Early Keyboard Music - Antonine Kammell
According to the notes accompanying "Veaudeville" (c1765), arranged by
Harold Craxton and Alfred Moffat (1933, J.B.Cramer & Co), Kammell was a
Bohemian violinist and composer. Born Hanna 1740, died 1788, studied under Tartini in Italy.
Lived in Prague for some years, and settled in London in 1769. He was a
prolific composer of chamber music (see below). He also wrote 6
Divertimenti for harpsichord, published
by J Preston, London c1783, BL shelfmark g.276.g, as his
op 17.
There is no modern
edition, so far as I am aware.
As for "Veaudeville", this is an early work, and Craxton and Moffat give
no clues as to its original format, though I'd guess accompanied
harpsichord. There was a fashion at the time for
"accompanied sonatas" (harpsichord and violin or two violins).
The music flows well, and is similar to that of Kozeluch and
Benda. It is very suitable for piano, and has a strong Czech folk
melody "feel" about it. There is also a Peasant Dance" in the Craxton-Moffat
series which, so far, I have been unable to obtain.
The list of compositions below is taken from the new Grove. I reproduce it
below for those who are interested in locating more of his music in
libraries and archives.
- Andrew Baker has been researching Shugborough (now a stateley home and gardens) in Staffordshire and reports the following:
Kammell was well known in England in the 1760s and 1770s but his music is almost forgotten today. Kammell led the best musicians in London in concerts in Thomas Anson's London house, 15 St James Square. He dedicated a set of violin duets to Anson and stayed at Shugborough in the Spring of 1772, and possibly other years. You'll find a little more about Kammell at
http://www.imaginingstaffordshire.org.uk/shug/shug3.htm ,
and some Kammell on-line recordings.
WORKS
op. 1 Sei trii, 2 vn, b (London, 1766)
2 Six Duets, 2 vn (London, 1770)
3 A Second Sett of 6 Sonatas, 2 vn, b (London, c1770)
4 Six Quartettos, 2 vn, va, vc (London, c1770)
5 Six Duets, 2 vn (London, c1768)
6 Six Notturnos, 2 vn, b (London, c1770)
7 Six Quartettos, 2 vn, va, vc (London, c1775)
7 Concert de violon, acc. 2 vn, va, vc (Paris, c1770)
7 Six sonates, 2 vn (The Hague, c1770)
8 Six Solos, vn, hpd (London, c1775)
9 Six Sonatas, pf/hpd/harp, vn, vc (London, c1776)
9 Six sonates, vn, bc (The Hague, c1775); 1 ed. in MVH, xviii (1967)
10 Six Ouvertures, 2 vn, 2 ob/fl, 2 hn, hpd (London, 1775); 1 ed. in The Symphony, 1720–1840, ser. B, xiii (New York, 1984)
10 Six sonates, vn, b (Paris, c1772); ed. S. Gerlach and Z. Pilková, Böhmische Violinsonaten, i (Munich, 1982)
11 Concerto violons (Paris, c1772)
11 Six duos, 2 vn (Paris, c1780)
12 Six Divertimentos, a 4 (London, c1790)
13 Six sonates, vn, b (Paris, c1774)
14 Six Divertimentos: 3, 2 vn, va, vc; 3, ob/fl, va, vc (London, c1780)
14 Six quatuors, 2 vn, va, b (Paris, c1774)
15 Six Duetts: 4, 2 vn; 2, vn, va (London, c1785)
16 Six Sonatas, 2 vn, vc (London, c1785)
16 Six sonates, hpd/pf, vn, vc (Paris, c1776)
17 Six Divertimentos, vn, vn/va (London, c1781)
18 Six Duettos, 2 vn (London, c1785)
18 Six simphonies, 2 vn, va, b, 2 ob, 2 hn ad lib (Paris, 1782)
19 Six Notturnos, 2 vn, vc (London, c1785)
19 Six duos, 2 vn (Paris, n.d.)
20 Six duos, 2 vn (Paris, c1777)
21 Six divertimentos, a 4 (Paris, 1777)
22 Six duos, 2 vn (Paris, 1782)
23 Six trios, 2 vn, b (Paris, 1782)
25 Six notturnos, 2 vn, b (Paris, 1786)
26 Six duos, 2 vn (Paris, 1786)
Op.24: missing.
6 Sonatas, 2 vn, b, arr. C. Roeser (Paris, c1770)
A Third Sett of Trios or Ballo, consisting of 2 acts, with a short introductory ov. to each act and a collection of airs (London, c1770)
6 Dancing Minuets, 2 vn, b (London, c1775)
6 quatuors concertants … de vari autori (Paris, c1778)
6 duetti notturni, 2 vn (Paris, c1780)
6 sonates, hpd, vn, b (Paris, c1780)
6 duos concertants, 2 vn (Paris, n.d.)
4 sonates, in 6 Sonatas, 2 vn, vc, bc, by Bach, Abel, Kammel (London, c1780)
Other works (some copied from prints) in MS A-Wgm, B-Bc, CZ-Pnm, D-Dl, F-Pn, GB-Lbl; 1 sym. ed. in The Symphony, 1720–1840, ser. B, xiii (New York, 1984) Edns: 6 ouvertures, a 8 [by composers incl. J. Stamitz, Vanhal, Haydn] (London, 1773)
Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
