A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Kollmann, August

KOLLMANN, August Friedrich Christoph, of a musical family, his father an organist and schoolmaster, his brother, George Christoph, an organist of great renown at Hamburg; was born at Engelbostel, Hannover, in 1756, and thoroughly educated in music. He was selected to be chapel-keeper and schoolmaster at the German Chapel, St. James's, London, and entered on his duties about 1782 [App. p.692 "April 9, 1784"]. In 1792 George III. presented a chamber organ to the chapel, which was played by Kollmann under the title of 'clerk' till his death in Nov. 1824 [App. p.692 "Easter Day, 1829."]. He was a person of much energy, and in 1809 during a large fire in the palace is said to have saved the chapel by standing in the doorway and preventing the firemen from entering it to destroy it. His works are numerous:—Essay on Practical Harmony, 1796; do. on Practical Musical Composition, 1799; Practical Guide to Thorough Bass, 1801; Vindication of a passage in ditto, 1802; New Theory of Musical Harmony, 1806; Second Practical Guide to Thorough Bass, 1807; Quarterly Musical Register, 1812—two numbers only; Remarks on Logier, 1824—(some of these went through two editions); Analyzed Symphony, op. 3; First beginning on the P.F. op. 5, 1796; Concerto for P.F. and Orchestra, op. 8; Melody of the 100th Psalm, with 100 harmonies, op. 9; Twelve analyzed Fugues, op. 10; Introduction to Modulation, op. 11; Rondo on the Chord of the Dim. 7th. He is also said to have published an orchestral symphony 'The Shipwreck, or the Loss of the East Indiaman Halsewell,' a piece of programme music quite in the taste of the time; songs, sonatas, and an edition of Bach's Well-tempered Clavier. His son George August was a good organ-player, and on his father's death succeeded to his post as organist. On his death, March 19, 1845, his sister Johanna Sophia succeeded him; and on her death, in May 1849, the post was bestowed on Mr. F. Weber the present organist.

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