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Christian Ignatius Latrobe (12 February 1758 – 6 May 1836) was an English clergyman of the
Moravian Church The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
, as well as an artist, musician and composer. He created a large number of works for, and most famously edited, a ''Selection of Sacred Music'' in six volumes between 1806 and 1826, introducing the sacred music of
Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...
,
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
and
Pergolesi Pergolesi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, (1710–1736), Italian composer, violinist, and organist * Michael Angelo Pergolesi, 18th-century Italian decorative artist {{Surname Italian-langu ...
and other European continental composers who were largely unknown to English audiences.


Life

He was born in the
Fulneck Moravian Settlement Fulneck Moravian Settlement is a village in Pudsey in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The village (grid reference ) lies on a hillside overlooking a deep valley. Pudsey Beck flows along the bottom of the val ...
, near
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, to
the Reverend The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...
Benjamin Latrobe, of
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
descent, and the American-born Anna Margaretta Antes. His brother was
Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, draw ...
, the noted architect responsible for the
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill ...
and the Catholic cathedral of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, Maryland. In 1771 Christian Latrobe went to
Niesky Niesky ( Sorbian and pl, Niska, cz, Nízké) is a small town in Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 9,200 (2020) and is part of the district of Görlitz. Historically considered part of Upper Lusatia, it was ...
in the
Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to the ...
region of
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
in Germany, to attend the Moravian College there. On completion of his training he taught at the high school attached to the college for a while, after which he returned to England and was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
in 1784. As a promoter of the missionary activity of the Church, in 1815 Latrobe voyaged to the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
to visit the Moravian mission stations there. Once there, he journeyed from
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. It was originally known as Baviaanskloof, but was renamed Genadendal in 1806. Genadendal was the place of the fir ...
to
George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
,
Uitenhage Uitenhage ( ; ), officially renamed Kariega, is a South African town 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. Along with the city of Port El ...
, and the
Great Fish River The Great Fish River (called ''great'' to distinguish it from the Namibian Fish River) ( af, Groot-Visrivier) is a river running through the South African province of the Eastern Cape. The coastal area between Port Elizabeth and the Fish Riv ...
. 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''. Years after his death, a collection of letters written to each of his children during his South African voyage was published. Latrobe translated
George Henry Loskiel George Henry Loskiel ( lv, Georgs Heinrihs Loskīls; german: Georg Heinrich Loskiel) (7 November 1740 in Rinda, Latvia – 23 February 1814 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) was presiding bishop of the northern district of the American province of the ...
's book "Geschichte der mission der evangelischen Brüder unter den Indianern in Nordamerika" as ''History of the Mission of the United Brethren Among the Indians in North America'' in 1794. He also helped
Charles Burney Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...
by translating material from German for his multi-volume "A General History of Music." Latrobe often brought newly published music from the Continent to England in the early 19th century. He purchased a number of music scores and oratorios from
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 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...
in Leipzig, near Niesky, when they were not published due to a perceived lack of interest. In an 1817 letter to
Vincent Novello Vincent Novello (6 September 17819 August 1861), was an English musician and music publisher born in London. He was a chorister and organist, but he is best known for bringing to England many works now considered standards, and with his son he cr ...
Latrobe mentioned a conversation with
Gottfried Christoph Härtel Gottfried Christoph Härtel (January 27, 1763July 25, 1827) was a music publisher in Leipzig, companion to Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf. He took over their company, Breitkopf & Härtel, in 1796 from Breitkopf, who was having financial difficultie ...
in Leipzig concerning works "...printed -- and a whole wheelbarrow full of anuscriptmusic scores and some good German oratorios which I bought for a trifle." Among these acquisitions may have been a Mozart arrangement of Handel's ''
Judas Maccabaeus Judah Maccabee (or Judas Maccabeus, also spelled Machabeus, or Maccabæus, Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, ''Yehudah HaMakabi'') was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleu ...
'' (1747
discovered
in 2001 in
Halifax, West Yorkshire Halifax () is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It is the commercial, cultural and administrative centre of the borough, and the headquarters of Calderdale Council. In the 15th cen ...
. 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. Latrobe dedicated a set of three piano sonatas to
Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
. He also wrote clarinet concertos (now lost), 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''" (from his cantata "Dawn of Glory"), "''Psalm 51''" ("Miserere mei Deus") and "''We Praise Thee, Oh God''". The bulk of Latrobe's musical works reside in Moravian Church archives in
Herrnhut Herrnhut ( Sorbian: ''Ochranow''; cs, Ochranov) is an Upper Lusatian town in the Görlitz district in Saxony, Germany, known for the community of the Moravian Church established by Nicolas Ludwig, Count von Zinzendorf in 1722. Geography It is ...
, Germany,
Christiansfeld Christiansfeld, with a population of 2,977 (1 January 2022), is a town in Kolding Municipality in Southern Jutland in Region of Southern Denmark. The town was founded in 1773 by the Moravian Church and named after the Danish king Christian VII. ...
, Denmark, and at the Moravian Music Foundation in Winston-Salem, NC and Bethlehem, PA. A number of works attributed to him reside at the
Warsaw University Library The University of Warsaw Library ( pl, Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie, BUW) is a library of the University of Warsaw, Poland. History The library was founded in 1816 as a direct consequence of establishing The Royal Warsaw University. S ...
, but several may be compositions by his brother Johann Friedrich (Boneval) de La Trobe (1769-1845). He died in the Fairfield Moravian Settlement on 6 May 1836, at the age of 78, and was buried there.John Higson: "Historical and descriptive notices of Droylsden, past and present" (1859 Manchester: Morten; repr 1974)
/ref>


Works

*Trauer-Cantate auf das Ableben Johann Christian Friedrichs, Freyherrn von Wattewille, in Musik gesezt ... in einen Klavierauszug gebracht ... von Johannes Sörensen (Rudolstadt, Hof-Buchdruckerei, 178

*Sonatinas s, C, F, B, D, hfor the piano forte (London, F. Bland, 178

*Hymn-tunes 4 vsung in the Church of the United Brethren (London, J. Bland; for the autho

*Three sonatas , d, Bfor the piano forte ... op. III edicated to Haydn(London, J. Bland; for the author, 179

*Dies irae, &c., an ancient hymn on the Last Judgment, translated from the Latin by the ... Earl of Roscommon ... adapted for the piano forte and four voices (London, for the author, 1799

*Six airs ing-St./pf the words on serious subjects ... set to music (London, Robert Birchall (Thompson), n.d

*The dawn of glory. A hymn on the bliss of the redeemed at the Last Day ... adapted for the piano forte & voices (London, Robert Birchall; for the author, 180

*Anthem for the celebration of the jubilee, or commencement of the fiftieth year of the reign of our most gracious sovereign George the Third, October 25th 1809. The words taken from the XXth & XXIst Psalms : for four voices with accompanyments ... adapted for the piano forte and voices (London: Printed for the author ... sold also by R. Birchall, 180

*Anthems for 1, 2 or more voices, performed in the Church of the United Brethren ... (London, s.n., 181

*Meditation at the grave of a beloved son, set to music ing-St./pf(London, s.n., 1812

*Miserere mei deus! Psalm LI ... adapted for the organ or piano forte and voices (London, Birchall; L. B. Seely; Chappell & Co.; for the author, 181

*Te Deum Laudamus, for four voices, accompanied by various instruments ... adapted for the piano forte or organ (London, Holborn; Lonsdale; L. B. Seely; Chappell, 181

*Anthem for Maundy Thursday, sung at Lichtenfels reenland one of the settlements of the United Brethren .l., s.n

*Anthems for One, Two, or more Voices Performed in the Church of the United Brethren, Collected and the Instrumental Parts adapted for the Organ or Piano Forte, Composed by Various Authors (London, 1811) *In memory of a beloved sister, who died at Bedford, July 27th, 1824 ing-St./pf(London, E. Lomax; for I. H. Foste

*Original anthems for one, two, or more voices, adapted for private devotion or public worship, composed and the accompaniments arranged for the piano forte or organ (London, for the author, 1828 & 183

*Hymn-Tunes Sung in the Church of the United Brethren, Collected by Chrn. Igns. LaTrobe. A new Edition revised & corrected with an Appendix (London, 1826)


Family

Christian Latrobe married Hannah Benigna Syms (28 October 1758 – 18 April 1824). Their 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 La Trobe (20 March 1801 – 4 December 1875), Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria, married firstly Sophie de Montmollin (died 30 January 1854) on 16 September 1835 in
Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and secondly Rose Isabelle de Montmollin, *Frederick Benjamin Latrobe (1803 – 11 December 1842), married Elizabeth Scott,


Illustrations by Latrobe from ''Journal of a Visit to South Africa''


Notes


References


Latrobe genealogyThe Musical Times (1851)
*


External links

* *
Works by (or edited by) Christian Ignatius Latrobe at the Moravian Music Foundation.Travel Diary of Latrobe set to his music
*Family tree i

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Latrobe, Christian Ignatius 1758 births 1836 deaths English people of American descent People from Pudsey English Moravian ministers English Protestant missionaries English composers Moravian Church missionaries Writers of the Moravian Church Burials in Greater Manchester Protestant missionaries in South Africa