Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 20

[cahn]

Yuletide signups so far:
3 requests for Frederician RPF, 2 offers
2 requests for Circle of Voltaire RPF, 3 offers !! :D :D

(I am so curious as to who the third person is!)

Comments

Re: Concertmasters

[selenak]

LOL, yes. Re: why Heinrich despite enthusiasm and practice never got better than avarage, I'm going with:

But in the era where nobility was expected to do some music, maybe it means "not able to be favorably compared with a virtuoso," which is a much higher bar.)

Especially since both Fritz and Heinrich had some true virtuoso musicians at their respective courts. Now if Heinrich had been actively bad or not pleasant to listen to, I think it would have been mentioned (he wasn't Nero, demanding praise, with lack of same getting punishment, and he didn't have the power to do this, either), and as, say, Gertrud Elisabeth Schmeling Mara does not mention Heinrich himself playing when she was at Rheinsberg, during the summer of Ulrike's visit, nor do any of the Russians mention him doing so when he was visiting Catherine in Russia, I'm assuming that at least in his middle age and old age, he reserved playing himself for the more intimate settings, not the big public occasions. Otoh, Heinrich as a lively music loving ten years old might not have had any inhibitions (especially if Dad wasn't around), no matter how good or bad his own playing skill was. But, like I said: I'm rserving judgment until I know what Proebst's source for this story was; that it doesn't show up in Ziebura, who went with a fine comb through all the childhood stuff for the princes, makes me sceptic.

Thank you for the article, that was very interesting to read.