Less technical, but some passages relevant to characterization, both set at Ruppin, immediately after Küstrin:
Blanning: "It was also at Ruppin that Frederick was able to devote to music the attention he believed it deserved. Music for him was much more than an agreeable recreation and something to entertain the private man in moments of leisure. Throughout his life, he saw it as an integral part of who he was and what he did. He identified himself with Apollo, the charismatic protector of scholarship and art in general and music in particular. It was an identification which ran through his work as a leitmotif. 15 In 1738 he wrote an eloquent letter to the Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, stressing the centrality of music to a true nobleman’s existence and his active life. He contrasted this with those contemptible Spanish nobles who believed idleness to be the true mark of gentility. Music, Frederick maintained, was unique in its ability to communicate emotions and speak to the soul."
MacDonogh: "He wanted music too, and the best. Frederick was still in contact with Quantz, and through the flautist he heard about the brothers Franz and Johann Benda, who had been in the king of Poland’s service. The Bendas, Bohemian Protestants, were among the greatest virtuosi of the day. The violinist Franz arrived in Ruppin in April 1734, and tells in his autobiography the story of his engagement in Frederick’s little orchestra. Benda rented a room in the town. On the 17th he was practising when the king [note that he was still Crown Prince at the time] came by with some friends. 'They stopped in their tracks, listened for a while and then sent someone up to ask who I was. I immediately went downstairs and presented myself. His Majesty commanded me to come to him that evening where he graciously accompanied me himself on the piano. With that I entered his service.’
"He served Frederick for fifty-three years in all, eventually taking over the job of Konzertmeister from Johann Gottlieb Graun, who had the advantage of having been a pupil of Tartini and Pisendel. 180 Until the composer Carl Heinrich Graun arrived as part of Elisabeth’s dowry, Franz Benda had also to sing tenor. Frederick was putting together a proper ensemble with three more violins, two viola players (one was Johann Georg Benda), a cellist, a horn player, a flautist (Fredersdorf), a harpist, a theorbo, a viol and a harpsichord player. Although musicians all over Europe were getting the message, the king was not to know about Frederick’s orchestra. If one of his spies arrived in Ruppin, Frederick sent out the hunt, and the informer naturally went with it. From time to time he was obliged to hear concerts in the woods or in an underground vault [Future PTSD alert]. Quantz was still on the scene; he was giving Wilhelmina flute lessons too, and was used as a secret go-between."
Re: The emails
Sent: Dec 2
Less technical, but some passages relevant to characterization, both set at Ruppin, immediately after Küstrin:
Blanning: "It was also at Ruppin that Frederick was able to devote to music the attention he believed it deserved. Music for him was much more than an agreeable recreation and something to entertain the private man in moments of leisure. Throughout his life, he saw it as an integral part of who he was and what he did. He identified himself with Apollo, the charismatic protector of scholarship and art in general and music in particular. It was an identification which ran through his work as a leitmotif. 15 In 1738 he wrote an eloquent letter to the Count of Schaumburg-Lippe, stressing the centrality of music to a true nobleman’s existence and his active life. He contrasted this with those contemptible Spanish nobles who believed idleness to be the true mark of gentility. Music, Frederick maintained, was unique in its ability to communicate emotions and speak to the soul."
MacDonogh: "He wanted music too, and the best. Frederick was still in contact with Quantz, and through the flautist he heard about the brothers Franz and Johann Benda, who had been in the king of Poland’s service. The Bendas, Bohemian Protestants, were among the greatest virtuosi of the day. The violinist Franz arrived in Ruppin in April 1734, and tells in his autobiography the story of his engagement in Frederick’s little orchestra. Benda rented a room in the town. On the 17th he was practising when the king [note that he was still Crown Prince at the time] came by with some friends. 'They stopped in their tracks, listened for a while and then sent someone up to ask who I was. I immediately went downstairs and presented myself. His Majesty commanded me to come to him that evening where he graciously accompanied me himself on the piano. With that I entered his service.’
"He served Frederick for fifty-three years in all, eventually taking over the job of Konzertmeister from Johann Gottlieb Graun, who had the advantage of having been a pupil of Tartini and Pisendel. 180 Until the composer Carl Heinrich Graun arrived as part of Elisabeth’s dowry, Franz Benda had also to sing tenor. Frederick was putting together a proper ensemble with three more violins, two viola players (one was Johann Georg Benda), a cellist, a horn player, a flautist (Fredersdorf), a harpist, a theorbo, a viol and a harpsichord player. Although musicians all over Europe were getting the message, the king was not to know about Frederick’s orchestra. If one of his spies arrived in Ruppin, Frederick sent out the hunt, and the informer naturally went with it. From time to time he was obliged to hear concerts in the woods or in an underground vault [Future PTSD alert]. Quantz was still on the scene; he was giving Wilhelmina flute lessons too, and was used as a secret go-between."