A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Tomasini, Luigi
TOMASINI, Luigi (Aloysius), eminent violinist, and distinguished member of Prince Esterhazy's band under Haydn, born 1741 at Pesaro. In 1757 he became a member of Prince Paul Anton's household at his palace of Eisenstadt in Hungary, and on Haydn's undertaking the Vice-Capellmeistership in 1761, was at once promoted by him to be first violin. He was afterwards leader, and director of the chamber-music, with a largely increased salary. Prince Nicholas (successor to Paul Anton) left him a pension in 1790 but Tomasini remained in the service till his death, April 25, 1808. He was on the most intimate terms with Haydn, who wrote all his quartets with a view to Tomasini's playing, and remarked to him, 'Nobody plays my quartets so much to my satisfaction as you do.' He only once appeared in public in Vienna, at a concert of the Tonkünstler-Societät (1775), of which he had been a member from its foundation in 1771. In all probability Haydn gave him instruction in composition. He published violin-concertos, quartets, duos, concertants (dedicated to Haydn), etc. For the Prince he wrote '24 Divertimenti per il Paridon (barytone), violino, e violoncello,' now in the archives of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. A few of Haydn's violin-concertos were written expressly for Tomasini ('fatto per il Luigi'). Besides two daughters, who sang in the church and opera at Eisenstadt, Tomasini had two talented sons. The eldest,
Luigi, born 1779, at Esterhaz, an excellent violinist, was received into the chapel in 1796, dismissed several times for incorrigible levity, but as often readmitted at Haydn's request. The latter speaks of his 'rare genius,' and so did Hummel. He played in Vienna in 1796 and 1801 at the Tonkünstler-Societät, and in 1806 at the Augarten concerts. In 1808 he had to fly, for having married, without the Prince's leave, Sophie Groll, a singer in the chapel, but he secured an appointment as Concertmeister to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1812 he and his wife gave a concert in Berlin, when Luigi played Beethoven's concerto, and his wife, a pupil of Righini's, was much applauded. In 1814 he gave a concert in the court theatre in Vienna, after which he wholly disappears. His brother,
Anton, born 1775 at Eisenstadt, played in the chapel as an amateur from 1791 to 96, when he became a regular member. His instrument was the viola. He married the daughter of a Polish General in 1803, in which year he also became a member of the Tonkünstler-Societät. He resembled his brother both in talent and disposition, and, like him, was several times dismissed, and taken on again with increased salary. In 1820 he became leader of the band, and died at Eisengtadt June 12, 1824.