Ernst Wilhelm Wolf

1735 (Grossenbeeren, Germany) – 1792 (Weimar)

Wolf studied with Hiller, but said that his aesthetic compass was set by the happy hours he spent with C. P. E. Bach. It’s unclear what exactly were the relations between the now little-known Wolf and Hasse, or with those including Herder, Wieland and Kotzebue that he met at Weimar, where he was attached to the court for 30 years, the last 20 as kapellmeister: certainly Goethe took against him, trying unsuccessfully to have him removed from his court position.

Ernst Wilhelm Wolf knew…

E. T. A. Hoffmann

E. T. A. Hofmann

1776 (Königsberg, Prussia, now Kaliningrad, Russia) – 1822 (Berlin)

Hoffmann moved in the same romanticist circles in Berlin as Chamisso, Fouqué and Tieck, all of whom were present at the dinner where he was revealed as the pseudonymous music critic Johannes Kreisler. Fouqué was particularly close to Hoffmann, and collaborated in some of what was published under Kreisler’s name. Hoffmann wrote music for words by his friends Brentano (among his Berlin circle) and Werner (befriended in Warsaw, though in fact they went further back, Werner’s mother — described as mad — having lived above Hoffmann’s grandmother during Hoffmann’s childhood).

Johann Baptist Cramer

John Baptist Cramer

1771 (Mannheim, Germany) – 1858 (London)

Cramer was Clementi’s star pupil in London before, still teenage, studying with Abel (though he remained Clementi’s disciple.) At 20, he performed with the 12-year-old Hummel. He enjoyed a lasting warm friendship with Beethoven, who thought him the best pianist of his day, greatly respected his studies for piano, and went with him to listen to Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni.’ Haydn was also a friend, while Czerny, Moscheles, Mendelssohn, Liszt and Berlioz were met towards the end of his life. Onslow studied piano with him. Cramer and Moscheles organised a banquet for Clementi, and with Field were present at Clementi’s funeral.

Joseph Joachim

1831 (Kópcsény, Hungary, now Kittsee, Austria) – 1907 (Berlin)

Liszt, Mendelssohn and Brahms all at different times became close friends — Brahms for life. As a 12-year-old, he bacame Mendelssohn’s protégé, playing Beethoven with Mendelssohn conducting. In Weimar, he joined Liszt’s orchestra and Liszt became his mentor, though Joachim later wrote severing all relations (when he took up with Brahms and the Schumanns.) He often performed with Brahms and with Clara Schumann. Bruch and Dvořák, composer colleagues, both wrote concertos for him as soloist, while his friend Alma-Tadema painted him (as did Sargent). Dickens hosted him, calling him “a noble fellow”. Spohr described his playing as masterful.

Johannes Brahms

1833 (Hamburg, Germany) – 1897 (Vienna)

The 20-year-old Brahms met Joachim on a concert tour; they became lifelong friends. Joachim introduced him to Robert Schumann, who had already written about his work, and to Liszt, who played a scherzo of his at sight at their first meeting (Brahms fell asleep when Liszt played his own work). Clara Schumann became a strong, close, lifelong friend — speculation has been that they were lovers. He met Grieg and Tchaikovsky in Leipzig, Keller in Switzerland, and was a strong supporter of Zemlinsky. He failed to get on with Wagner, and his nationalism was disliked by Andersen. Strauss was another friend for life.

Johannes Brahms knew…

Niccolò Paganini

1782 (Genoa, Italy) – 1840 (Nice, Piedmont, now France)

Paganini met Ingres (who drew him) in Italy, Chopin in Poland, and the Schumanns, Meyerbeer, Spohr and Spontini in Germany, impressing them all. He inspired Robert Schumannn to make a career in music, and Liszt to do for the piano what he had done for the violin. Both Hummel and Felix Mendelssohn accompanied him in concert. Delacroix saw him play, but whether they met is unknown. He was involved with his friend Rossini’s music, and a generous supporter of Berlioz’s, though he didn’t initially appreciate ‘Harold in Italy’, and the 20,000 francs he sent him may really have come from another benefactor.

Gaspare Spontini

1774 (Maiolati, now Maiolati Spontini, Italy) – 1851 (Maiolati)

Spontini met Paganini on a tour of German cities, and worked together with Wagner in Dresden — Wagner being impressed by the conductor’s baton Spontini requested, black with white tips. Berlioz discovered his music as a student, later met and championed him, and later still wrote his obituary. Mendelssohn was met in Berlin – Spontini was apparently critical of the 17-year-old’s operatic composition. He corresponded with Cherubini, wrote to Salieri praising the metronome, and asked Hoffmann to translate a text for him: Hoffmann promoted him as an honourary German.

Camille Saint-Saëns

1835 (Paris) – 1921 (Algiers)

Halévy taught him. His close friend Berlioz famously said that the then-young composer knew everything, but lacked inexperience. Liszt (an influence, and a lifelong friend), Gounod, Rossini and Berlioz all admired him for his gifts. Fauré was his favourite pupil: after the death of Saint-Saëns’ own two children, he acted as ‘second father’ to Fauré’s. Bizet and Doré were friends (Liszt and he played together in Doré’s house.) Saint-Saëns loved Hugo’s poetry, set it to music, and met him more than once. He helped Widor to an important position, and in Moscow improvised a ballet with Tchaikovsky (Saint-Saëns in drag.)

Camille Saint-Saëns knew…

Arcangelo Corelli

1653 (Fusignano, Italy) – 1713 (Rome)

Locatelli (informally) and Geminiani (formally) were among his students, and helped pass on his influential violin technique. When Handel as a young man was in Italy, he and Corelli moved in the same circles, colleagues but also rivals; the more conservative Corelli is said to have been offended by the advanced compositional demands Handel made upon the instrument (he actually refused to play one passage). Suggestions that Vivaldi may have also been among Corelli’s students are most probably misinterpretation of the accepted fact that Vivaldi clearly studied and learned from his work, and was influenced by it.

Arcangelo Corelli knew…

Carlos Seixas

1704 (Coimbra, Portugal) – 1742 (Lisbon)

Seixas went to Lisbon in his teens, and met Scarlatti (at the time a resident) there. He went on to inherit Scarlatti’s position as Royal Chapel Master. It’s reported that when it was proposed to Scarlatti that he give Seixas harpsichord lessons, he suggested that the younger man should give him lessons instead.

Carlos Seixas knew…