Antonín Kammel (21 April 1730 – 5 October 1784) was a Bohemian composer and violinist of the
Classical period. He is known for his instrumental works composed primarily for strings, though he did compose a few
sinfonia
Sinfonia (; plural ''sinfonie'') is the Italian word for symphony, from the Latin ''symphonia'', in turn derived from Ancient Greek συμφωνία ''symphōnia'' (agreement or concord of sound), from the prefix σύν (together) and Φωνή (s ...
s and
divertimento
(; from the Italian '' divertire'' "to amuse") is a musical genre, with most of its examples from the 18th century. The mood of the '' divertimento'' is most often lighthearted (as a result of being played at social functions) and it is generally ...
s that included wind instruments. His music incorporates many features of other Classical period works as well as elements reminiscent of Czech folk music.
Life
Antonín Kammel was born in
Běleč, in what is now the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
, on 21 April 1730.
Kammel's father worked as a forester on the estate of Count Vincent Ferrerus Waldstein and it was from him that Kammel gained his knowledge of forestry and likely came into contact with Count Waldstein.
Kammel studied music at the Patres Piares College, Slaný from 1746 to 1751 and an unconfirmed subject, thought to be philosophy, at Prague University from 1751 to 1753.
It is unknown when Kammel came into the employment of Count Waldstein, but at an unknown date in the late 1750s (based on letters from Kammel to Waldstein), Waldstein sent Kammel to Padua, Italy to study the violin under the tutelage of
Giuseppe Tartini
Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era born in Pirano in the Republic of Venice (now Piran, Slovenia). Tartini was a prolific composer, composing over a hundred pieces for the ...
.
After studying in Italy, Kammel returned to the Waldstein estate for a few years, during which he gave performances and violin lessons.
In early 1765, Kammel traveled to London, England, where he continued to give performances and worked as a salesman, selling wood for ships' masts on Count Waldstein's behalf.
While in England, Kammel published several of his own compositions and gave performances alongside other leading composers and musicians of the time. He frequently performed and published with both
Johann Christian Bach
Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a German composer of the Classical era, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his early musical training from his father, and later from his half-brother, Carl ...
and
Carl Friedrich Abel, based on concert programs from the time and joint publications such as the music seller Johann Julius Hummel's 1778 publication of a collection of six trios for two violins and violoncello by the three composers. In 2021, a painting attributed to Thomas Gainsborough was identified as of Antonín Kammel.
[Newly Discovered Gainsborough Portrait Reveals Likeness of Overlooked Composer. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lost-portrait-acclaimed-british-painter-thomas-gainsborough-resurfaces-180977443/]
On 20 January 1768, Kammel was married to Ann Edicatt and between 1770 and 1779 they had six children together.
Antonín Kammel died on 5 October 1784.
Works
A full list of Antonín Kammel's works can be found at Oxford Music Online
and the International Music Score Library Project (see ''External Links'' below).
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kammel, Antonin
1730 births
1784 deaths
18th-century composers from the Holy Roman Empire
Classical-period composers from Bohemia
Czech male classical composers
18th-century classical composers from Bohemia
18th-century male musicians from Bohemia
String quartet composers