Ernst_Gottlieb_Baron_-_Komponist_und_Lautenist_(cropped)

Ernst Gottlieb Baron or Ernst Theofil Baron (17 February 1696 – 12 April 1760), was a German

lutenist A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can refe ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and writer on music. Baron was born in Breslau into the family of Michael Baron, a maker of gold lace who expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Baron showed an inclination to music from an early age, and later made it his profession. He studied lute from about 1710 with a

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

n named Kohott. He attended the Elisabeth Gymnasium in Breslau, and from 1715 the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...

, where he studied philosophy and law. He spent the period from 1719 to 1728 in travels from one small court to another. He visited Halle, Köthen, Schleiz, Saalfeld and Rudolstadt, arriving in Jena in 1720 and remaining for two years. Later he travelled to Kassel, Fulda, Würzburg, Nuremberg and Regensburg, returning in 1727 to Nuremberg where he published his "Historisch-theoretische und practische Untersuchung des Instruments der Lauten", the work for which he is principally remembered. In 1728 he replaced the lutenist Meusel, who had recently died in a horseback riding accident, at the court of Gotha. He held that post for four years. After the death of the Duke of Gotha he moved on to

Eisenach Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...

. In 1737 he visited Merseburg, Köthen and Zerbst, and eventually joined the musical ensemble of Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia as a

theorbist The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck and a second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box (a hollow box) with a wooden top, typically with a sound hole, and a neck extending out ...

. He was immediately granted permission to go to

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...

to purchase a

theorbo The theorbo is a plucked string instrument of the lute family, with an extended neck and a second pegbox. Like a lute, a theorbo has a curved-back sound box (a hollow box) with a wooden top, typically with a sound hole, and a neck extending ou ...

. In Dresden he received tuition from the lutenists

Sylvius Leopold Weiss Sylvius Leopold Weiss (12 October 168716 October 1750) was a German composer and lutenist. Born in Grottkau near Breslau, the son of Johann Jacob Weiss, also a lutenist, he served at courts in Breslau, Rome, and Dresden, where he died. Until ...

and I.A. Hofer. After Frederick's accession in 1740, Baron continued to serve as theorbist in the royal musical establishment, and remained at this post until his death in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Writings

Baron’s ''Untersuchung'' is a valuable source of information about lutenists and lute playing in the late Baroque era. It is divided into two main parts. The first deals with the history of the lute, and contains important references to contemporary players. The second is devoted to the practice of the instrument. Baron’s other writings, currently incompletely studied, supplement the ''Untersuchung,'' and explore other subjects. *''Historisch-theoretische und practische Untersuchung des Instruments der Lauten'' (Nuremberg, 1727/R) *"Herrn Barons Fortsetzung seiner in dem Waltherischen Lexico befindlichen Lebensumstände", in F.W. Marpurg: ''Historisch-kritische Beyträge zur Aufnahme der Musik,'' i (Berlin, 1755/R), 544–6 *''Herrn Ernst Gottlieb Barons Beytrag zur historisch- theoretisch- und practischen Untersuchung der Laute,'' ii (Berlin, 1756/R), 65–83 *''Herrn Barons Abhandlung von dem Notensystem der Laute und der Theorbe,'' 119–23 *''Herrn Barons zufällige Gedanken über verschiedene musikalische Materien,'' 124–44 *''Abriss einer Abhandlung von der Melodie: Eine Materie der Zeit'' (Berlin, 1756) *''Versuch über das Schöne'' (Altenburg, 1757)

Works

*Suite, D, lute, in G. Telemann: ''Der getreue Musikmeister'' (Hamburg, 1728) *Fantasie, lute, in F. Seidel: ''12 Menuette für die Laute von Herrn F. Seidel, samt einer Fantasie von Herrn Baron'' (Leipzig, 1757/R1969) *2 concertos, C, lute, vn, bc; duet, G, lute, fl: B-Bc *6 partitas, lute; 6 trios, lute, va, vc; sonata, 2 lutes: D-LEbh; ed. L. Sayce (n.p., 1998) *Partie, A, lute, Bsb *Sonata, 2 lutes, fl, LEm *Suite movements, lute, Dl, ROu, RUS-KA

Bibliography

*J. Mattheson: ''Der neue göttingische, aber viel schlechter, als die alten lacedämonischen urtheilende Ephorus'' (Hamburg, 1727), 109–27 *F.W. Marpurg: ''Legende einiger Musikheiligen'' (Cologne ecte Breslau 1786), 158–64 *A. Koczirz: ‘Verschollene neudeutsche Lautenisten’, ''AMw,'' iii (1921), 270–84 *H. Neemann: ‘Philipp Martin, ein vergessener Lautenist’, ''ZMw,'' ix (1926–7), 545–65 *H.-P. Kosack: ''Geschichte der Laute und Lautenmusik in Preussen'' (Kassel, 1935) *D.A. Smith: ‘Baron and Weiss contra Mattheson: in Defence of the Lute’, ''JLSA,'' vi (1973), 48–62 *J. Klima: ''Ernst Gottlieb Baron, 1696–1760: Partiten aus den verschollenen Handschriften Berlin Mus. ms. 40633 und Königsberg 3026: Themenverzeichnis'' (Enzersdorf, 1976)

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baron, Ernst Gottlieb German Baroque composers People from Austrian Silesia Musicians from Wrocław German lutenists 1696 births 1760 deaths 18th-century classical composers German classical composers German male classical composers 18th-century German composers 18th-century German male musicians