Robert Woodcock (bap. 9 October 1690 – 10 April 1728) was an English marine painter, musician, and composer who lived during the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

period. He is notable for having published the earliest known

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

concertos, and the earliest known English oboe concertos.Lasocki, David. "Robert Woodcock. ''Grove Music Online.'' Oxford University Press, 2007–2011. Web. Viewed Feb. 1, 2011.Lasocki, David, and Helen Neate. "The life and works of Robert Woodcock, 1690–1728." ''American Recorder'' 29.3 (1988): 92–104. Robert Woodcock - A Battle Between English and Dutch Ships

Robert Woodcock - A Battle Between English and Dutch Ships

Life

Robert Woodcock was baptised at Chelsea Old Church on 9 October 1690, the son of Robert Woodcock (1642–1710) and Deborah Littleton. He grew up in Shrewsbury House, Chelsea, London, where his parents ran a girls school. His family was fairly affluent, and his father was described as a gentleman, indicating good social position.Thompson, Wendy. "Woodcock, Robert." ''The New Oxford Companion to Music.'' Ed. Denis Arnold. Vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983. In 1714, Robert junior married Ayliffe Stoaks, by whom he had several children. According to a contemporaneous biographical account, he worked as a civil servant, holding a "place or clerkship in the Government."Vertue, G. "The Note-Books of George Vertue Relating to Artists and Collections in England." ''Walpole Society'' 22 (1933–34): 23–24. He resigned his government post around 1723 to become a professional artist. Later in life he suffered acutely from gout, which eventually was the cause of his death, at the age of 38, on 10 April 1728. He is buried at Chelsea Old Church.

Artistic and musical career

Woodcock was a marine painter, specialising in the painting of ships at sea. His style was strongly influenced by the Dutch painter

Willem van de Velde the Younger Willem van de Velde the Younger (18 December 1633 (baptised)6 April 1707) was a Dutch Republic, Dutch marine painter, the son of Willem van de Velde the Elder, who also specialised in maritime art. His brother, Adriaen van de Velde, was a landsc ...

, whose works he assiduously copied. He was also an accomplished musician and composer, performing on the oboe,

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...

, and

. He was perhaps most skilled on the flute, as in 1776, nearly 50 years after his death, he was described by

John Hawkins John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

as "a famous performer on the flute."Hawkins, John. ''A General History of the Science and Practice of Music.'' Ed. Charles Cudworth. Vol. 2. 1776. New York: Dover, 1963. 608, 826. The engraver George Vertue, writing in 1725, called Woodcock "An ingenious gentleman lover of the arts of painting and music, and professor." Vertue goes on to describe Woodcock's musical talents, writing:

"He was very skillful in music, had judgement and performed on the hautboy in a masterly manner, there being many pieces, some published, and much approved by skillful masters in that science."

Vertue's account tells us that Woodcock was a well-respected performer and composer, and his description of Woodcock as a "professor" also seems to indicate that he taught – but whether painting or music it is impossible to say. Vertue also gives us a valuable indication as to what Woodcock may have looked like, describing him as "a man of genteel mien, well shape and good features."

Concertos

Woodcock's only surviving compositions are a set of twelve concertos (3 for flute, 3 for recorder, and 3 for oboe) published by Walsh and Hare in London circa 1727. The concertos were originally published under the title: ''XII Concertos in Eight Parts, the first three for VIOLINS and one small FLUTE, the second three for VIOLINS and two small FLUTES, the third three for VIOLINS & one GERMAN FLUTE, and the three last for VIOLINS & one HOBOY. The proper Flute being nam'd to each Concerto.''Macmillan, Douglas. "A New Concerto, Compos'd by Mr. Woodcock." ''Recorder & Music'' 8.6 (1985): 180–181. The three flute concertos in this set are the earliest known published for that instrument, and the three oboe concertos are the first known by an English composer. Vivaldi published his opus 10 flute concertos shortly thereafter, in c.1728, and the earliest oboe concertos were published by the Italian composer

Albinoni Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni (8 June 1671 – 17 January 1751) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. His output includes operas, concertos, sonatas for one to six instruments, sinfonias, and solo cantatas. While famous in his day as an opera comp ...

in 1715. The earliest known mention of these works dates from 1722, when a theatre advertisement announced that "a new concerto, compos'ed by Mr. Woodcock" would be performed by recorder player John Baston on 14 March of that year.Burney, Charles. ''A General History of Music from the Earliest Ages to the Present Period.'' Ed.

Frank Mercer Frank Mercer, (1891–1955), was the editor of the 1935 reprint of Charles Burney's ''A General History of Music'' (1776–1789), 2 volumes, published by G. T. Foulis. The American edition (from the English printing) was published by Harcourt Bra ...

. 1776. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1935. 996. This performance is noteworthy in that it shows that at least one of the recorder concertos was written earlier than the publication date. There is other evidence of performances of Woodcock's concerti from the 1720s through the 1750s, suggesting that his works quickly became part of the standard woodwind repertoire in England at that time. There has been some controversy as to whether or not Woodcock actually wrote these twelve concertos, however. In 1954

Brian Priestman Brian Priestman (10 February 192718 April 2014) was a British conductor and music educator. Biography Priestman was born in Birmingham, England. He studied at the University of Birmingham (BMus Music; MA Music, 1952) and the Royal Conservator ...

ascribed them to

Jean-Baptiste Loeillet of London Jean-Baptiste Loeillet of London (18 November 1680 – 19 July 1730), was a Flemish baroque composer as well as a performer on the recorder, flute, oboe, and harpsichord. He is called the London Loeillet to distinguish him from another famous comp ...

, and when some of the concertos were published in 1935, they were attributed to

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

. More recent scholarship, however, supports the authorship of Robert Woodcock.

Instrumentation:

* Concerto no. 1 in E major: sixth flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 2 in A major: sixth flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 3 in D major: sixth flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 4 in b minor: 2 sixth flutes, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 5 in D major: 2 sixth flutes, violins I and II, viola, basso continuo * Concerto no. 6 in D major: 2 sixth flutes, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 7 in b minor: transverse flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 8 in D major: transverse flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 9 in e minor: transverse flute, violins I and II, basso continuo * Concerto no. 10 in e minor: oboe, violins I and II, viola, basso continuo * Concerto no. 11 in c minor: oboe, violins I and II, viola, basso continuo * Concerto no. 12 in E♭ major: oboe, violins I and II, basso continuo

References

External links

Here of a Sunday Morning, WBAI New York (includes discography)

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London. Paintings by Woodcock.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodcock, Robert English classical composers English Baroque composers 18th-century English painters English male painters 1690 births 1728 deaths 18th-century classical composers 18th-century British male musicians English male classical composers Burials at Chelsea Old Church 18th-century English male artists 18th-century English composers