A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Kraft, Anton

by Carl Ferdinand Pohl

KRAFT, Anton, distinguished cellist, born Dec. 30, 1752,^[1] at Rokitzan near Pilsen in Bohemia, son of a brewer and amateur, who had his son early taught music, especially the cello. He studied law at Prague, where he had finishing lessons from Werner, and Vienna, where Haydn secured him for the chapel of Prince Esterhazy, which he entered on Jan. 1, 1778. On the Prince's death in 1790 he became chamber-musician to Prince Grassalkowitsch, and in 1795 to Prince Lobkowitz, in whose service he died Aug. 28, 1820. On one of his concert-tours he was at Dresden in 1789, and with his son played before Duke Karl, and before the Elector the night after the court had been enchanted by Mozart. Both musicians were staying at the same hotel, so they arranged a quartet, the fourth part being taken by Teyber the organist.^[2] Haydn valued Kraft for his power of expression, and for the purity of his intonation, and in all probability composed (1781) his cello concerto (André) for him. According to Schindler^[3] the cello part in Beethoven's triple concerto was also intended for Kraft. As he showed a talent for composition, Haydn offered to instruct him, but Kraft taking up the new subject with such ardour as to neglect his instrument, Haydn would teach him no more, saying he already knew enough for his purpose. He published 3 sonatas with accompaniment, op. 1 (Amsterdam, Hummel); 3 sonatas, op. 2 (André); 3 grand duos concertantes for violin and cello, op. 3, and 1st concerto in C, op. 4 (Breitkopf & Härtel); grand duos for 2 cellos, op. 5 and 6 (Vienna, Steiner); and divertissement for cello with double bass (Peters). Kraft also played the baritone in Prince Esterhazy's chamber music,^[4] and composed several trios for 2 baritones and cello. His son and pupil Nicolaus, born Dec. 14, 1778, at Esterhaz, early became proficient on the cello, accompanied his father on his concert-tours (see above), and settled with him in Vienna in 1790. He played a concerto of his father's at a concert of the Tonkünstler-Societat in 1792, and was one of Prince Karl Lichnowsky's famous quartet party, who executed so many of Beethoven's works for the first time. The others were Schuppanzigh, Sina, and Franz Weiss, all young men.^[5] In 1796 he became chamber-musician to Prince Lobkowitz, who sent him in 1801 to Berlin, for further study with Louis Duport. There he gave concerts, as well as at Leipzig, Dresden, Prague, and Vienna on his return journey. In 1809 he entered the orchestra of the court-opera, and the King of Wirtemberg hearing him in 1814, at once engaged him for his chapel at Stuttgart. He undertook several more concert-tours (Hummel accompanied him in 1818), but an accident to his hand obliged him to give up playing. He retired on a pension in 1834, and died on May 18, 1853. Among his pupils were Count Wilhorsky, Merk, Birnbach, Wranitzky's sons, and his own son Friedrich, born in Vienna Feb. 12, 1807, entered the chapel at Stuttgart 1824. Among Nicolaus's excellent cello compositions may be specified—a fantasia with quartet, op. 1 (André); concertos, op. 3, 4 (Breitkopfs), and 5 (Peters); scene pastorale with orchestra, dedicated to the King of Wirtemberg, op. 9 (Peters); 8 divertissements progressives with 2nd cello, op. 14 (André); 3 easy duos for 2 cellos, op. 15, and 3 grand duos for ditto, op. 17 (André).

[ C. F. P. ]

1. This is the date in the baptismal register, but 1751, or 49, are usually given.
2. Mozart also played with the Krafts his Trio In E (Köchel 542); see Nohl's 'Mozart-Briefe,' No. 251. N.B. No. 246 is wrong.
3. Vol. i. p. 147; see also Thayer's ' Beethoven,' vol. ii. p. 299.
4. For an anecdote on this point see 'Josef Haydn,' by C. F. Pohl vol. i. p. 282.
5. See Thayer's 'Beethoven,' vol. ii. p. 278.