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the sole exception of Abel, although several lutenists are in fact named. 63 Court
musicians known to have played the gamba are always listed under the
instrument for which they were principally employed, most frequently the
cello.
Forkel's contemporary, C. F. Cramer, included concert and other reports
(frequently of musical tittle-tattle) alongside various similar lists, and the gamba
features more frequently here. In an advertisement of musical instruments and
accessories available on sale from Longman and Broderip in London in 1782
are [50] included 'Viol di Gambas' in addition to bows, bridges, pegs or pins
and tail pieces, cases, strings and wire. 64 Amongst the latest available
compositions listed under 'Viola da Gamba=Sachen are Abel's quartet for viola
da gamba, flute, violin and cello in G (Knape 227) and his solo no. 4 in G
(Knape 149), 65 two duos by [J. G.] Graun, 66 and a solo in G minor by Kohaut. 67
There is also a hilarious if undated and far from current report concerning two
rival French gamba players taking lessons unbeknown to each other from the
gamba virtuoso Ernst Christian Hesse (1676-1762) in Paris, presumably around
the turn of the eighteenth century. 68 Of final interest is an advertisement for
the sale of a viola da gamba made by the famous Joachim Tielke in Hamburg
in 1718 belonging;o the widow of a deceased merchant and dilettante
musician. 69 The instrument is described in some detail and considerable praise-
'the greatest virtuoso, even an Abel, could not wish for a finer instrument'. Its
original cost is given as 100 ducats, although the widow was apparently
63 J. M. Forkel, Musikalischer Almanach fur Deutschland (Leipzig, 1781, 1782, 1783, 1788:
each edition bears the date of the year following actual publication). Various works for gamba
by Abel are named in the compositions sections; he is listed as a viola da gamba player on p.
150 of the 1783 edition; and he is also included amongst the 'still living composers' in the 1788
edition. Elsewhere, Hunger of Leipzig and Schonger of Erfurt are named as the best-known
cello and double bass makers in Germany (1781 edition, 204), but no mention is made of
gamba makers such as Truska.
64 C. Cramer, Magazin der Musik (Hamburg, 1783-6),1783 edition, 663-6.
65 See W. Knape, Bibliographisch-thematisches Verzeichnis der Kompositionen von Karl
Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) (Cuxhaven, 1971).
66 Johann Gottlieb Graun (1702/3-1771) composed some five concertos for viola da
gamba and various chamber works, including a trio in G for two gambas, cello and
harpsichord continuo. These two duos have not been identified and are not included in the
worklist in C. Henzel, 'Johann Gottlied Graun', Grove, X, 307.
67 Cramer, Magazin der Musik, 1783 edn, 283-4. It is unclear which of the two Kohauts
listed in E. Cook and M. Noiray, 'Kohaut, Josef', or D. Young, 'Kohaut, Karl', Grove, XIII,
739-40, might have composed this solo. Both Josef Kohaut (1738-1777) and the unrelated
Carl Kohaut (1726-1784) were lutenists and both composed chamber music. It cannot be
assumed that the latter was the more likely candidate in relation to the date of Cramer's
publication, since music advertised by him was not always recent: both Abel works,
however, if correctly identified, were probably brand new in 1783.
68 Cramer, Magazin der Musik, 1783 edn, 745-6. According to E. Noack and S. Voss,
'Hesse, Ernst Christian', Grove, XI, 464, Hesse was in Paris between 1698 and 1701.
69 Tielke (1641-1719) was, of course, 'Germany's most renowned viol maker, securing
commissions for his highly prized instruments from the nobility and royalty' (L. Robinson,
'Viol' (section 7), Grove, XXVI, 683; see also I. Harwood and A. Pilipczuk, 'Tielke,
Joachim', Grove, XXV, 466). This particular instrument of 1718 must have been one of
Tielke's final achievements and had obviously been lovingly handed (or sold) down through
the years that followed.