Carl Friedrich Abel 1723-1787

Carl Friedrich took after his father musically, and thus took up both instruments as well, he became the premier gamba player of all times, and was held in high esteem for this, almost on an equal plain as for his compositions. His father taught him musical theory, and it is quite possible (though not proven) that J. S. Bach in Leipzig supervised his further studies along these lines. Carl Friedrich's life and that of the Bach's remained intertwined practically his whole life. W. F. Bach was organist at Dresden when Abel received an appointment there as court gamba player in 1743. Both were on station there for 15 years. J. C. Bach (the "London" Bach) became a very close associate of Abel when they were both in London later on.

War came to that part of Europe eventually due to the Seven Years War and the armies of Frederick the Great practically destroyed Dresden in 1757-58. With no court or orchestra to sustain him, Abel took his talent on the gamba out on tour, and via Frankfurt, Mannheim and Paris; he eventually arrived in London, home to many expatriate Germans of the times. By now, he had added harpsichord playing to his performing skills and was composing his own works.

Fourteen days prior to Handel's death, Abel announced his arrival in London with his first concert on 27 March 1759. This was a success as were so many others that followed. As well, he began selling his compositions to increase his income. His gamba playing with its adagio melody and his increasing symphonic and chamber styles from the start received high praise. In a short period of time, he was admitted to English society, then received the royal privilege to print his own music in London, and finally was named to the post of Royal Chamber Musician to Queen Charlotte. His works were usually published in sets of six (standard for the time) and covered the field of instrumental music: chamber music (trios, solo sonatas, string quartets), concerti for flute, piano and gamba, and symphonies.

Linking up with Johann Christian Bach, who had, as well, made the move to London, they planned to produce a series of concerts, featuring both of them as performers playing (mostly) their own works, which of course could be bought from the main music purveyors in England. Originally planned as just a series of concerts for the year 1765, these public subscription concerts (the Bach-Abel Concerts) gained great renown and became a yearly musical event from 1765 to 1782. At the start, they hired halls, but from 1774 on, they used their own premises, acquired out of the profits they acquired from the concert series. Apart from these public concerts, Bach and Abel organized regular private court music events and also concerts for the benefit of other musicians. While it has always been noted that Mozart was one of the first independent entrepreneurs in music, it can be seen that Abel was likely amongst THE first, and more successful, to boot. Certainly things were going well enough that by the 1770's he was able to spend considerable time in Paris every year doing business, as well as relaxing.

As displaced Germans, Bach and Abel offered opportunities to other foreign musicians coming to London to get established, either as performers at the concerts, or as published composers via Abel's publishing set-up. So, when the Mozart family arrived on tour in London, it may have been Bach that the young Mozart bonded to, but Abel was the one instrumental in providing contacts and helping Leopold with the business of setting up concerts and musical displays. As well, it should be noted that Wolfgang copied out Abel's Symphony Opus 7 No. 6 for closer study. Hence, for decades this work was believed to be by Mozart, so well did it accord with the young Wolfgang's style. Or, of course, did young Mozart's style derive from the older Abel, who was really a direct contemporary of Leopold rather than that of Wolfgang?

This is a more important point than one might suspect, for Abel was not just a successful musical businessman selling tasteful and "pretty" music. While the music did have these traits, there was also much critical praise for it. By 1770, Abel was being described as a composer who "…has created quite a sensation with his music." His music was further described as being composed with remarkable ease and skill. Finally, it was said that "…Abel sets the tone in the musical world" in that musicians and critics across Europe spoke of "Abelian music." This latter quote basically meaning that Abel was one of the main composers pulling music out of the Baroque/Rococo eras into the more "modern" Classical era. Dr. Charles Burney, in his General History of Music (1789) reported "…the knowledge Abel had acquired…of every part of musical science rendered him the umpire of all musical controversies, and caused him to be consulted on many difficult points." It may then be no wonder that the young Mozart was attracted to this stylistic "movement" and thus picked it up so well. Well enough so that a comparison of both composers' works of the time shows very little difference in display. Again, another reason why the musical personages of the time were so amazed with the young Mozart, who was able to keep pace with a trend-setting musical master such as Abel.

Abel's later years were a warm glow of semi-retirement. The Bach-Abel concerts ended in 1782, and Abel left England for Potsdam, at the invitation of Prince Wilhelm, heir to the throne of Prussia. He worked some in France and for various German courts on his journey to Potsdam, where he stayed from 1784-86, composing several concerti and four last symphonies. These last four, while as good as any he had penned in the past, were regretfully equal to those of the past, as Mozart, Haydn, Vanhal and Stamitz (to name a few) had advanced the science of music beyond where he could or would go. Also, Abel had apparently developed a drinking problem along with some health issues, and so his musical vitality appears to have waned. Returning to London, he once again turned to organizing concerts, both public and benefit ones, still performing at them on the gamba; the last performance occurring less than one month before his death in 1787.

He was the last great gamba player in Europe at his death. By this time, the instrument, played for 300 years, was fast losing its importance in the musical world. One of Abel's obituaries in London strongly regretted the loss of a much-appreciated artist, and predicted the death of his chosen instrument as well, which of course came to pass. Abel left behind over two hundred compositions, including 16 various concerti, eighteen string quartets, twenty-four trios for various instruments and forty-six symphonies, nearly all of which were published across Europe.

Music Suggestions:

CPO CD 999207 Symphonies Opus 10 No. 1-6
CPO CD 999208 Flute Concerti Opus 6 No. 1-6
CPO CD 999214 Symphonies Opus 17 No. 1-6
Denon CO 75659 Viola da Gamba Solo Recital

Sources:

Gutman, Robert Mozart: A Cultural Biography Harcourt Brace & Co. New York 1999

Sadie, Stanley (Ed.) The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians 2^nd Edition Groves Dictionaries, New York 2000

Material from the liner notes to the above CD sets