Ferdinand Fränzl
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Fränzl, was a German violin
ist, composer
, conductor, opera director, and a representative of the third generation of the so-called Mannheim school
.
The quality of his violin playing must have been comparable to his father’s
who in turn was one ofe the best violinists of his generation. The violinist and composer Louis Spohr
, however, who heard him at least twice already in 1810 judged Fränzl’s playing as old-fashioned, reminiscent of a bygone era; he also criticised Fränzel’s impure tone.
, a competent composer himself and one of the foremost violinists of his day. Ferdinand entered the Mannheim court orchestra in 1782. Already in 1785 he went on his first concert tour.
Although already an accomplished virtuoso, Fränzl (probably supervised by his farther) rounded off his education in Strasbourg
. Here he received lessons in composition and counterpoint form Franz Xaver Richter
and Ignaz Pleyel
. The two, as disparate as they were, made a good pair of teachers for the young Fränzl. Richter, probably already a teacher of Ferdinand Fränzl’s father, was a conservative contrapuntist of the old school widely respected for his sacred music. Pleyel was a Haydn pupil and already a successful, renowned and modern composer of chamber music and symphonies. Fränzel finally added some international touch to his musical education in Paris
(1787) and Bologna
(1788).
In 1789 he was named concertmaster of the Munich court orchestra, successor to the Mannheim court orchestra. After only two years in Munich he relocated to Frankfurt am Main (1792) where he assumed the post of concertmaster at the Frankfurt national theatre. During the same time he undertook extended concert tours to England and Russia. In 1806 he succeeded Carl Cannabich as director of the instrumental music of the Munich court orchestra.
The German violinist and composer Louis Spohr, certainly a competent judge in music matters, met Ferdinand Fränzl during a concert tour to Russia.
Spohr attend a concert by Fränzl in May 1802. Despite some feeble attempts at polite praise, Spohr’s impression of Fränzl was predominantly negative:
This is one of the best accounts we have of the violin playing of a representative (albeit a later one) of the Mannheim school. What Spohr writes is all the more convincing because he himself was the pupil of a Mannheim violinist. Moreover, Spohr, as the leading German violinist of his generation and of one generation later than Ferdinand Fränzl, was as good a judge as any when it came to appraising violin playing.
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, conductor, opera director, and a representative of the third generation of the so-called Mannheim school
Mannheim school
Mannheim school refers to both the orchestral techniques pioneered by the court orchestra of Mannheim in the latter half of the 18th century as well as the group of composers who wrote such music for the orchestra of Mannheim and others.-History:...
.
The quality of his violin playing must have been comparable to his father’s
Ignaz Fränzl
Ignaz Fränzl, , was a German violinist, composer and representative of the second generation of the so-called Mannheim School...
who in turn was one ofe the best violinists of his generation. The violinist and composer Louis Spohr
Louis Spohr
Louis Spohr was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Born Ludewig Spohr, he is usually known by the French form of his name. Described by Dorothy Mayer as "The Forgotten Master", Spohr was once as famous as Beethoven. As a violinist, his virtuoso playing was admired by Queen Victoria...
, however, who heard him at least twice already in 1810 judged Fränzl’s playing as old-fashioned, reminiscent of a bygone era; he also criticised Fränzel’s impure tone.
Biography
Fränzl’s first teacher was his father Ignaz FränzlIgnaz Fränzl
Ignaz Fränzl, , was a German violinist, composer and representative of the second generation of the so-called Mannheim School...
, a competent composer himself and one of the foremost violinists of his day. Ferdinand entered the Mannheim court orchestra in 1782. Already in 1785 he went on his first concert tour.
Although already an accomplished virtuoso, Fränzl (probably supervised by his farther) rounded off his education in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
. Here he received lessons in composition and counterpoint form Franz Xaver Richter
Franz Xaver Richter
Franz Xaver Richter, known as François Xavier Richter in France was an Austro-Moravian singer, violinist, composer, conductor and music theoretician who spent most of his life first in Austria and later in Mannheim and in Strasbourg, where he was music director of the cathedral...
and Ignaz Pleyel
Ignaz Pleyel
Ignace Joseph Pleyel , ; was an Austrian-born French composer and piano builder of the Classical period.-Early years:...
. The two, as disparate as they were, made a good pair of teachers for the young Fränzl. Richter, probably already a teacher of Ferdinand Fränzl’s father, was a conservative contrapuntist of the old school widely respected for his sacred music. Pleyel was a Haydn pupil and already a successful, renowned and modern composer of chamber music and symphonies. Fränzel finally added some international touch to his musical education in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1787) and Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
(1788).
In 1789 he was named concertmaster of the Munich court orchestra, successor to the Mannheim court orchestra. After only two years in Munich he relocated to Frankfurt am Main (1792) where he assumed the post of concertmaster at the Frankfurt national theatre. During the same time he undertook extended concert tours to England and Russia. In 1806 he succeeded Carl Cannabich as director of the instrumental music of the Munich court orchestra.
1802 Fränzl as seen by Louis Spohr
Spohr attend a concert by Fränzl in May 1802. Despite some feeble attempts at polite praise, Spohr’s impression of Fränzl was predominantly negative:
- "The best violinist then in St. Petersburg was, without doubt, Fränzl junior. He had just come from Moscow where he had been engaged for six concerts at three thousand roubles. His attitude in playing displeased me. The diary says: "He holds the violin still in the old manner, on the right side of the tail piece, and must therefore play with his head bent ... To this must be added that, he raised the right arm very high, and has the bad habit of elevating his eyebrows at the expressive passages. If this is not unpleasant to the majority of the listeners it is still very disagreeable for a violinist to see His playing is pure and clean. In the Adagio parts, he executes many runs, shakes, and other ornaments, with a rare clearness and delicacy. As soon however as he played loud, his tone was rough and unpleasant, because he draws his bow too slowly and too near to the bridge, and leans it too much to one side. He executed the passages clearly and purely, but always with the middle of the bow, and consequently without distinction of piano and forte."
This is one of the best accounts we have of the violin playing of a representative (albeit a later one) of the Mannheim school. What Spohr writes is all the more convincing because he himself was the pupil of a Mannheim violinist. Moreover, Spohr, as the leading German violinist of his generation and of one generation later than Ferdinand Fränzl, was as good a judge as any when it came to appraising violin playing.
Sources
- Blume, FriedrichFriedrich BlumeFriedrich Blume was professor of Musicology in Kiel University from 1938-1958. He was a student in Munich, Berlin and Leipzig, and taught in the last two of these for some years before being called to the chair in Kiel. His early studies were on Lutheran church music, including several books on...
, Hrsg. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik. Ungekürzte elektronische Ausgabe der ersten Auflage. Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1949-1987. - Riemann, HugoHugo RiemannKarl Wilhelm Julius Hugo Riemann was a German music theorist.-Biography:Riemann was born at Grossmehlra, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. He was educated in theory by Frankenberger, studied the piano with Barthel and Ratzenberger, studied law, and finally philosophy and history at Berlin and Tübingen...
. Handbuch der Musikgeschichte. Die Musik des 18. und 19. Jahrhhunderts. Zweite, von Alfred Einstein durchgesehene Auflage. Bd. II. V Bde. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1922. - Slonimsky, Nicolas, ed. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 5th Completely Revised Edition. New York, 1958.
- Spohr, Louis. Louis Spohr's Autobiography. London: Longman, Green etc., 1865
- Alfried Wieczorek, Hansjörg Probst, Wieland Koenig, Hrsg. Lebenslust und Frömmigkeit - Kurfürst Carl Theodor (1724–1799) zwischen Barock und Aufklärung. Bd. 2. 2 Bde. Regensburg, 1999. ISBN 3791716786