Quantz was born on 1-30-1697 in Oberscheden. He began his musical training with his uncle, a town musician in Merseburg.
He also studied, besides the wind instruments, string instruments and harpsichord. He moved to Dresden in 1716 and became a member of the town band. He was next an oboe player for Augustus II in the Polish Chapel. It was at this time that he switched form oboe to flute, and become interested in composition. He was the flute teacher of Fredeirck the Great, who himself was a good flute player and composer of flute music.
He is also known for his flute design, including the additions of keys to improve tonality. He also wrote "Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversiére zu Spielen" or "Method for playing the Transverse Flute" in 1751. This was an important treatsy on the technique, ornamentation, and performance of the flute, and is still refered to today.
Quantz had definite ideas on the type of music composed in his time period. He also had opinions on what he considered to constitute 'good' music. Here are two quotes from him on these subjects.
"A music that is accepted and recognized as good not by one country only... but by many peoples... must, provided it is based as well as on reason and sound feeling, be beyond all dispute the best."
"the old composers were too much absorbed with musical 'tricks' and carried them too far, so that they neglected the essential thing in music, which is to move and please."
He composed 300 concertos for 1 or 2 flutes as well as a vast amount of other music for that instrument.
Some examples are:
1. "Trio sonate for Flute, Oboe and Piano in c minor" (Kalmus Wind Series)
2. "3 Sonatas for Flute and Piano" 1 in a minor, 2 in D major (John Wummer)
REFERENCES: www. classical.net. copyright 1995,1996, 1997 by L. D. Lampson
Grout, Donald Jay. A History of Western Music. W. W. Norton & Company inc. New York.1973
Some graphics from Fonts R Us
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