Friedrich Grützmacher
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Wilhelm Grützmacher (1 March 1832 – 23 February 1903) was a noted German
cellist in the second half of the 19th century.
Grützmacher was born in Dessau
, Anhalt
, and was first taught by his father. Soon he began studying cello
with Dotzauer
's pupil, Karl Dreschler (1800-1873).
In 1848 he was discovered in Leipzig
by the famous violinist, Ferdinand David, who arranged some concerts for him. In 1850 he became solo cellist in the Leipzig theatre orchestra, the Gewandhaus
Concerts, and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory
. He played in the David String Quartet.
In 1860 Grützmacher moved to Dresden
to be principal cellist of the Court Orchestra, and head of the Dresden Musical Society. In 1877 he became a professor at the Dresden Conservatory. He concertized all over Europe
and Imperial Russia
, where he became a friend of the famous cellist Karl Davidov
. He played the first performance of Richard Strauss
's Don Quixote
in Cologne
in 1898. He was the teacher of Wilhelm Fitzenhagen
(of thumb position fame), and Hugo Becker
(whose etudes are still used).
Grützmacher is most famous today for taking samples of four different works to form his edition of Luigi Boccherini
's Concerto in B flat
, still being published and performed. He is also known for rearranging J.S. Bach's Cello Suites
with additional chords, passages and embellishments. His cadenzas for the cello concertos by Boccherini and Joseph Haydn
are often performed to this day.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cellist in the second half of the 19th century.
Grützmacher was born in Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
, and was first taught by his father. Soon he began studying cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
with Dotzauer
Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer
Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer was a German cellist and composer.-Life:Born in Haselrieth, near Hildburghausen, to a father who was a church music minister, he learned at a young age to play a number of instruments, including piano, double bass, violin, clarinet, and horn...
's pupil, Karl Dreschler (1800-1873).
In 1848 he was discovered 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...
by the famous violinist, Ferdinand David, who arranged some concerts for him. In 1850 he became solo cellist in the Leipzig theatre orchestra, the Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, Germany. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. The first Gewandhaus was built in 1781 by architect Johann Carl Friedrich Dauthe. The second opened on 11 December 1884, and was destroyed in the...
Concerts, and professor at the Leipzig Conservatory
Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theatre
The University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig is a public university in Leipzig . Founded in 1843 by Felix Mendelssohn as the Conservatory of Music, it is the oldest university school of music in Germany....
. He played in the David String Quartet.
In 1860 Grützmacher moved to Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to be principal cellist of the Court Orchestra, and head of the Dresden Musical Society. In 1877 he became a professor at the Dresden Conservatory. He concertized all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Imperial Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, where he became a friend of the famous cellist Karl Davidov
Karl Davidov
Karl Yulievich Davydov , was a Russian cellist of great renown during his time, and described by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the "tsar of cellists". Arensky dedicated his first piano trio to Davydov's memory. He was also a composer, mainly for the cello....
. He played the first performance of Richard Strauss
Richard Strauss
Richard Georg Strauss was a leading German composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras. He is known for his operas, which include Der Rosenkavalier and Salome; his Lieder, especially his Four Last Songs; and his tone poems and orchestral works, such as Death and Transfiguration, Till...
's Don Quixote
Don Quixote (Strauss)
Don Quixote, Op. 35, is a composition by Richard Strauss for cello, viola and large orchestra. Subtitled Phantastische Variationen über ein Thema ritterlichen Charakters , the work is based on the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. Strauss composed this work in Munich in 1897...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in 1898. He was the teacher of Wilhelm Fitzenhagen
Wilhelm Fitzenhagen
Wilhelm Karl Friedrich Fitzenhagen , was a German cellist, composer and instructor, best known today as the dedicatee of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme.-Life:...
(of thumb position fame), and Hugo Becker
Hugo Becker
for french actor see Hugo BeckerHugo Becker was a prominent German cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He studied at a young age with Alfredo Piatti, and later Friedrich Grützmacher in Dresden.He was born in 1863 in Strasbourg; his father Jean Becker was a famous violinist...
(whose etudes are still used).
Grützmacher is most famous today for taking samples of four different works to form his edition of Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Boccherini
Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini was an Italian classical era composer and cellist whose music retained a courtly and galante style while he matured somewhat apart from the major European musical centers. Boccherini is most widely known for one particular minuet from his String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No...
's Concerto in B flat
Cello Concerto No. 9 (Boccherini)
Luigi Boccherini's Cello Concerto No. 9 in B flat Major, G.482 was written in either the late 1760s or early 1770s. Boccherini, a talented cellist, composed twelve concertos for his instrument...
, still being published and performed. He is also known for rearranging J.S. Bach's Cello Suites
Cello Suites (Bach)
The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of the most performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello...
with additional chords, passages and embellishments. His cadenzas for the cello concertos by Boccherini and Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
are often performed to this day.