Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1979 Amateur Instrumental Music in America, 1765 to 1810. Benjamin Richard Compton Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Compton, Benjamin Richard, "Amateur Instrumental Music in America, 1765 to 1810." (1979). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3329. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3329 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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Ml 48106 18 BEDFORD ROW, LONDON WC1 R 4EJ, ENGLAND Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 7921959 COMPTON, BgNJAMJN RICHARD AMATEUR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN AMERICA, 1765 TO 1810. THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVER8ITY AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COL., PH.D., 1979 COPR, 1979 COMPTON, BENJAMIN RICHARD University Microfilms In ternational 300N. ZEEB ROAD, ANN ARBOR, Ml 48106 @ 1979 BENJAMIN RICHARD COMPTON ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. AMATEUR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN AMERICA 1765 to 1810 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The School of Music by Benjamin Richard Compton B.M. New England Conservatory of Music, 1964 M.M. New England Conservatory of Music, 1966 May, 1979 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE It has long been recognized that "gentleman amateurs" played an important part in the musical life of America during the eighteenth century. These gentlemen, usually educated, wealthy, and socially prominent, were the most visible (and most thoroughly documented) of the American amateur musicians. Their ranks included some of America's finest musicians— and most outstanding citizens. They were not the only amateurs active in this country, however. Music was enjoyed by members of all social and economic groups, and was supported by an extensive network of teach­ ers, publishers, importers, and retailers. American ama­ teur musicians in the late eighteenth century showed a great diversity in training, experience, and musical taste, and in the value they placed on their musical activities. The importance of the amateur musicians to the musi­ cal life of the country and the relatively slight atten­ tion given to the amateurs and their activities in other studies of music in America have suggested that a need for a more thorough exploration of the subject exists. It is hoped that this project will help to fill some gaps in the current understanding of amateur musicians in America in the last years of the eighteenth century . ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Amateur musicians, as understood in this study, are individuals -who study and play for pleasure, ar­ tistic satisfaction, and, occasionally, for social or civic occasions without concern for financial reward. The amateurs discussed below felt that music was an im­ portant part of their lives but did not attempt to make a living as players. The intention of this project is to examine the musical activities of amateur instrumentalists during about the last third of the eighteenth century, a period embracing the end of the Colonial era and the first years of the Federal era. The chronological limitations have been stretched somewhat to include important background material and to follow the careers of several major fig­ ures whose lives extended into the nineteenth century. In general, conditions are described as they existed during the last two decades of the century. One important area of amateur activity has been omitted from consideration in this study. The music of the Moravian centers at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Salem, North Carolina, was possibly the most highly developed in America during the eighteenth century. Most of the players in the Moravian communities were amateurs and shared some iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. characteristics with other musicians included in this project. The Moravian music, however, is a subject in itself and must be considered in light of communal con­ ditions and European traditions which differ quite strik­ ingly from those which influenced most of the other amateur musical activity. Despite the highly developed state reached by music in the Moravian centers, the in­ fluence of their music on other aspects of American musical life appears to have been rather slight. The music of the Moravians has been the subject of numerous studies in the past and does not demand, at this time, more investigation as part of a project of this kind. The Moravians and their music existed, in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, largely outside the mainstream of American life (despite many commercial contacts and rather widespread fame as musicians and brewers). For these reasons the Moravian musical activity has been omitted from this study. To have included it would have led to an inflation of the project beyond manageable proportions without adding sub­ stantially to the understanding of amateur musical life in the rest of the country. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Appreciation is expressed to the many individuals and institutions whose aid has made the completion of this project a reality. Special thanks are due to my wife, Mary Ann, whose encouragement, typing skills, ideas, and help in numerous other ways pushed the work to completion, and to her par­ ents for their many contributions throughout the course of the doctoral program. Great appreciation is also ex­ pressed to my parents and other members of the family who offered help and encouragement at many points along the way. A special word of appreciation is due to Dr. Wallace McKenzie, whose guidance, suggestions, interest, and con­ fidence helped to make not only this project, but the en­ tire program possible— and enjoyable. Thanks also go to other members of the committee— Mr. Paul Louis Abel and Dr. Donald Wilson, who read and made suggestions on the entire manuscript, and Mr. John Patterson and Dr. Marchi- ta Mauck for their aid throughout the course of the pro­ gram. Others whose contributions must be acknowledged include Miss Judy Smith, who read and made many valuable suggestions on the manuscript, Mr. Hal Smith and others of the staff of the East Tennessee State University Li­ brary, and members of the staffs of the Louisiana State University Library and the South Caroliniana Library. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ......................................... ii ABSTRACT ........................................... viii INTRODUCTION ..................................... 1 PART ONE. AMATEUR INSTRUMENTALISTS AND THEIR TEACHERS Chapter I. ITINERANT MUSIC MASTERS ..... ......... 8 II. INSTRUMENTAL C L U B S .............. 42 III. URBAN MUSIC