Musicatlas
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Music
Life
(Contributed by Adam Mansbridge <ifbur
worldchat.com>.)
German flutist and teacher of Frederick the Great; Quantz began playing the double bass at village festivals at the age of eight and in his childhood learned to play several other instruments. From 1714 he was assistant city musician, first in Radeburg, then in Pirna. From 1716-18 a member of the town orchestra in Dresden under Heine, utilizing a leave of absence in 1717 to study counterpiont with Zelenka in Vienna. In 1718 he became a oboist for the king of Poland’s orchestra stationed alternatly in Dresden and Warsaw, soon becoming a flutist after studying with Buffardin. In 1724 he studied counterpiont with Gasparini in Rome along with the Saxon ambassador Count Lagnasco. Went to Paris and London for 10 months then back to Dresden. In 1728 he so pleased crown prince Frederick with his playing that he was made Frederick’s personal teacher. In 1741, after Frederick became King of Prussia, Johann Joachim entered his service in Berlin and Potsdam for the rest of his life as chamber-musician, court composer and director of palace concerts on a substantial salary. He added a second key to the flute and invented the sliding tuning device.
Quantz composed 300 flute concertos and 200 other compositions for flute, solos, duets, trios, quartets, etc. Published: six solo sonatas for flute with bass, six flute duets, five sonatas for two flutes, hymn settings for 22 of Gallert’s poems. He also published a Versuch einer anweisung, die Flote traversiere zu spielen (four editions, 1752–1906, also in French, Dutch and English translations) It was a comprehensive treatise on the music of the time besides being a flute method.