The DSQ Gazette The Official Publication of the Diderot String Quartet November 1797 Friedrich Wilhelm II DEAD at 53 Patron of the Arts, Lover to Many, leaves behind political challenges, at home and abroad BERLIN, 1797 – After an eleven-year reign, increasing concern with his Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia, was fun-loving and undisciplined relieved of his duties by our Creator. n e p h e w ’s q u e s t i o n a b l e After months of deteriorating health, His suitability for the throne early Majesty passed away peacefully in the on. Frederick having no chambers of his residence in Berlin. children, it was nonetheless Popular among the common the 14-year-old Friedrich people for his reform of the French Wilhelm II who became heir- taxation system, increased freedom of presumptive upon the death religion, the building of roads and canals, of his father, Prince Augustus and among intellectuals for lifting the ban Wilhelm, in 1758. Friedrich on the public usage of the German Wilhelm II took the throne in language, Friedrich Wilhelm II made his 1786, and was only partially mark above all in the realm of the Arts. able to disprove his uncle’s He is responsible for some of the predictions. His initial grandest architecture our state has seen, popularity was superficial and such as the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin his weakness as a leader apparent, ! and the Marmorpalais in Potsdam, which especially in external affairs. will undoubtedly bare witness to the It is no secret that the King Royal magnificence of our time for centuries to brought more than made up for his come. A music-lover and excellent player lackluster political leadership in his of the violoncello himself, he lured some personal life. His first marriage (1765-69), Treasures of the world’s finest and most revered dissolved after 4 years, was followed by a musicians to his court and is the second to Friederike Luise of Hessen- Unveiled! dedicatee of hundreds of works by Darmstadt (1770-97), with whom he had composers including Carl Friedrich Abel, seven children. While the King tolerated Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang these marriages, imposed by his uncle, Friedrich Wilhelm II’s impact on Amadé Mozart. Before even climbing the Friedrich Wilhelm’s true life-long love was the Music World possibly even royal throne, Friedrich Wilhelm II his mistress Wilhelmine Encke, daughter bigger than expected appointed fellow cellist Luigi Boccherini, of one of Frederick’s court musicians. It ! hailing from Lucca but active in Madrid, was she who accompanied him on most The deceased king's personal archives Preußischer Hofkompositeur after hearing of his travels and inspired him to have a were recently inventoried by his son, the some of his works performed at court. castle built for her on the Pfaueninsel. new King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm III. Though Maestro Boccherini never made Meanwhile, in addition to keeping further Amongst the trinkets (both expected and it to Berlin himself, he continued until this mistresses of shamefully low standing, unexpected) of considerable monetary year to send to the care of His Majesty the King entered two morganatic worth, the new king uncovered a small twelve works of chamber music every marriages to Elisabeth Amalie ("Julie") library's worth of personal year, along with affectionately humble von Voß (1766-89) and Sophie Juliane correspondences, many of them letters letters signed “compositor di camera di S. Friedericke, Countess of Dönhoff (1790– sent from artists for whom Friedrich M. il Re di Prussia”. Just last year, 97). All in all, Friedrich Wilhelm spawned Wilhelm II had been a benefactor. We are Friedrich Wilhelm II opened his doors to a total of at least 20 children, though only delighted to present the contents of a certain Ludwig van Beethoven, a young around 12 survived past childhood. three such letters, each from the pen of a p i a n i s t a n d c o m p o s e r g a i n i n g Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of highly regarded musician, that Friedrich prominence in Vienna. Upon his visit, Mr. Prussia from 1786 until 1797, will be put Wilhelm III has generously permitted us Beethoven is supposed to have joined to rest in the Berliner Dom. His first-born to view and to copy. Enjoy, loyal the King’s orchestra as violist, while son from his marriage with Friederike subscribers! Page A2 working with the brothers Jean-Pierre Luise, Friedrich Wilhelm III, succeeds to ! and Jean-Louis Duport on his Opus 5, the throne, setting out to quickly repair DSQ Liaison to the Royal Prussian Palace two cello sonatas dedicated to the king. what he considers to be the disparate Kyle Miller The political reign of Friedrich state in which his father leaves Prussia Wilhelm II was not an uncontroversial behind. one. Frederick the Great, his predecessor ! in the throne and uncle, took him in at DSQ Foreign Correspondent age 3 in a prolonged effort to form the Paul Dwyer next king and openly expressed an ! Royal Correspondence with Musicians Unveiled continued from front page 29 February 1784 19 December 1787 Your Most Highest Exalted Crown Princeship, My Splendid, Magnificent, Ebullient, Unimpeachable, I would like to extend my deepest, sincerest gratitude to you for Kingly Liege, your generous hospitality during my recent stay at your princely court in Potsdam. Although I was only a short journey's distance First, I would like to congratulate you on your recent and most- from my birthplace of Köthen, I swear that I felt more at home deserved royal appointment. How excellent! on your elegant estate than I ever would have in that other town. Second, I would like to thank you for the special gift you sent to me I keep the marvelous gold snuff-box that you gave me close to my in April. I was honored to send a copy of my Parisian symphonies breast; and you may rest soundly, knowing that your gift of 100 to you, and I hope that they brought great mirth upon your court. louis d'ors was put to excellent use. Your praise for my bass-viol playing is the highest compliment I shall ever receive. I hope that Today is the day that my dear friends at the Artaria printing firm in the symphonies I left for you bring you even greater pleasure than Vienna had promised they would publish my latest batch of six did those Opus 15 string quartets I dedicated to you four years string quartets. I am rather miffed indeed that they have not ago. fulfilled their end of the agreement, especially given that my fee This day is bittersweet because precisely two decades ago, Johann was much lower than usual, and I can only hope that they get their Christian Bach and I gave our first concert together in London. act together by the time this missive reaches your royal eyes. They While Johann Christian's tragic death and the regrettable have their undies all knotted up because I've already sold printing termination of our long-lived concert series have dampened my rights for the same opus to William Forster in London. Now those spirits of late, I do look forward to my return to London after Artaria goons tell me that they want to distribute the quartets in these two years on the continent. London occupies a special place London through their own affiliates. Why are they muddying the in my heart. It was there, too, that I met the precocious Wolfgang waters by dipping their feet into what should be separate markets!? Amadeus Mozart. Twenty years ago, Johann Christian and I had I swear that they wish to turn my hair whiter than it already is. acted as mentors to Amadeus during his stay in London. I should mention that I have dedicated these six particular quartets Well, enough with the diversions. Please excuse my nostalgic to you. It is the very least that I can do given your most generous ramblings. patronage. I am certain you will be pleased to find that one of the Most humbly yours, movements begins with a lush cello solo, accompanied by only the viola. Have fun with that one! While these quartets are indeed the Carl Friedrich Abel fruits of my own mind, I cannot help but point out that the brilliance of that wunderkind Wolfgang Amadé Mozart has 12 June 1790 certainly laid a stamp on the opus. I shall not forget my trip to Vienna nearly three years ago, when I had the pleasure of playing To the King Whose Intellect is the Brightest and Whose Mozart's own string quartets that he had so kindly dedicated to me. Teeth are the Whitest, May your crown be ever polished to a sheen, What's going on, my man!? I was JUST thinking about you. I wrote to my generous friend Puchberg today to tell him what I'm Joseph Haydn about to tell you, and I hope that the news doesn't knock you out of your throne. Are you ready? Okay, so do you remember that set o six string quartets I'd mentioned at one point? The ones I was planning to dedicate to WEATHER you and have engraved at my own expense here in Vienna? Well, that's not happening anymore. I'M SORRY. Today’s Forecast Here's the humble truth: I simply don't have the cash to follow through with the project. I had high hopes and lofty dreams, but I need to put food in my mouth, you know what I mean? I hope Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-87) that Puchberg can dig me out of this particular ditch – he’s been String quartet in G major, Op.