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Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
and Berlin. A close collaborator of
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...
, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century. Joachim studied violin early, beginning in Buda at age five, then in Vienna and
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
. He made his debut in London in 1844, playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto, with
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
conducting. He returned to London many times throughout life. After years of teaching at the Leipzig Conservatory and playing as principal violinist of the
Gewandhausorchester The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...
, he moved to
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
in 1848, where
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
established cultural life. From 1852, Joachim served at the court of Hanover, playing principal violin in the opera and conducting concerts, with months of free time in summer for concert tours. In 1853, he was invited by
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
to the Lower Rhine Music Festival, where he met
Clara Schumann Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...
and Brahms, with whom he performed for years to come. In 1879, he premiered Brahms' violin concerto with Brahms as conductor. He married Amalie, an opera singer, in 1863, who gave up her career; the couple had six children. Joachim quit service in Hanover in 1865, and the family moved to Berlin, where he was entrusted with founding and directing a new department at the Royal Conservatory, for performing music. He formed a string quartet, and kept performing chamber music on tours. His playing was recorded in 1903.


Life


Origins

Joachim was born in Köpcsény,
Moson County Moson (German: Wieselburg, Slovak: Mošon) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, situated mostly on the right (south) side of the Danube river. Its territory is now divided between Austria and Hungary, except a sma ...
,
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
(present-day
Kittsee Kittsee (; sk, Kopčany, hu, Köpcsény, hr, Gijeca) is an Austrian municipality in the District of Neusiedl am See (district), Neusiedl am See, Burgenland. History In the Middle Ages, the settlement was situated in the Kingdom of Hungary ...
in
Burgenland Burgenland (; hu, Őrvidék; hr, Gradišće; Austro-Bavarian: ''Burgnland;'' Slovene: ''Gradiščanska'') is the easternmost and least populous state of Austria. It consists of two statutory cities and seven rural districts, with a total of ...
, Austria). He was the seventh of eight children born to Julius, a wool merchant, and Fanny Joachim, who were of Hungarian-Jewish origin.Campbell, He spent his childhood as a member of the Köpcsény Kehilla (Jewish community), one of Hungary's prominent
Siebengemeinden The Siebengemeinden ( he, שֶבַע קְהִלּוֹת; en, Seven Communities, hu, Hét hitközség) were seven Jewish communities located in Kismarton (today Eisenstadt, Austria) and its surrounding area. The groups are known as ''Sheva Kehill ...
('Seven Communities') under the protectorate of the
Esterházy The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, during the time that it ...
family. He was a first cousin of Fanny Wittgenstein, née Figdor, the mother of Karl Wittgenstein and the grandmother of the philosopher
Ludwig Wittgenstein Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein ( ; ; 26 April 1889 – 29 April 1951) was an Austrian- British philosopher who worked primarily in logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of mind, and the philosophy of language. He is consi ...
and the pianist
Paul Wittgenstein Paul Wittgenstein (November 5, 1887March 3, 1961) was an Austrian-American concert pianist notable for commissioning new piano concerti for the left hand alone, following the amputation of his right arm during the First World War. He devised nove ...
.


Early career

In 1833 his family moved to Pest, which in 1873 was united with Buda and Óbuda to form
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population o ...
. There from 1836 (age 5) he studied violin with the Polish violinist Stanisław Serwaczyński, the
concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...
of the opera in Pest, said to be the best violinist in Pest. Although Joachim's parents were "not particularly well off", they had been well advised to choose not just an "ordinary" violin teacher. Joachim's first public performance was 17 March 1839 when he was of age 7. (Serwaczyński later moved back to Lublin, Poland, where he taught Wieniawski.) In 1839, Joachim continued his studies at the Vienna Conservatory (briefly with Miska Hauser and Georg Hellmesberger, Sr.; finally – and most significantly – with
Joseph Böhm Joseph Böhm ( hu, Böhm József; 4 April 1795 – 28 March 1876) was a Hungarian violinist and a director of the Vienna Conservatory. Life He was born in Pest, to a Jewish family. He was taught by his father and by Pierre Rode. His brother F ...
, who introduced him to the world of chamber music). In 1843 he was taken by his cousin, Fanny Figdor, who later married "a Leipzig merchant" named Wittgenstein, to live and study in
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
. In the journal ''Neue Zeitschrift für Musik''
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
was highly enthusiastic about
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
, on which Moser writes "Only in Haydn's admiration for Mozart does the history of music know a parallel case of such ungrudging veneration of one great artist for his equal." in 1835, Mendelssohn had become director of the
Leipzig Gewandhaus Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics. History The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'') The fi ...
orchestra. In 1843 Joachim became a protégé of Mendelssohn, who arranged for him to study theory and composition with Moritz Hauptmann and violin with Ferdinand David.Avins, 2002 In his début performance in the Gewandhaus Joachim played the ''Otello Fantasy'' by
Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (8 June 18128 October 1865) was a Moravian-Jewish violinist, violist and composer. He was seen as the outstanding violinist of his time and one of Niccolò Paganini's greatest successors. He contributed to polyphonic playin ...
.


London Philharmonic debut, Beethoven Violin Concerto

On 27 May 1844 Joachim, not quite 13, in his London debut with
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
conducting at a concert of the
Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a membe ...
, played the solo part in Beethoven's Violin Concerto. This was a triumph in several respects, as described by R. W. Eshbach. The Philharmonic had a policy against performers so young, but an exception was made after auditions persuaded gatherings of distinguished musicians and music lovers that Joachim had mature capabilities. Despite Beethoven's recognition as one of the greatest composers, and the ranking nowadays of his violin concerto as among the greatest few, it was far from being so ranked before Joachim's performance.
Ludwig Spohr Louis Spohr (, 5 April 178422 October 1859), baptized Ludewig Spohr, later often in the modern German form of the name Ludwig, was a German composer, violinist and conductor. Highly regarded during his lifetime, Spohr composed ten symphonies, ...
had harshly criticized it, and after the London premiere by violinist Edward Eliason, a critic had said it "might have been written by any third or fourth rate composer." But Joachim was very well prepared to play Beethoven's concerto, having written his own cadenzas for it and memorized the piece. The audience anticipated great things, having got word from the rehearsal, and so, Mendelssohn wrote, "frenetic applause began" as soon as Joachim stepped in front of the orchestra. The beginning was applauded still more, and "cheers of the audience accompanied every ... part of the concerto." Reviewers also had high praise. One for 'The Musical World' wrote "The greatest violinists hold this concerto in awe ... Young Joachim ... attacked it with the vigour and determination of the most accomplished artist ... no master could have read it better," and the two cadenzas, written by Joachim, were "tremendous feats ... ingeniously composed". Another reviewer, for the 'Illustrated London News', wrote that Joachim "is perhaps the first violin player, not only of his age, but of his siècle" entury "He performed Beethoven's solitary concerto, which we have heard all the great performers of the last twenty years attempt, and invariably fail in ... its performance was an eloquent vindication of the master-spirit who imagined it." A third reviewer, for the 'Morning Post', wrote that the concerto "has been generally regarded by violin-players as not a proper and effective development of the powers of their instrument" but that Joachim's performance "is beyond all praise, and defies all description" and "was altogether unprecedented." Joachim remained a favorite with the English public for the rest of his career. He visited England in each year 1858, 1859, 1862 largely at the behest of his friend
William Sterndale Bennett Sir William Sterndale Bennett (13 April 18161 February 1875) was an English composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. At the age of ten Bennett was admitted to the London Royal Academy of Music (RAM), where he remained for ten years. B ...
, and for several decades thereafter.


Beethoven string quartets

Moser (p. 28 ff.) writes "After the appearance of the six String Quartets (Op. 18) Beethoven had complete command of the field of chamber-music", although in the later quartets he "makes many exacting demands" of string players. Moser (p. 29) further writes that "at the time of Beethoven's death", such people as Spohr and
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
did not necessarily esteem the late quartets above the earliest ones. Moser, p. 30 writes that in Vienna "the public showed a marked hostility toward" the late quartets. But Joachim's teacher Böhm had an appreciation of the late quartets, which he communicated to Joachim. At the age of 18, "in the whole of Germany" Joachim had no equal, either in the rendering of Bach or in the concertos of Beethoven and Mendelssohn; while as quartet player, "he had no cause to fear rivalry."


Maturity

Following Mendelssohn's death in 1847, Joachim stayed briefly in Leipzig, teaching at the Conservatorium and playing on the first desk of the
Gewandhaus Orchestra The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (Gewandhausorchester; also previously known in German as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) is a German symphony orchestra based in Leipzig, Germany. The orchestra is named after the concert hall in which it is bas ...
with Ferdinand David, whom Mendelssohn had appointed as
concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...
on taking up the conductorship in 1835.


Weimar, Liszt; then Hanover

In 1848, the pianist and composer
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
took up residence in
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
, where
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...
and
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
had lived. Liszt was determined to re-establish the town's reputation as the
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
of Germany. There, he gathered a circle of young avant-garde disciples, vocally opposed to the conservatism of the Leipzig circle. Joachim was amongst the first of these. He served Liszt as concertmaster, and for several years enthusiastically embraced the new "psychological music," as he called it. In 1852 he moved to
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, at the same time dissociating himself from the musical ideals of the 'New German School' (Liszt,
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
,
Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
, and their followers, as defined by journalist Franz Brendel). "The worship of Wagner's music permeating musical taste in Weimar was to Joachim inordinate and unacceptable." Joachim's break with Liszt became final in August 1857, when he wrote to his former mentor: "I am completely out of sympathy with your music; it contradicts everything which from early youth I have taken as mental nourishment from the spirit of our great masters." Hanover "was then an independent kingdom, later to be absorbed in the German empire." King Georg of Hanover was totally blind and very fond of music; he paid Joachim a good salary and gave him considerable freedom. Joachim's duties in Hanover included playing the main violin part in opera performances and that or conducting state concerts. He had five summer months off, in which he made concert tours around Europe. In March 1853 he sent to Liszt a copy of the Overture to Hamlet he had recently composed.


The Schumanns, Brahms; Berlin

Also in 1853, a committee headed by Schumann invited Joachim to the Lower Rhine Music Festival.Moser, p. 121 At the Festival, Joachim again soloed in the Beethoven violin concerto. His success made him, it is said, "the most renowned artist of Germany".
Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
and his wife
Clara Clara may refer to: Organizations * CLARA, Latin American academic computer network organization * Clara.Net, a European ISP * Consolidated Land and Rail Australia, a property development consortium People * Clara (given name), a feminine gi ...
were deeply impressed, and formed a "close connection" with Joachim. Joachim met the then publicly unknown 20-year-old
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
, and wrote of him that his playing "shows the intense fire...which predicts the artist" and "his compositions already betoken such power as I have seen in no other musician of his age". Joachim strongly recommended Brahms to Robert. Brahms was received by the Schumanns with great enthusiasm. After Robert's mental breakdown in 1854 and death in 1856, Joachim, Clara, and Brahms remained lifelong friends and shared musical views. Joachim's performing style with the violin, like Clara's at the piano, is said to have been "restrained, pure, antivirtuosic, expressing the music rather than the performer." In December 1854, Joachim visited Robert at the Endenich asylum where he had been since February, Joachim being his first visitor. Early on, Brahms already played and composed for the piano, which "he had mastered in a supreme fashion", but he felt deficient in orchestration. In 1854 he began composing what was to become his first piano concerto, his first orchestral piece. He sent a score of the first movement to Joachim, requesting his advice. After getting Joachim's response, Brahms wrote to him "A thousand thanks for having studied the first movement in such a sympathetic and careful manner. I have learned a great deal from your remarks. As a musician I really have no greater wish than to have more talent so that I can learn still more from such a friend." Later in the composition of the concerto, which took four years, Brahms wrote to Joachim "I am sending you the rondo once more. And just like the last time, I beg for some really severe criticism." The final manuscript of the concerto "shows many alterations in the handwriting of Joachim". Joachim's time in Hanover was his most prolific period of composition. Then and during the rest of his career, he frequently performed with Clara Schumann. For example, in October–November 1857 they took a recital tour together to Dresden, Leipzig, and Munich.
St. James's Hall St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent Street and Piccadilly, ...
, London, which opened in 1858, hosted a series of "Popular Concerts" of chamber music, of which programmes from 1867 through 1904 are preserved. Joachim appears a great many times. He visited London each year from 1866 on. In March 1898 and in 1901–1904 Joachim appeared in his own quartet of players, but otherwise far more often he appeared with resident Popular Concerts artists Louis Ries, second violin, J. B. Zerbini, first viola, and Alfredo Piatti, first cello, reputed to be "one of the most celebrated cellists" of the time.
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
wrote that the Popular Concerts had helped greatly to spread and enlighten musical taste in England. Joachim had been a mainstay of the chamber music Popular Concerts. At 18 of the Popular Concerts at least, Clara Schumann performed along with Joachim, Zerbini and Piatti, presumably playing piano quartets (without second violin), or sometimes piano trios (for piano, violin, and cello). (The programs of those concerts very likely also included string quartets in which she of course did not play, as Ries is also listed.) A favorite piece of Clara's was Brahms's Piano Quartet in A major. She wrote to Brahms 27 February 1882 from London that the piece had received "much applause". About a performance of it in Liverpool 11 February she had written in her diary that it was "warmly received, much to my surprise as the public here is far less receptive than that in London." In January 1867 there had been a tour to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, by Joachim, Clara, her oldest daughter Marie, Ries, Zerbini, Piatti, two English sisters "Miss Pyne," one a singer, and a Mr. Saunders who managed all the arrangements. Marie Schumann wrote home from Manchester that in Edinburgh Clara "was received with tempestuous applause and had to give an encore, so had Joachim. Piatti, too, is always tremendously liked." Joachim had extensive correspondence with both Clara and Brahms, as Brahms greatly valued Joachim's opinion of his new compositions. In 1860 Brahms and Joachim jointly wrote a manifesto against the "progressive" music of the 'New German' School, in reaction to the polemics of Brendel's ''
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 'Die'' (; en, " heNew Journal of Music") is a music magazine, co-founded in Leipzig by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke. Its first issue appeared on 3 April 1834. His ...
''. This manifesto, a volley in the War of the Romantics, had originally few (four) signers (more later) and met with a mixed reception, being heavily derided by followers of Wagner. On 10 May 1863 Joachim married the contralto Amalie Schneeweiss (stage name: Amalie Weiss) (1839–99). Amalie gave up her own promising career as an opera singer and gave birth to six children. She continued to perform in
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
s and to give
lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
er
recital A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide var ...
s. In 1865 Joachim quit the service of the King of Hanover in protest, when the Intendant (artistic director) of the Opera refused to advance one of the orchestral players ( Jakob Grün) because of the latter's Jewish birth. In 1866, as a result of the
Austro-Prussian war The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...
, in which
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...
and its capital
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 constitu ...
became the dominant German state and city, Joachim moved to Berlin, where he was invited to help found, and to become the first director of, a new department of the Royal Academy of Music, concerned with musical performance and called the Hochschule für ausübende Tonkunst. On Good Friday, 10 April 1868, Joachim and his wife joined their friend, Johannes Brahms, in the celebration of one of Brahms' greatest triumphs, the first complete performance of his '' German Requiem'' at the
Bremen Cathedral Bremen Cathedral (german: Bremer Dom or St. Petri Dom zu Bremen), dedicated to St. Peter, is a church situated in the market square in the center of Bremen. The cathedral belongs to the Bremian Evangelical Church, a member of the Protestant umbre ...
. Amalie Joachim sang "I Know that My Redeemer Liveth" and Joseph Joachim played Robert Schumann's ''Abendlied''. It was a glorious occasion, after which about 100 of the composer's friends, the Joachims, Clara Schumann,
Albert Dietrich Albert Hermann Dietrich (28 August 182920 November 1908), was a German composer and conductor. In addition to his work, he is remembered for his friendship with Johannes Brahms. Dietrich was born at Golk, near Meissen. From 1851 he studied co ...
and his wife,
Max Bruch Max Bruch (6 January 1838 – 2 October 1920) was a German Romantic composer, violinist, teacher, and conductor who wrote more than 200 works, including three violin concertos, the first of which has become a prominent staple of the standard ...
, and others gathered at the Bremen Rathskeller. In 1869, the Joachim
String Quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...
was formed, which quickly gained a reputation as Europe's finest. It continued to perform until Joachim's death in 1907. The first personnel of the quartet were: Ernst Schiever (1869–1871) a pupil of Joachim, Heinrich de Ahna (1871–1892), and Wilhelm Muller (1869–1879). Schiever resigned after their second season with de Ahna taking the second violin part and Eduard Rappoldi (1871–1877) on viola. Later members of the Quartet were Johann Kruse (1892–1897) followed by Karel Halíř (2nd violin) from 1897 on;
Emanuel Wirth Emanuel Wirth (18 October 18425 January 1923) was a German violinist and violist. Wirth was born in Žlutice (German: Luditz) in western Bohemia. As Joseph Joachim's assistant at the Hochschule für Musik (Berlin), he taught violin and viola. ...
(viola) from 1877 on (occasionally replaced by
Karl Klingler Karl Klingler (7 December 1879 – 18 March 1971) was a German violinist, concertmaster, composer, music teacher and lecturer. Life Early years Karl Klingler was born in Strasbourg, at that time in Germany, the fifth of his parents' six re ...
); and Robert Hausmann (cello), from 1879 on. In 1878 while writing his violin concerto, Brahms consulted Joachim, who "freely gave him encouragement and technical advice". Brahms asked Joachim to write the
cadenza In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and of ...
for the concerto, as he did. In 1884, Joachim and his wife separated after he became convinced that she was having an affair with the publisher
Fritz Simrock Friedrich August Simrock, better known as Fritz Simrock (January 2, 1837 in Bonn – August 20, 1901 in Ouchy) was a German music publisher who inherited a publishing firm from his grandfather Nikolaus Simrock. Simrock is most noted for publishing ...
. Brahms, certain that Joachim's suspicions were groundless, wrote a sympathetic letter to Amalie, which she later produced as evidence in Joachim's divorce proceeding against her. This led to a cooling of Brahms' and Joachim's friendship, which was not restored until some years later, when Brahms composed the Double Concerto in A minor for violin and cello, Op. 102, 1887, as a peace offering to his old friend. It was co-dedicated to the first performers, Joachim and Robert Hausmann. In late 1895 both Brahms and Joachim were present at the opening of the new Tonhalle at Zürich, Switzerland; Brahms conducted and Joachim was assistant conductor. But in April, two years later, Joachim was to lose forever this revered friend, as Johannes Brahms died at the age of 64 at Vienna. At Meiningen, in December 1899, it was Joachim who made the speech when a statue to Brahms was unveiled.


Honors and Jubilees

In March 1877, Joachim received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Cambridge University. For the occasion he presented his Overture in honor of Kleist, Op. 13. Near the 50th anniversary of Joachim's debut recital, he was honored by "friends and admirers in England" on 16 April 1889 who presented him with "an exceptionally fine" violin made in 1715 by Antonio Stradivari, called "Il Cremonese". About ten years later, for the sixtieth jubilee, a concert in honor of Joachim was given by his former students of violin and viola playing and cellists who had studied quartet playing with him, on 22 April 1899.Moser 1901, p. 324 The total of some 140 string players was impressive, as were their instruments (made by Stradivari, Guarneri, Bergonzi, Amati, etc.). An honor such as that concert "had been accorded to no other musician during his lifetime". During 1899, Joachim was invited to become president of the newly established Oxford & Cambridge Musical Club in London. He remained club president until his death. In Berlin, on 17 August 1903, Joachim recorded five sides for The Gramophone & Typewriter Ltd (G&T), which remain a fascinating and valuable source of information about 19th-century styles of violin playing. He is the earliest violinist of distinction known to have recorded, only to be followed soon thereafter when Sarasate made some recordings the following year. Joachim's portrait was twice painted by
Philip de László Philip Alexius László de Lombos (born Fülöp Laub; hu, Fülöp Elek László; 30 April 1869 – 22 November 1937), known professionally as Philip de László, was an Anglo-Hungarian painter known particularly for his portraits of royal an ...
. A portrait of Joachim was painted by
John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...
and presented to him at the 1904 "Diamond Jubilee" celebration of his sixtieth anniversary of his first appearance in London. Joachim remained in Berlin until his death in 1907. At his 75th birthday observance in June 1906, Joachim said
The Germans have four violin concertos. The greatest, most uncompromising is Beethoven's. The one by Brahms vies with it in seriousness. The richest, the most seductive, was written by Max Bruch. But the most inward, the heart's jewel, is Mendelssohn's.Steinberg, p. 265
Bruch wrote three violin concertos. Joachim was presumably referring to his Concerto No. 1, which is the most well-known and frequently performed. Joachim had assisted Bruch in revising that concerto.


Repertoire

Among the most notable of Joachim's achievements were his revival of Beethoven's violin concerto already mentioned, the revival of
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...
's Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, BWV 1001–1006, especially the Chaconne from the Partita No. 2, BWV 1004, and of Beethoven's late string quartets. Joachim was the second violinist, after Ferdinand David, to play
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...
's Violin Concerto in E minor, which he studied with the composer. Joachim played a pivotal role in the career of
Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped with ...
, and remained a tireless advocate of Brahms's compositions through all the vicissitudes of their friendship. He conducted the English premiere of Brahms's Symphony No. 1 in C minor at Cambridge on 8 March 1877, on the same day that he received a D. Mus. degree there (Brahms had declined an invitation to go to England himself). A number of Joachim's composer colleagues, including
Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...
, Brahms, Bruch, and Dvořák, composed concerti with Joachim in mind, many of which entered the standard repertory. Nevertheless, Joachim's solo repertoire remained relatively restricted. He never performed Schumann's Violin Concerto in D minor, which Schumann wrote especially for him, or Dvořák's Violin Concerto in A minor, although Dvořák had earnestly solicited his advice about the piece, dedicated it to him, and would have liked him to premiere it. The most unusual work written for Joachim was the '' F-A-E Sonata'', a collaboration between Schumann, Brahms, and
Albert Dietrich Albert Hermann Dietrich (28 August 182920 November 1908), was a German composer and conductor. In addition to his work, he is remembered for his friendship with Johannes Brahms. Dietrich was born at Golk, near Meissen. From 1851 he studied co ...
, based upon the initials of Joachim's motto, '' Frei aber Einsam'' (which can be translated as "free but lonely", "free but alone", or "free but solitary"). Although the sonata is rarely performed in its entirety, the third movement, the ''Scherzo in C minor'', composed by Brahms, is still frequently played today.


Compositions

Joachim's own compositions are less well known. He gave opus numbers to 14 compositions and composed about an equal number of pieces without opus numbers. Among his compositions are various works for the violin (including three concerti) and
overture Overture (from French language, French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Be ...
s to
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' and '' Henry IV''. He also wrote
cadenza In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and of ...
s for a number of other composers' concerti (including the Beethoven and Brahms concerti). His most highly regarded composition is his '' Hungarian concerto'' (Violin Concerto No 2 in D minor, Op. 11).


List of compositions

Fuller-Maitland, p. 56, lists the 14 pieces with opus numbers, not necessarily with the same details as below. On p. 57 he lists 6 of the 14 pieces given here as WoO, plus the orchestration of the Schubert Grand Duo and the Beethoven and Brahms concerto cadenzas.


Original compositions

* Op. 1, ''Andantino and Allegro scherzoso'', for violin and piano (1848): dedicated to
Joseph Böhm Joseph Böhm ( hu, Böhm József; 4 April 1795 – 28 March 1876) was a Hungarian violinist and a director of the Vienna Conservatory. Life He was born in Pest, to a Jewish family. He was taught by his father and by Pierre Rode. His brother F ...
* Op. 2, Drei Stücke (3 Pieces) for violin or viola and piano, (circa 1848–1852): Romanze, Fantasiestück, Eine Frühlingsfantasie; dedicated to Moritz Hauptmann * Op. 3, Violin Concerto in One Movement, in G minor (1851); dedicated to
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
* Op. 4, ''Hamlet'' Overture (1853); dedicated to Kapelle of Weimar * Op. 5, Three Pieces for Violin and Piano: Lindenrauschen, Abendglocken, Ballade; dedicated to Gisela von Arnim * Op. 6, ''Demetrius'' Overture (1853, to a play by Herman Friedrich Grimm; overture dedicated to Franz Liszt) * Op. 7, ''Henry IV'' Overture (1854) * Op. 8, ''Overture to a Comedy by Gozzi'' (1854); dedicated to Fritz Steinbach. * Op. 9, Hebräische Melodien, nach Eindrücken der Byron'schen Gesänge (Hebrew Melodies, after Impressions of Byron's
Songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...
) for viola and piano (1854–1855) * Op. 10, Variationen über ein eigenes Thema (Variations on an Original Theme) in E major for viola and piano (1854); dedicated to Hermann Grimm. * Op. 11, Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor "in the Hungarian Manner" (1857, published in 1861); dedicated to Johannes Brahms. It is said that the solo violin part of the Hungarian Concerto is very difficult to play. * Op. 12, ''Notturno'' for Violin and Small Orchestra in A major (1858) * WoO, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major (1875) * Op. 13, Elegiac Overture "In Memoriam Heinrich von Kleist" (ca. 1877) * Op. 14, ''Szene der Marfa'' from
Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
's unfinished drama ''Demetrius'' (ca. 1869) * WoO ''Haidenröslein'' Lied for high voice and piano; pub. Verlag des Ungar, 1846. * WoO, ''Ich hab' im Traum geweinet'' for voice and piano, pub. Wigand, 1854. * WoO, ''Scene from Schiller's Demetrius'' (1878) * WoO, ''Rain, rain and sun'', Merlin's Song (Tennyson), pub. C. Kegan & Co., 1880. * WoO, ''Melodrama zu einer Schillergedenkfeier'' (unpublished, autograph in Hamburg Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek) * WoO, Overture in C major (Konzertouvertüre zum Geburtstag des Kaisers) (1896)Fuller-Maitland, 1905, p. 57 * WoO, Two Marches for orchestra, in C and D * WoO, Andantino in A minor, for violin and orchestra (also for violin and piano)Fuller-Maitland, 1905, p. 60 * WoO, Romance in B-flat major, for violin and piano * WoO, Romance in C major, for violin and piano; pub. C. F. Kahnt Nachfolge, Leipzig, 1894. * WoO, String Quartet Movement in C minor * WoO, ''Variationen über ein irisches Elfenlied'' for piano (first publ. by J. Schuberth & Co. Hamburg, 1989. Edited by Michael Struck.) * WoO, Variations for Violin and Orchestra in E minor (ca. 1879); dedicated to
Pablo Sarasate Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (; 10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), commonly known as Pablo de Sarasate, was a Spanish (Navarrese) violin virtuoso, composer and conductor of the Romantic period. His best known works include ...
* WoO, Fantasie über ungarische Motive (ca. 1850); premiered in Weimar under Franz Liszt in October 1850 * WoO, Fantasie über irische chottischeMotive (ca. 1852); premiered in London in May 1852


An orchestration

* In 1855 Joachim orchestrated the Schubert ''Grand Duo'' piano duet into a "Symphony in C."


Cadenzas

* Beethoven, Concerto in D major, Op. 61 * Brahms, Concerto in D major, Op. 77 * Hiller, Concerto in A major, Op.152a * Kreutzer, Concerto No. 19 in D minor * Mozart, Aria from ''Il re pastore'', K. 208, Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216, Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218, and Concerto No. 5 in A major, K. 219 * Rode, Concerto No. 10 in B minor, and Concerto No. 11 in D major * Spohr, Concerto in A minor, Op. 47 (''Gesangsszene'') * Tartini, Sonata in G minor (''Devil's Trill'') * Viotti, Concerto No. 22 in A minor


Recordings of Joachim's compositions

* Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor, Op. 3 ** Suyoen Kim (Violin),
Michael Halász Michael Halász (born 21 May 1938 in Cluj-Napoca) is a German-Hungarian classical conductor. Halász began his musical career as principal bassoonist with the Philharmonia Hungarica in Vienna. After eight years in that position, he studied cond ...
(Conductor), Weimar Staatskapelle, Naxos: 8.570991 * Violin Concerto No. 2 in d minor, Op. 11 "In the Hungarian Style": ** Rachel Barton Pine (Violin), Carlos Kalmar (Conductor),
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...
, Cedille Records: CDR 90000 068
liner notes
** Elmar Oliveira (Violin),
Leon Botstein Leon Botstein (born December 14, 1946 in Zürich, Switzerland) is a Swiss-American conducting, conductor, educator, and scholar serving as the President of Bard College. Biography 1946–1975: Early life, education, and career Botstein was ...
(Conductor),
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
, IMP Masters #: MCD27 **
Aaron Rosand Aaron Rosand (born Aaron Rosen; March 15, 1927 – July 9, 2019) was an American violinist. Life and career Born in Hammond, Indiana, he studied with Leon Sametini at the Chicago Musical College and with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institu ...
(Violin),
Louis de Froment Louis de Froment (; 5 December 192119 August 1994) was a French conductor. Froment was born into a French noble family in Toulouse, and started his musical studies at the city conservatory. He later attended the ''Conservatoire national supérieu ...
(Conductor), Luxembourg Radio/Television Symphony Orchestra, Vox Catalog #: CDX 5102 * Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major **
Takako Nishizaki Takako Nishizaki BBS (born 14 April 1944) is a Japanese violinist. She was the first student to complete the Suzuki Method course, at age nine. Biography Nishizaki went to the United States from Japan in 1962. She first studied with Broadus Er ...
(Violin), Meir Minsky (Conductor),
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR'') was a German radio orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. History The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orches ...
, Marco Polo #: 8.223373, Naxos #: 8.554733 * ''Hamlet'' Overture, Op. 4 **Leon Botstein (Conductor),
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
, IMP Masters #: MCD27 **Mariss Jansons (Conductor),
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra The Oslo Philharmonic (Oslo-Filharmonien) is a Norwegian symphony orchestra based in Oslo, Norway. The orchestra traces its roots to the Philharmonic Society founded in 1847 and the Christiania Musical Association co-founded by Edvard Grieg in 187 ...
, Simax #: PSC 1206 **Meir Minsky (Conductor),
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR'') was a German radio orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. History The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orches ...
, Naxos #: 8.554733 * ''Henry IV'' Overture, Op. 7 **Leon Botstein (Conductor),
London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
, IMP Masters #: MCD27 * ''Elegische Ouvertüre'', Op. 13 **Meir Minsky (Conductor),
Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR'') was a German radio orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. History The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orches ...
, Naxos #: 8.554733 * ''Andantino and Allegro scherzoso'', Op. 1: Andantino ** Marat Bisengaliev (Violin),
John Lenehan 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 ...
(Piano), Naxos #: 8.553026 * ''Drei Stücke für Violine und Pianoforte'', Op. 2 ** Florin Paul (Violin), Birgitta Wollenweber (Piano), Tacet #: 56 * ''Drei Stücke für Violine und Pianoforte'', Op. 5 ** Florin Paul (Violin), Birgitta Wollenweber (Piano), Tacet #: 56 * Notturno in A major, Op. 12 ** Hans Maile (Violin),
Jesus Lopez-Cobos Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
(Conductor),
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (''Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin'') is a German symphony orchestra based in Berlin. In Berlin, the orchestra gives concerts at the Konzerthaus Berlin and at the Berliner Philharmonie. The orchestra has also ...
, Schwann #: CD 11622 * Romance in B-flat major ** Marat Bisengaliev (Violin), John Lenehan (Piano), Naxos #: 8.553026 **
Aaron Rosand Aaron Rosand (born Aaron Rosen; March 15, 1927 – July 9, 2019) was an American violinist. Life and career Born in Hammond, Indiana, he studied with Leon Sametini at the Chicago Musical College and with Efrem Zimbalist at the Curtis Institu ...
(Violin), Hugh Sung (Piano), Biddulph Recordings: LAW 003 * ''Romance in C major'' ** Florin Paul (Violin), Birgitta Wollenweber (Piano), Tacet #: 56 * ''Hebrew melodies'', Op. 9 **Anna Barbara Dütschler (Viola), Marc Pantillon (Piano), Claves #: 9905 * ''Heinrich IV'' Overture, Op. 7 (2 pianos, arr.
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...
) ** Duo Egri-Pertis, Hungaroton #: 32003 * Variations for Viola and Piano, Op. 10 **Numerous recordings * Variations for Violin and Orchestra in e minor **
Vilmos Szabadi Vilmos Szabadi (born 1959) is a Hungarian violinist who has enjoyed an international reputation since the 1980s. In 2020 the ‘Artist of Merit’ prize was given him by the Hungarian Government. In 2018 the Bartók-Pásztory prize was awarded h ...
(Violin), László Kovács (Conductor), North Hungarian Symphony Orchestra, Hungaroton #: 32185 * Variations for Violin and Piano in e minor **
Hagai Shaham Hagai Shaham ( he, חגי שחם, born July 8, 1966) is an Israeli violin virtuoso. He began studying the violin at the age of six and was the last student of the late Professor Ilona Feher. He is also a violin teacher, a professor
(Violin), Arnon Erez (Piano), Hyperion #: CDA 67663 *String Quartet Movement (Quartettsatz) in c minor ** Israel String Quartet, Classic Talent #: B001HADEWI **
Joachim Quartet Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
, Thorofon #: CTH 2120 *WoO, Fantasie über ungarische Motive; Fantasie über irische Motive **Katharina Uhde (Violin), Dennis Friesen-Carper (Conductor), Radio Orchestra Warsaw
Soundset
#SR1122.


Joachim's own discography

* J. S. Bach: Partita for Violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002: 7th movement, Tempo di Bourrée, Pearl Catalog: 9851 (also on Testament (749677132323)). * Brahms: Hungarian Dances (21) for Piano 4 hands, WoO 1: No. 1 in G minor (arr. Joachim), Opal Recordings (also on Testament (749677132323)). * Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 2 in D minor (arr. Joachim), Grammophon Catalogue #047905; HMV, D88. * Joachim: Romance in C major, Op. 20, Pearl Catalog: 9851 Original pressings are single-sided and have a flat red G&T label. Later reeditions have a black G&T label (or, from 1909, a label showing the '
His Master's Voice His Master's Voice (HMV) was the name of a major British record label created in 1901 by The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The phrase was coined in the late 1890s from the title of a painting by English artist Francis Barraud, which depicted a Jack Russ ...
' trade-mark), and those made for the German market are double-sided. A letter preserved in the EMI archives records the stringent conditions Joachim expected for the publicity for his recordings: sensational adverts were to be avoided, with no comparisons between his art and that of other violinists. The letter also stated that "it was only with the greatest difficulty that Professor Joachim was induced to play".


Joachim's students

*
Leopold Auer Leopold von Auer ( hu, Auer Lipót; June 7, 1845July 15, 1930) was a Hungarian violinist, academic, conductor, composer, and instructor. Many of his students went on to become prominent concert performers and teachers. Early life and career Au ...
, violinist and teacher; studied with Joachim in Hanover. Among his many outstanding students were
Mischa Elman Mischa (Mikhail Saulovich) Elman (russian: Михаил Саулович Эльман; January 20, 1891April 5, 1967) was a Russian-born American violinist famed for his passionate style, beautiful tone, and impeccable artistry and musicality. E ...
,
Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...
, and
Nathan Milstein Nathan Mironovich Milstein ( – December 21, 1992) was a Russian-born American virtuoso violinist. Widely considered one of the finest violinists of the 20th century, Milstein was known for his interpretations of Bach's solo violin works and ...
. *
Dora Valesca Becker Dora Valesca Becker (March 7, 1870 – May 19, 1958) was an American violinist. In 1898, she became the first female violinist to play on a musical recording. Early life Dora Valesca Becker was born in Galveston, Texas and raised in New York, ...
(1870–1958) * Hugo Leichtentritt *
Aylmer Buesst Aylmer Buesst (28 January 18833 January 1970) was an Australian conductor, teacher and scholar, who spent his career in the United Kingdom. He was mainly associated with opera and vocal music. He also wrote a work on the leitmotifs in Richard Wagn ...
* Willy Burmester * Carl Courvoisier (1846–1908), author of ''Technics of Violin Playing on Joachim's Method'', London: The Strad Library, No. I, 1894. * Bram Eldering (1865–1943), Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic under
Hans von Bülow Freiherr Hans Guido von Bülow (8 January 1830 – 12 February 1894) was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. As one of the most distinguished conductors of the 19th century, his activity was critical for es ...
; Concertmaster of the Meininger Hofkapelle *
Adila Fachiri Adila Fachiri (26 February 188615 December 1962) was a Hungary, Hungarian violinist who had an international career but made her home in England. She was the sister of the violinist Jelly d'Arányi. Born Adila Arányi de Hunyadvár in Budapest, her ...
, Joachim's great-niece * F. Fleischhauer (born 1834), Hofconcertmeister in Meiningen *
Sam Franko Sam Franko (January 20, 1857 – May 6, 1937) was an American violinist and conductor. He was the brother of violinist, conductor and concert promoter Nahan Franko. A native of New Orleans, Franko studied the violin in Europe, working with J ...
* Richard Gompertz (born 1859), professor of violin at the Royal College of Music, London * Jakob Moritz Grũn, born in Pest, 1837; Joachim resigned a position to protest his non-advancement for being Jewish. Has an article in German Wikipedia. * Karel (Carl) Halíř (1859–1909), Bohemian violinist, member of the Joachim Quartet * Willy Hess * Gustav Hille * Richard Himmelstoß (born 1843), Concertmaster in Breslau *
Theodore Holland Theodore Samuel Holland, OBE (25 April 1878 – 29 October 1947), was a British composer and academic. Born in Wimbledon, Holland attended Westminster School and then the Royal College of Music, where his composition teacher was Frederick Corder. ...
(1878–1947), British composer and teacher. * Gustav Holländer (born 1855), solo violinist * Rebecca Wilder Holmes (1871–1953), American violinist and music professor at
Smith College Smith College is a private liberal arts women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite women's coll ...
* Jenő Hubay, Hungarian violinist, composer *
Bronisław Huberman Bronisław Huberman (19 December 1882 – 16 June 1947) was a Polish violinist. He was known for his individualistic interpretations and was praised for his tone color, expressiveness, and flexibility. The '' Gibson ex-Huberman Stradivarius'' ...
*
Karl Klingler Karl Klingler (7 December 1879 – 18 March 1971) was a German violinist, concertmaster, composer, music teacher and lecturer. Life Early years Karl Klingler was born in Strasbourg, at that time in Germany, the fifth of his parents' six re ...
, violinist of the Klingler Quartet and Joachim's successor at the Berlin Hochschule; Klingler was the teacher of Shinichi Suzuki. * Iosif Kotek (1855–1885), Russian violinist * Hans Letz, Concertmaster of the Theodore Thomas Orchestra * , Concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. * Charles Martin Loeffler (1861–1935) * Martin Marsick * Pietro Melani * Waldemar J. Meyer (1853–1940) * Bernardo V. Moreira de Sá (1853–1924), Portuguese violinist and teacher; director of the "Conservatório de Música do Porto"; director and founder of the "Orpheon Portuense"; studied with Joachim in Berlin *
Andreas Moser Andreas Moser (29 November 1859 – 7 October 1925) was a German musician, music pedagogue and musicologist. Early life and education Born in Zemun, Syrmia, Austrian Empire, Moser was the son of a winegrower and smoker from Upper Austria. As ...
(1859–1925), violinist and assistant to Joachim; Moser wrote the first biography of Joachim, Moser (1901), on Joachim's life up through 1899. He helped recover original scores of J.S. Bach's ''Sonate e Partite per violino solo'', and collaborated with Joachim on numerous editions. * Tivadar Nachéz (1859–1930) * Johannes Palaschko (1877–1932) * Henri Petri, Concertmaster in Leipzig * Lili Petschnikoff (1874–1957), American violinist * Maximilian Pilzer, Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic (1915–1917), * Enrico Polo (1868–1953), Italian violinist, violist, pedagogue *
Maud Powell Minnie "Maud" Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity. Biography Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bengelstraet ...
, American violinist * Willibald Richter (1860–1929), German-born English pianist, organist and teacher; student, friend and accompanist of Joachim; student of Haupt, Lebert, Liszt, Mischalek and Oscar; founded College of Music at Leicester * Camillo Ritter, teacher of leading violist William Primrose * Ernst Schiever (1844-1915), Leader of the Richter Orchestra, member of the original Joachim Quartet (1869-1871) * Ossip Schnirlin (? – 1937) * Emily Shinner * Axel Skovgaard * Maria Soldat-Röger * Theodore Spiering, American violinist; born in St. Louis, lived in Chicago; Concertmaster (1909–1911) of New York Philharmonic * Kemp Stillings (1888–1967), American violinist, music teacher *
Agnes Tschetschulin Agnes Tschetschulin (24 February 1859 – 23 April 1942) was a Finnish composer and violinist who toured internationally. Tschetschulin was born in Helsinki to Feodor and Hilda Eckstein Tschetschulin. She had three sisters: Maria, Melanie, and E ...
* Franz von Vecsey, studied with Hubay, then Joachim; dedicatee of the Sibelius violin concerto * Alfred Wittenberg Other pupils may be mentioned by
Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski Wilhelm Joseph von Wasielewski (17 June 1822 – 13 December 1896) was a German violinist, conductor, and musicologist. Life Wasielewski was born on 17 June 1822 in the village of Groß-Leesen (Polish: Leźno), near Danzig as the eighth of el ...
in his "Die Violine und Ihre Meister".


Joachim's instruments

Most, but not all, of the many violins (and two violas) Joachim is said to have had during his career are shown on the website of
Tarisio Auctions Tarisio Auctions is a web-based auction house that specializes in string instruments and bows. Founded in 1999 with locations in New York and London, it provides a service to clients around the world. Locations Tarisio's New York offices and galle ...
, cozio.com. Further information, in German, is in the article by Kamlah (2013). * His first (full-size) violin was a Guarneri Filius Andreae 1703, which he gave to Felix Schumann after he acquired his first
Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the violins, violas, cellos and other string instruments built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), during the 17th and 18th centuries. They are c ...
. * A violin, the ''ex-Joachim'' Stradivarius of 1715 is currently held by the Collezione Civica del Comune di
Cremona Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of the ...
. It was presented to Joachim on the occasion of his Jubilee celebration in 1889. * The Ex Joachim, Joseph Vieland Viola by
Gasparo da Salò Gasparo da Salò (20 May 154214 April 1609) is the name given to Gasparo Bertolotti, one of the earliest violin makers and an expert double bass player. Around 80 of his instruments are known to have survived to the present day: violins (smal ...
, Brescia, before 1609 is held by the Shrine to Music No. 3368. * A Johannes Theodorus Cuypers anno 1807 was bought by Joachim in the mid 19th century and taken on tour throughout Europe. There is also evidence that the instrument was played by Joachim in a recital in Paris a half century later, in 1895. The same instrument was also played by Fritz Kreisler in a 1955 Carnegie Hall concert.


Cultural references

The English poet
Robert Bridges Robert Seymour Bridges (23 October 1844 – 21 April 1930) was an English poet who was Poet Laureate from 1913 to 1930. A doctor by training, he achieved literary fame only late in life. His poems reflect a deep Christian faith, and he is ...
wrote a
sonnet A sonnet is a poetic form that originated in the poetry composed at the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in the Sicilian city of Palermo. The 13th-century poet and notary Giacomo da Lentini is credited with the sonnet's inventio ...
about Joachim in his first major work of poetry ''The Growth of Love''.


Notes


Sources

* Leopold Auer, 1923, ''My long Life in Music'', F. A. Stokes, New York * Styra Avins, "Joachim, Joseph", in ''The Oxford Companion to Music'', ed. Alison Latham, Oxford University Press, 2002, pp. 637–638, * Ute Bär, "Sie wissen ja, wie gerne ich, selbst öffentlich, mit Ihnen musicire! Clara Schumann und Joseph Joachim", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 1, nr. 3, July 2007, 247–257. *
Otto Biba Otto Biba (born 9 August 1946) is an Austrian musicologist and archive director of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Career Born in Vienna, after studying history and musicology (doctorate University of Vienna in 1974), Biba has bee ...
, "'Ihr Sie hochachtender, dankbarer Schüler Peppi', Joseph Joachims Jugend im Spiegel bislang unveröffentlicher Briefe", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 1, nr. 3, July 2007, 200–204. * Nora Bickley, selector and translator, ''Letters From and To Joseph Joachim'', with a preface by J. A. Fuller-Maitland, New York: Vienna House, 1972. *
Beatrix Borchard Beatrix Borchard (born 1950) is a German musicologist and author. The focus of her publications is the life and work of female and male musicians, such as Clara and Robert Schumann, Amalie and Joseph Joachim, Pauline Viardot-Garcia, and Adriana ...
, ''Stimme und Geige: Amalie und Joseph Joachim, Biographie und Interpretationsgeschichte'', Wien, Köln, Weimar, Böhlau Verlag, 2005. * Beatrix Borchard, "Groß-männlich-deutsch? Zur Rolle Joseph Joachims für das deutsche Musikleben in der Wilhelminischen Zeit", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 1, nr. 3, July 2007, 218–231. *
Siegfried Borris Siegfried Borris (born Siegfried Jakob Boris Zuckermann; 4 November 1906 – 23 August 1987) was a German composer, musicologist and music educator. He became a lecturer at the Musikhochschule Berlin in 1929, but his career was interrupted durin ...
, "Joseph Joachim zum 65. Todestag", ''Oesterreichische Musikzeitschrift'' XXVII (June 1972): 352–355. * Margaret Campbell, 1981, ''The Great Violinists'', Doubleday, Garden City, New York. (Has a chapter on Joachim) * F. G. E., "Joseph Joachim", ''
The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer ...
'', 48/775 (1 September 1907): 577–583. * Robert W. Eshbach, "Der Geigerkönig: Joseph Joachim as Performer", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 1, nr. 3, July 2007, 205–217. * Robert W. Eshbach, "Verehrter Freund! Liebes Kind! Liebster Jo! Mein einzig Licht. Intimate letters in Brahms's Freundeskreis", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 2, nr. 2, April 2008, 178–193 * Robert W. Eshbach, "Joachims Jugend", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 5, nr. 2, April 2011, 176–190. * Robert W. Eshbach, "Joachim's Youth – Joachim's Jewishness", ''
The Musical Quarterly ''The Musical Quarterly'' is the oldest academic journal on music in America. Originally established in 1915 by Oscar Sonneck, the journal was edited by Sonneck until his death in 1928. Sonneck was succeeded by a number of editors, including Ca ...
'', vol. 94, no. 4, Winter 2011, 548–592 * J. A. Fuller-Maitland, ''Joseph Joachim'', London & New York: John Lane, 1905, a Google Books; repr. Bibliobazaar, 2010, public domain * Johannes Joachim and Andreas Moser (eds.), ''Briefe von und an Joseph Joachim'', 3 vols., Berlin: Julius Bard, 1911–1913 *
Hans Gál Hans Gál OBE (5 August 1890 – 3 October 1987) was an Austrian composer, pedagogue, musicologist, and author, who emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1938. Life Gál was born to a Jewish family in the small village of Brunn am Gebirge, Low ...
, ''Johannes Brahms: His Work and Personality'', transl. from German by Joseph Stein, Knopf, New York, 1971. * Ruprecht Kamlah, Joseph Joachims Guarneri-Geigen, Eine Untersuchung im Hinblick auf die Familie Wittgenstein, Wiener Geschichtsblätter 2013, Vol. 1, , posted on "Joseph Joachim: Biography and Research", 2015. * Ruprecht Kamlah, "Joseph Joachims Geigen, Ihre Geschichten und Spieler, besonders der Sammler Wilhelm Kux, Palm und Enke, Erlangen 2018, , 230 pages. *
Adolph Kohut Adolph Kohut (10 November 1848 – 21 or 22 November 1917) was a German-Hungarian journalist, literature and cultural historian, biographer, recitator and translator from Hungarian origin. Life Born in Mindszent, Kohut was born as one of thir ...
, ''Josef Joachim. Ein Lebens- und Künstlerbild. Festschrift zu seinem 60. Geburtstage, am 28. Juni 1891'', Berlin: A. Glas, 1891. * Berthold Litzmann, 1913, ''Clara Schumann: An Artist's Life based on material found in Diaries and Letters'', Translated from the fourth German edition by Grace E. Hadow, MacMillan, London. *
Brigitte Massin Brigitte Massin (21 July 1927 – 5 December 2002) was a French musicologist and journalist. With her husband Jean Massin, she published numerous works on music. Brigitte Massin is the mother of Béatrice Massin, a specialist of Baroque dance. ...
, ''Les Joachim: Une Famille de Musiciens'', Paris: Fayard, 1999. * Andreas Moser (ed.), ''Johannes Brahms im Briefwechsel mit Joseph Joachim'', 2nd ed., Berlin: Deutsche Brahms-Gesellschaft, 1912. * Andreas Moser, ''Joseph Joachim: Ein Lebensbild'', 2 vols. Berlin: Verlag der Deutschen Brahms-Gesellschaft, vol. 1: 1908; vol. 2: 1910. (Published after the following translation, so must be a revised edition?) * Andreas Moser, ''Joseph Joachim: A Biography (1831–1899)'', translated by Lilla Durham, introduction by J. A. Fuller-Maitland, London: Philip Wellby, 1901. (Published during Joachim's lifetime) * Hans Joachim Moser, ''Joseph Joachim'', Sechsundneunzigstes Neujahrsblatt der Allgemeinen Musikgesellschaft in Zürich, Zürich & Leipzig: Hug & Co., 1908 * Anne Russell, "Joachim", '' The Etude'', (December 1932) 884–885. * Dietmar Schenk, "Aus einer Gründerzeit: Joseph Joachim, die Berliner Hochschule für Musik und der deutsch-französische Krieg", ''Die Tonkunst'', vol. 1, nr. 3, July 2007, 232–246. * Michael Steinberg, ''The Concerto: A Listener's Guide'', Oxford University Press, 1998, * Barrett Stoll, ''Joseph Joachim: Violinist, Pedagogue, and Composer'', Ph.D. Diss., Univ. of Iowa, 1978. * Karl Storck, ''Joseph Joachim: Eine Studie'', Leipzig: Hermann Seemann Nachfolger, n.d. * Robert Stowell, Ed., ''Cambridge Companion to the String Quartet'', Cambridge University Press, 2003. * Jan Swafford, ''Johannes Brahms: A Biography'', Knopf and Vintage Books, 1997. * Katharina Uhde, "Rediscovering Joseph Joachim’s ‘Hungarian’ and ‘Irish’ ��Scottish’fantasias.", In: ''The Musical Times'', 158/1941 (Winter 2017): 75–99. * Katharina Uhde, ''The Music of Joseph Joachim'', Boydell & Brewer, 2018. * Katharina Uhde, ed., ''Joseph Joachim, Fantasy on Hungarian Themes (1850), Fantasy on Irish cottishThemes (1852) for Violin and Orchestra''
Bärenreiter
2018. *Katharina Uhde, "An Unknown Beethoven Cadenza by Joseph Joachim: 'Dublin 1852'", ''The Musical Quarterly'', Vol. 103, Issue 3-4 (Fall-Winter 2020): 394–424. * Gerhard Winkler (ed.) "Geigen-Spiel-Kunst: Joseph Joachim und der 'Wahre' Fortschritt", ''Burgenländische Heimatblätter'', vol. 69, nr. 2, 2007. *
Klaus Martin Kopitz Klaus Martin Kopitz (born January 29, 1955, Stendal) is a German composer and musicologist. He became known in particular with his album ''Mia Brentano's Hidden Sea. 20 songs for 2 pianos''. In the United States, US, it was 2018 on the annual "W ...
(ed.), ''Briefwechsel Robert und Clara Schumanns mit Joseph Joachim und seiner Familie'', 2 vols. (= ''Schumann-Briefedition'', series II, vol. 2), Köln: Dohr, 2019,


External links


Joseph Joachim — Biography and Research.
*
Joseph Joachim's autograph and handwritten note to Marianne Scharwenka
(Violinist and wife of Philipp Scharwenka) * * * *

*
Guide to the Joseph Joachim Collection
at the
Leo Baeck Institute, New York The Leo Baeck Institute New York (LBI) is a research institute in New York City dedicated to the study of German-Jewish history and culture, founded in 1955. It is one of three independent research centers founded by a group of German-speaking J ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Joachim, Joseph 1831 births 1907 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century classical violinists 19th-century conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century conductors (music) 20th-century Hungarian male musicians Hungarian Romantic composers Hungarian classical composers Hungarian classical violinists Hungarian conductors (music) Hungarian male classical composers Hungarian Jewish musicians Child classical musicians Concertmasters Deaths from actinomycosis Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society Jewish classical composers Jewish classical violinists Male classical violinists Male conductors (music) Musicians from Hanover Oberlander Jews People from Neusiedl am See District Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni