Christian Ignatius Latrobe
Encyclopedia
Christian Ignatius Latrobe (12 February 1758 – 6 May 1836) was an English clergyman, artist, musician, and composer. He composed a large number of works for the Moravian Church, and most famously edited a Selection of Sacred Music in six volumes between 1806 and 1826, introducing the sacred music of Haydn, Mozart and Pergolesi
to English audiences.
, to Benjamin Latrobe, of Huguenot
descent, and Anna Margaretta Antes, Christian Latrobe went to Niesky
in Saxony
in 1771 to attend the Moravian College. On completion of his training he taught at the college for a while after which he returned to England and was ordained in 1784.
In 1815 he voyaged to the Cape
to visit Mamre
and Genadendal
, two Moravian mission stations. While in South Africa, he journeyed from Genadendal to George
, Uitenhage
and the Great Fish River
. He planned the founding of a new mission station called Enon on the Witrivier near Kirkwood
. He described his journey with coloured illustrations in Journal of a Visit to South Africa in 1815 and 1816: With Some Account of the Missionary Settlements of the United Brethren, Near the Cape of Good Hope. He also wrote History of the Mission of the United Brethren Among the Indians in North America in 1794.
Latrobe, like Vincent Novello
, often brought newly published music from Europe to England in the early 19th century. He purchased a number of music scores and oratorios from Breitkopf & Härtel
in Leipzig
, near Niesky, when they were not published due to a perceived lack of interest. These pieces might well have included a Mozart arrangement of Handel's Judas Maccabaeus (1747) discovered in 2001 in Halifax, West Yorkshire
.
Latrobe recalled that not long after Haydn arrived in England in 1790, he called at Latrobe's home. After confirming that he was at the correct place, Haydn asked Mrs. Latrobe "be you his woman?" and spotting a picture of himself said "dat is me – I am Haydn". Mrs. Latrobe hurriedly sent for her husband who was at a house nearby. A fairly close friendship grew out of this meeting and Latrobe became a regular visitor at Haydn's home during his two stays in England.
Three of Latrobe's piano sonatas were dedicated to Josef Haydn. He also wrote clarinet concertos, duets and arias, and more than a hundred vocal pieces, among which were "Lord of Life Now Sweetly Slumber", "How Shall a Mortal Song Aspire", "Psalm 51" and "We Praise Thee, Oh God".
He died in the Fairfield Moravian Settlement
on 6 May 1836, at the age of 78.
as well as Baltimore
's cathedral. Christian's children were:
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.-Biography:Born at Iesi, Pergolesi studied music there under a local musician, Francesco Santini, before going to Naples in 1725, where he studied under Gaetano Greco and Francesco Feo among others...
to English audiences.
Life
Born in Fulneck, near LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, to Benjamin Latrobe, of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
descent, and Anna Margaretta Antes, Christian Latrobe went to Niesky
Niesky
Niesky is a small town in Upper Lusatia in eastern the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 11,000 and is part of the district of Görlitz....
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
in 1771 to attend the Moravian College. On completion of his training he taught at the college for a while after which he returned to England and was ordained in 1784.
In 1815 he voyaged to the Cape
Cape
Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...
to visit Mamre
Mamre
Mamre , full Hebrew name Elonei Mamre , refers to a Canaanite cultic shrine dedicated to the supreme, sky god of the Canaanite pantheon, El. Talmudic sources refer to the site as Beth Ilanim or Botnah. it was one of the three most important "fairs", market place or caravanserai, in Palestine...
and Genadendal
Genadendal
Genadendal is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, built on the site of the oldest mission station in the country.-Location:Genadendal is approximately 90 minutes drive east of Cape Town in the Riviersonderend Mountains....
, two Moravian mission stations. While in South Africa, he journeyed from Genadendal to George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
, Uitenhage
Uitenhage
Uitenhage is a South African town with 275,185 inhabitants in the Eastern Cape Province. It is well known for the Volkswagen factory located there, which is the biggest car factory on the African continent. The town's name is pronounced by English speakers and in Afrikaans...
and the Great Fish River
Great Fish River
The Great Fish River is a river running through the South African province of the Eastern Cape, it originates east of Graaff-Reinet and runs through Cradock, just south of this the Tarka River joins it...
. He planned the founding of a new mission station called Enon on the Witrivier near Kirkwood
Kirkwood, Eastern Cape
Kirkwood is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is situated on the banks of the Sundays River in the eponymously-named Sundays River Valley, which forms part of the Sundays River Valley Municipality in the Cacadu District of the Eastern Cape....
. He described his journey with coloured illustrations in Journal of a Visit to South Africa in 1815 and 1816: With Some Account of the Missionary Settlements of the United Brethren, Near the Cape of Good Hope. He also wrote History of the Mission of the United Brethren Among the Indians in North America in 1794.
Latrobe, like Vincent Novello
Vincent Novello
Vincent Novello , English musician, son of an Italian who married an English wife, was born in London....
, often brought newly published music from Europe to England in the early 19th century. He purchased a number of music scores and oratorios from Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf . The catalogue currently contains over 1000 composers, 8000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on music. The name "Härtel" was added when Gottfried...
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, near Niesky, when they were not published due to a perceived lack of interest. These pieces might well have included a Mozart arrangement of Handel's Judas Maccabaeus (1747) discovered in 2001 in Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
.
Latrobe recalled that not long after Haydn arrived in England in 1790, he called at Latrobe's home. After confirming that he was at the correct place, Haydn asked Mrs. Latrobe "be you his woman?" and spotting a picture of himself said "dat is me – I am Haydn". Mrs. Latrobe hurriedly sent for her husband who was at a house nearby. A fairly close friendship grew out of this meeting and Latrobe became a regular visitor at Haydn's home during his two stays in England.
Three of Latrobe's piano sonatas were dedicated to Josef Haydn. He also wrote clarinet concertos, duets and arias, and more than a hundred vocal pieces, among which were "Lord of Life Now Sweetly Slumber", "How Shall a Mortal Song Aspire", "Psalm 51" and "We Praise Thee, Oh God".
He died in the Fairfield Moravian Settlement
Fairfield Moravian Church
Fairfield Moravian Church and its surrounding settlement was founded in 1785 by Benjamin La Trobe as a centre for evangelistic work in the Manchester area. Numbers 15, 28 and 30 Fairfield Square are Grade II listed buildings...
on 6 May 1836, at the age of 78.
Family
Christian Latrobe married Hannah Benigna Syms (28 October 1758 – 18 April 1824). His brother, Benjamin Latrobe, was a renowned architect who designed the United States CapitolUnited States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
as well as Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's cathedral. Christian's children were:
- Charlotte Louisa Latrobe (1794–1879)
- Peter Latrobe (15 February 1795 – 24 September 1863), Bishop of the Moravian Church, married firstly Mary Louisa Foster on 27 December 1825, had issue, and secondly Jeanetta Margaret Brett
- Anna Agnes Latrobe (1796–1832)
- John Antes Latrobe (1799–1878), writer on music, unmarried
- Charles Joseph Latrobe (20 March 1801 – 4 December 1875), Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, married firstly Sophie de Montmollin (died 30 January 1854) on 16 September 1835 in BerneBerneThe city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, had issue, and secondly Rose Isabelle de Montmollin, had issue - Frederick Benjamin Latrobe (1803 – 11 December 1842), married Elizabeth Scott, had issue