, where Von Biilow greeted her with enthusiasm. She married the sculptor, Charles Samuel, and settled in Brussels. Her interpretative power was very remarkable, and her vigorous, artistic and unaffected playing was fully appreciated wherever she was heard. She was perhaps at her best in Bach and Schumann, and she made a speciality of the works of the old French clavecinistes. M.