A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Dussek, Johann

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1504193A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Dussek, Johann


DUSSEK, Johann Ludwig, or Ladislaw, one of the most renowned pianists and composers for the pianoforte of the latter part of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, was born at Czaslau in Bohemia, Feb. 9, 1761. His father, John Joseph Dussek, a musician of considerable repute in his day, was organist and leading professor in that town, where he married the daughter of Judge Johann Stebeta, by whom he had three children, the eldest being Johann Ludwig. Although the brother, Franz Benedikt, and the sister, Veronika Rosalia, were more or less distinguished, the subject of this brief memoir is the only one of the three whose memory and works have come down to us. According to Dlabacz, there were various modes of spelling our composer's patronyme. It will be enough, however, to cite three, Dussik, Duschek, Dussek, the last of which has long been recognised, and is unlikely henceforth to be disturbed in its prerogative, notwithstanding that the father of our English Dussek signed 'Johann Joseph Dussik.' When the son established himself in London, he altered the penultimate letter from i to e, and pronounced his name 'Duschek,' for which we have the authority of Pio Cianchettini, whose sire wedded Veronica Rosalia, already mentioned. Franz Duschek, not the least noted member of the group of artists bearing the cognomen in one or another form, was the intimate friend of Mozart. [See Duschek.]

According to Dlabacz, on the whole a far better authority than either the reticent Gerber, or Fétis, who, like Bayle, took anything he could find, no matter from what source, Johann Ludwig Dussek began to study the pianoforte in his fifth year, and the organ in his ninth, and in the capacity of organist soon gave valuable assistance to his father. From Czaslau he went to Iglau, where he was engaged as treble singer in the Minorite church, pursuing his musical studies with Father Ladislaw Spinar, and familiarising himself with the 'humanities' at the College of Jesuits, subsequently for two years continuing the same course of instruction at Kuttenberg, where he was appointed organist of the Jesuit church. Thence he removed to Prague, where, if we may credit the naturally partial testimony of his father, he went through a course of 'philosophy,' and took the degree of 'Master.' Here Dussek cherished an earnest desire to join the Cistercian [1]friars; but, happily, his youth was an obstacle to his admission as member of that respectable fraternity. In his straits he met with a patron—Count Männer, an artillery officer in the Austrian service, who took him to Mechlin (Malines), where he remained for some time as organist at the church of St. Rombaut, and teacher of the pianoforte. Tired of Mechlin, he left for Berg-op-Zoom, again accepting the post of organist at one of the principal churches. Such a dreary spot, however, was not likely to suit one of Dussek's temperament, and he speedily went to Amsterdam, where he may be said to have laid the foundation of his after brilliant reputation as pianist and composer. It is worth remark that Dussek's last engagement as church organist was at Berg-op-Zoom; and at the same time—which more than one German critic (Professor Marx among others) has observed—that his early acquaintance with the organ had much to do with the peculiar style of not a few of the slow movements to be met with in his finest sonatas—among which may especially be cited the adagio of the 'Invocation (op. 77), his last great composition for the pianoforte. Dussek's brilliant success at Amsterdam soon obtained for him an invitation to the Hague, where he passed nearly a twelvemonth, giving lessons on the pianoforte to the children of the Stadtholder. Here he also devoted much time to composition, producing 3 concertos, and 12 sonatas for pianoforte, with accompaniments of stringed instruments, about which Cramer's 'Magazin der Musik' (Hamburg) speaks in very favourable terms. From the Hague, Dussek, now twenty-two years of age, mindless of the praise that had been awarded to his early compositions, proceeded to Hamburg, obtaining further instruction from Emmanuel Bach, second son of the immortal John Sebastian. The advice and encouragement of this eminent master would seem to have exercised a salutary influence on our young musician. A year later, nevertheless, we find him at Berlin, astonishing the dilettanti of the Prussian capital with his pianoforte-playing, and also with his performances on an instrument called the 'Harmonica,' the qualities of which, in agreement with one Hessel, the soi disant inventor, he travelled through various parts of Germany to exhibit, exciting the admiration of Gerber (at Hesse-Cassel, 1785) both for the instrument and the performer. From Berlin it was the intention of Dussek to go to St. Petersburg; but here there is no credible account of his doings, except that he is believed to have accepted an advantageous offer from a certain Polish prince, [2]Radziwill, at whose estate in Lithuania he remained more than a year, unheard of. We next meet with him at Paris (towards the end of 1786) playing before, and enchanting with his play, the lovely and unfortunate Marie Antoinette, whose seductive offers, however, could not dissuade Dussek from carrying out a long-considered project of visiting his brother, Franz Benedikt, in Italy. At Milan he earned new laurels as a performer, both on the pianoforte and harmonica; but the volatile Italians showed a preference for the inferior instrument, which was by no means flattering to the gifted Bohemian. Returning to Paris in 1788, the threatening circumstances of the time caused him to quit the French capital almost immediately. His next residence was London, where he remained for a longer period (nearly twelve years) than at any other city he had temporarily chosen as a residence. In London his genius was rapidly appreciated; he became a fashionable teacher, the centre of a circle of eminent musicians, and looked up to by them all. One of the greatest compliments ever paid to Dussek, who could boast of so many, was contained in a letter addressed from London to the elder Dussek (Dussik) at Czaslau, by the celebrated Joseph Haydn, then composing his imperishable symphonies for Salomon.

'Most worthy friend, I thank you from my heart that, in your last letter to your dear son, you have also remembered me. I therefore double my compliments in return, and consider myself fortunate in being able to assure you, that you have one of the most upright, moral, and, in music, most eminent of men, for a son. I love him just as you do, for he fully deserves it. Give him, then, daily, a father's blessing, and thus will he be ever fortunate, which I heartily wish him to be, for his remarkable talents. I am, with all respect, your most sincere friend, Joseph Haydn.

'London, Feb. 26, 1792.'

This from a man like Haydn meant something out of the common way. In 1792 Dussek married the daughter of Domenico Corri. 'This lady,' says Gerber, 'was principal singer at the London professional concerts, he [Dussek] being concerto-player to the same, and playing in a style of incredible perfection.' [See Dussek, Sophia.] The marriage brought about a joint speculation between Dussek and Corri, and the establishment of a music shop, which, in consequence of Dussek's habitual negligence and utter unacquaintance with business habits, ended in failure, the upshot being that, in 1800, in order to elude his uncompromising creditors, he was obliged to leave the country surreptitiously, and once more seek shelter in his favourite Hamburg. The story of the Northern Prince who, at this juncture, became enamoured of our pianist, carrying him off to a retreat near the Denmark frontier, where they lived together in seclusion for nearly two years, may be discarded as a myth. At all events we find in a correspondence to the 'Leipziger Musik-Zeitung' accounts of various concerts given by Dussek at Hamburg, in 1800 and 1801, with references to Steibelt, Himmel, Woelfl, and our own great singer, John Braham, who, with Madame Storace, sang at Ottensen, on the Elbe, in a concert at which Giarnowichi was violinist, and Dussek pianist. In 1802, after appearing at the Concert Hall in Prague, where he played his concerto in G minor, Dussek, accompanied by his sister, Madame Cianchettini, paid a visit at Czaslau to his father, whom he had not seen for more than a quarter of a century, and, after passing some months under the paternal domicile, resumed his professional wanderings, until in 1803, at Magdeburg, he became acquainted with Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, with whom he lived for three years on terms of affectionate intimacy, to whom he gave advice both in pianoforte playing and composition, and whose premature death, on the field of Saalfeld, was the origin of the 'Elégie Harmonique' (op. 61), not only one of the finest works of Dussek, but one of the most pathetic and beautiful in the repertory of the piano. This was another turning-point in the somewhat tortuous life of our composer, and, for better or for worse, materially influenced his character. Much that is interesting with regard to the intercourse between Dussek and the Prince may be read in the 'Leipziger Musik-Zeitung' (1807); in Ludwig Rellstab's 'Reminiscences of Berlin Music,' in the 'Berlin Musik-Zeitung' (1850); and, most characteristic of all, in Spohr's 'Selbst-Biographie.'

In a review of the Elegy the 'Leipzig Musik-Zeitung' (1807, p. 741) says, among other things:—

'During the last few years of his (the Prince's) life, when he turned again to music with all the ardour of enthusiasm .... Dussek arrived at Berlin. The Prince had studied music in his youth, and never wholly neglected it, but his soul was now for the first time open to its hidden worth, to its higher and more spiritual value. He had need of a man who could aid him to express fully and correctly what he wished to convey through musical tones, who could enter into the spirit of what he created, afford him intellectual nourishment in productions suited to his taste and feelings, and lastly, away from their common art-study, prove an amiable and congenial companion. This he found in Dussek, who to the Prince was all in all, just as the Prince, in return, was to Dussek.'

Rellstab, in his 'Reminiscences,' gives an interesting account of the pianoforte 'virtuosos' who flourished at that period in Berlin, according the highest place among them to Himmel, Prince Louis Ferdinand, and Dussek, placing Dussek, however, in the first rank:—

'The favourite player at Berlin, and decidedly first in purity, elegance, and delicacy of style, was Himmel, a man formed by nature to be the central point in musical salons ...; but far greater, and emphatically so. was Dussek, both as "virtuoso" and composer ..... whose eminent technical resources afforded a much wider basis for varied development, and who, having accomplished a vast deal more for the elevation of the pianoforte than most of his contemporaries, occupied a position in the musical art of Berlin, which is vividly felt even now [1850], and obtained a corresponding European fame, justly claims a place in the history of the most universal of instruments, to which Himmel, despite his exceptional ability and well-earned local eminence, had no legitimate pretensions.'

A lively picture of how the three boon companions clubbed together follows the above:—

'Louis Ferdinand played a great deal with Dussek several compositions for two pianofortes, and others for four hands on one pianoforte, deriving their origin from the relations between the distinguished "virtuoso" and his gifted patron. Himmel was often their companion, and he ana Dussek were the Prince's favourite associates at the wine cup. What influence Dussek may have exerted upon the character of the Prince at these convivialities it is hard to say; but Himmel possessed that lively, joyous, good-natured, amiable view of life which as a rule is most welcome when intellectual brothers in art make the full glasses ring. Thus the Prince, Himmel, and Dussek, formed a musical triad, each exciting, enlivening, and fortifying the others, Dussek, in his artistic capacity, taking the foremost place.'

Spohr (Selbstbiog. i. 85), describing a soirée at the Prince's, in the course of a visit to Berlin early in 1805, remarks:—

'Here I also met an old Hamburg acquaintance, the celebrated pianoforte virtuoso and composer Dussek, now the Prince's teacher and residing with him. The music began with a pianoforte [3]quartet, which was played by Dussek in real artistic perfection.'

In the autumn of the same year, when Prince Louis Ferdinand was at Magdeburg, superintending the military manœuvres, Spohr received, through Dussek, an invitation to be a guest and take part in the projected musical entertainments. His description of the early morning rehearsals is highly diverting—the end being raciest of all (Selbstb. i. 94). When the Prince was about to leave, Spohr was dismissed with hearty thanks, Dussek informing the young violinist that 'Son Altesse Royale' had intended to make him a present, but his finances were at so low an ebb that he was compelled to defer it to some future occasion. 'Such occasion, however,' observes Spohr, 'never arrived, the Prince next year meeting his fate at the battle of Saalfeld.' [See Louis Ferdinand, Prince.]

The death of Prince Louis Ferdinand threw Dussek once more upon his own unaided resources. It says no little for him that before thinking about future prospects he should have devoted time to composing the 'Harmonic Elegy ' already mentioned, a fitting tribute to the memory of that royal friend whose close relations with him fully justified his giving expression to sentiments of deepest regret through the medium of the art they both so dearly loved. Nor could anything be more touching and appropriate than the few words which Dussek inscribed on the title-page of his sonata, 'L'auteur, qui a ou le bonheur de jouir du commerce très intime de S.A.R., ne l'a quitté qu'au moment où il a versé son precieux sang pour sa patrie.' At the same time the fact of the inscription being couched in the language of the enemy to whom the Prince owed his death, appears a little strange.

About the Prince von Ysenburg (or Isenburg), into whose service, after the death of his illustrious patron, Dussek entered, as court and chamber musician, little is on record. A paragraph in the 'Leipzig Musik-Zeitung,' however (Sept. 2, 1807), states that 'Herr Dussek having resigned his situation with the Prince von Isenburg, has entered the service of the Prince of Benevento (Talleyrand), and will remain henceforth in Paris.' More than two years fater (Jan. 3, 1810) the same periodical publishes a letter from Paris in which we read: 'Herr Dussek is in the service of M. Talleyrand, Prince of Benevento. He appears to be treated in a very distinguished manner, and enjoys a respectable salary.' With this renowned diplomatist and highly accomplished gentleman Dussek resided till the last. His leisure was entirely at his own disposal. He would vouchsafe occasional instructions to favoured amateurs, such as Mlle. Charlotte (Talleyrand's adopted daughter), the Duchesse de Courland, Mlle. Betsy Ouvrard (to whom the grand sonata called 'L'Invocation' is dedicated), etc.; also now and then give a concert, at which he produced his latest works, the rest of his time being exclusively devoted to composition. The late M. Fétis, who remembered well Dussek's performances at the Odéon (1808), writes:—

'The extraordinary sensation he produced is not forgotten. Until then the pianoforte had only been heard to disadvantage as a concert-instrument,[4] but under the hands of Dussek it eclipsed all that surrounded it. The broad and noble style of this artist, his method of singing on an instrument which possessed no sustained sounds, the neatness, delicacy, and brilliancy of his play, in short, procured him a triumph of which there had been no previous example.'

With the Prince of Benevento, his latest patron, Dussek continued to reside until his last illness compelled him to seek another retreat, at St. Germain en Laye, where (not in Paris, as Fétis and others have stated) he died on March 20, 1812. A letter from Paris, dated March 21, 1812, and printed in the 'Leipzig Muzik-Zeitung' (xiv. 258), thus refers to the event:—

'I have just heard news which must grieve every friend of music .... Your worthy and celebrated countryman, J. L. Dussek, is no more! Yesterday morning, at six o'clock, in the full vigour of manhood (in his 52nd year), he closed a career which, despite the ever-increasing culture, development, and strength of his great talents, and his astonishing industry, had not yet reached its culminating point. He had been unwell for some months, but was confined to bed only two days. His disease was gout, which suddenly attacked his brain, and in an hour or two carried him off ... It was a blessing to his energetic spirit, his warmly sensitive and affectionate nature, that he could breathe his last in the arms of a faithful friend and countryman like your noble Neukomm.'

In a very interesting series of papers about the Dusseks generally, which Mr. Alexander W. Thayer, to whom the lovers of Beethoven are so deeply indebted for his indefatigable researches into the actual life of that great composer, published simultaneously (1861) in Dwight's 'Journal of Music' (Boston, U.S.) and the 'Musical World' (London), we find quoted a general estimate, of which a mere condensed abstract may suffice to convey some notion of what Dussek's contemporaries thought of him:—

'Dussek, the man of genius, the richly endowed and solidly trained artist was known, honoured, and loved by the entire musical world ... He has done nearly as much as Haydn, and probably not less than Mozart, to make German music known and respected in other [5]lands. His earlier residence in London, and his later in Paris, have in this respect exercised great influence. As a "virtuoso" he is unanimously placed in the very foremost rank. In rapidity and sureness of execution, in a mastery of the greatest difficulties, it would be hard to find a pianist who surpassed him; in neatness and precision possibly one (John Cramer of London); in soul, expression, and delicacy, certainly none. As a man he was good and noble, just, impartial, and kindly, a real friend, sympathising with all that was true and beautiful in those he knew .... His failings, inseparable from an imagination so powerful and a sensitiveness so extreme, may readily be forgiven ..... Moreover, through native strength of mind and frequent intimate relations with the most distinguished persons, he had gained a vast amount of general information, thoroughly polished manners, and such tact, combined with knowledge of the world, as fitted him for the highest circles of society; while his joyous disposition, liberal sentiments, and freedom from prejudice of any kind, endeared him especially to musicians.'

This also came from Paris, and was printed in the same Leipzig periodical.

With regard to Dussek's style of playing, about which we of course can only gather a notion from the works he has left, many contemporaneous opinions could be cited, but perhaps not one more suggestive than that which J. W. Tomaschek, himself a pianist and composer of eminence, gives in his 'Autobiography and Reminiscences'—

'In the year 1804, my countryman, Dussek, came to Prague, and I very soon became acquainted with him. He gave a concert to a very large audience, at which he introduced his own Military Concerto. After the few opening bars of his first solo, the public uttered one general Ah! There was, in fact, something magical about the way in which Dussek with all his charming grace of manner, through his wonderful touch, extorted from the instrument delicious and at the same time emphatic tones. His fingers were like a company of ten singers, endowed with equal executive powers, and able to produce with the utmost perfection whatever their director could require. I never eaw the Prague public so enchanted as they were on this occasion by Dussek's splendid playing. His fine declamatory style, especially in cantabile phrases, stands as the ideal for every artistic performance—something which no other pianist since has reached ... Dussek was the first who placed his instrument sideways upon the platform, in which our pianoforte heroes now all follow him, though they may have no very interesting profile to exhibit.'

That more than any contemporary special writer for the pianoforte, Dussek, through his strong and attractive individuality, impressed the age in which he lived, is unquestionable. Here, be it understood, no reference is intended to many-sided geniuses like Mozart and Beethoven, "but simply to those who, making the pianoforte their particular study, have effected so much towards the influence, so materially aided the progress, and played so important a part in the history of the most universal of instruments—the musician's orchestra when in the solitude of his chamber. In the front rank of these deservedly stands Dussek. It has been urged that to Clementi, Dussek's predecessor and survivor, who has held the title of 'Father of the Pianoforte,' just as Haydn holds that of 'Father of the Symphony,' belongs the legitimate right of stamping with his name the epoch during which he flourished. To this it may be answered that, granting Clementi to have been a musician of more solid acquirement than Dussek, as the 'Gradus ad [6]Parnassum' is enough to prove, he was inferior in invention and ideality, to say nothing about fascination of style. Unhappily for himself and his art, Dussek, whose unquestionable genius should have raised him to the highest eminence, was of a somewhat lax and careless temperament. His facility was so great that he could dispense with more than half the application requisite to form a thoroughly skilled musician; while Clementi, a model student and systematic economiser of time, though less bountifully gifted than his renowned contemporary, possessed habits of industry which served him in excellent stead.

In a conversation with the writer of this article, Mendelssohn once said, 'Dussek was a prodigal.' The meaning of this epigrammatic criticism is not far to seek. Dussek, who failed for want of striving to make the most of the endowments of nature, might have become a musician of the highest acquirements had the case been otherwise. He squandered away melody as a spendthrift would squander away money, not pausing for an instant to consider its value if put out to interest. It is sad to reflect upon the number of genuine melodies that, coming so readily from his pen, were left, as Sancho Panza would say, 'bare as they were born,' though almost every one of them might have been developed into something beautiful and lasting. When, however, he applied himself to his task with earnest devotion, as happened not unfrequently from the earliest to the latest period of his career, Dussek was welcomed like the Prodigal Son. A legitimate child of Art, his mission was that of a true disciple—for which capacity he was eminently fitted, as the many compositions he has left suffice to prove.

Dussek came into the world five years later than Mozart, and nine years earlier than Beethoven, quitting it while the greatest of poet-musicians was at the zenith of his glory, just at the time when the fifth and last pianoforte concerto, the incomparable 'E flat' (written a year previously), was first introduced to the public. Between 1761 and 1812, the interval which spanned the existence of Dussek, a galaxy of famous pianists shone with varied lustre. To take them in chronological order, there were Clementi, Mozart, Himmel, Steibelt, [7]Woelfl, Beethoven, Cramer, Tomaschek, Hummel, Weber, J. Field ('Russian Field,' as he was called), and last, not least, Moscheles, who, though scarcely twenty years of age when Dussek died, had already made for himself a name. To these might be added Meyerbeer, who, as a youth, before he devoted himself exclusively to the composition of operas, was a rival even to Hummel in his [8]prime, and our own [9]G. F. Pinto (the Sterndale Bennett of his day), who died at the early age of 21. Among these it is no small thing to say that Dussek shone conspicuous. He never enjoyed the opportunity of encountering Mozart, as Clementi did, nor the equally important one of measuring his powers with those of Beethoven, as fell to Steibelt and Woelfl‐to the absolute satisfaction of neither; but before the rest he was, as Schumann says of Schubert, 'a man'—who had cause to fear no rival.

There is much confusion in the Opus-numbers of Dussek's works, owing to the different systems adopted by French, English, and German publishers. The following is an imperfect attempt at a complete list:—

Op. 1. 3 Concertos for P.F. and Quartet.
     2. 3 Trios, P.F. and Strings. C. B♭. E min.
     3. Concerto No. 1. P.F. and Orch. E♭.
     4. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Violin. F, E♭, F min.
     4. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin or Flute. G, D, C.
     5. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin. G, B♭, A♭ (1 P.F. solo).
     6. 6 Airs Variés, P.F. E, F, A, D min., G min., G min.
     7. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Flute. C, G, E♭.
     8. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin. C, F, A (la Chasse).
     9. 3 Do. P.F. B♭, C, D.
   10. 3 Do. P.F. A, C min., E.
   11.
   12. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Violin. F, B♭ C.
   13. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin. B♭, D, G min.
   14. Rondo militaire. P.F.
   14. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin. C, G, F.
   14. Concerto No. 2, P.F. and Orch. F.
   15. Do. No. 3, E♭.
   16. 12 Leçons progressives P.F. 2Bks.
   16. 3 Sonatas. P. F. and Violin. C, F, G.
   17. 3 Do. do. C, F, G.
   17. Concerto No. 4, P.F. and Orchestra. F.
   18. 3 Do. P.F. and Violin. B♭, A min. (solo), E♭.
   19. 6 Do. P.F. and Flute. D, C, F, A, C, E♭.
   20. 6 Sonatinas. P.F. and Flute or Violin. G, C, F (solo), A, B, E♭ (solo).
   21. Trio, P.F., Flute, and Cello. C.
   21. 3 Trios. P.F. and Strings. C, A, F.
   22. Concerto. No. 5, P.F. and Orch. B♭.
   23. The sufferings of the Queen of France, P.F. C.
   23. Sonata. P.F. B♭ (ded. to Mrs. Chinnery): and 3 airs variés. G, A, A.
   24. Same Sonata in the English ed.
   24. 3 Trios, P.F. and Strings. F, B♭, D.
   25. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Violin or Flute. F, D (P.F. solo), G.
   26. Concerto. No. 6, P.F. and Orch. E♭.
   27. Concerto No. 2. P.F. and Orch. F. (see op. 14.)
   28. 6 Easy Sonatas. P.F. and Violin. C, F, B♭, D, G min., E♭.
   29 or 30. Concerto, No. 7. P.F. (or Harp) and Orch. C.
   29. 3 Sonatas. Flute or V. and Cello. F, B♭, D.
   30. 4 Sonatas. P.F. and V. ad lib. C, F, B♭, G.
   31. 3 Trios, P.F. and Strings. B♭, D, C: and 3 Preludes. P.F.
   32. Grand Sonata, P.F., 4 hands. C.
   33. 'Il rivocato.'
   34. 2 Trios, P.F. and Strings. E♭, B♭.
   34. 2 Sonatas for Harp, V., and Cello.
   34. Serenade, Orch. in 9 pts. E♭
   35. 3 Sonatas. P.F. B♭, G. C min.
   36. Grand Sonata, P.F. and Violin, C.
   37. Trio (Son. favorite), P.F. and Strings. E♭.
   38. Sonatas, 2 Pianos. E♭.
   39. 3 Sonatas, P.F. G, C, B♭.
   40. Concerto, No. 8 (militaire), P.F. and Orch. B♭.
   41. Quintet, P.F. and Strings. F min.
   42.
   43. Sonata, P.F. A.
   44. Do. E♭ (The Farewell, dedicated to Clementi).
   45. 3 Do. B♭, G, D.
   46. 6 easy Do., P.F. and Violin. C, F, B♭, C, D, G.
   47. 2 Do. P.F. D, G.
   48. Grand Sonata, P.F., 4 hands. C.
   49 or 50. Concerto, No. 9, P.F. and Orch. G min.
   51. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Violin or Flute. G, D, E (?C).
   52.
   53. Grand Quartet, P.F. and Strings. E♭.
   54.
   55 or 50. Fantasia and Fugue, P.F. F min. (dedicated to J. B. Cramer).
   56. Quartet. P.F. and Strings. E♭.
   57.
   58.
   59.
   60. 3 String Quartets. G, B♭, E♭.
   61. Elégie harmonique sur la mort du P. L. F. de Prusse. F♯ min.
   62. La Consolation. P.F. B♭.
   63. Concerto, No. 10, 2 P.F.'s and Orch. B♭.
   64. Fugues à la Camera, P.F., 4 hands. D, G min., F.
   65. Trio, P.F., Flute, and Cello. F.
   66. Concerto, No. 11, P.F. and Orch. F.
   67. 3 Sonates progressives, P.F., 4 hands. C, F, B♭.
   68. Notturno. P.F., Violin, and Horn. E♭.
   69. 3 Sonatas. P.F. and Violin. B♭, G, D (solo).
   70. Concerto, No. 12, P.F. and Orch. E♭.
   70. Sonata. P.F. A♭. (Le Retour à Paris.)
   71. Plus Ultra, Sonata, P.F. A♭ (dedicated to Non plus ultra).
   71. Airs connus Variés. P.F. B♭, F, C, G, C, B♭. 2Bks.
   72. Grand Sonata, P.F., 4 hands. E♭.
   73. Sonata, P.F. 4 hands. F.
   74. Do., do., do. B♭.
   75. Do., do. E♭.
   76. Fantaisie. P.F. F.
   77. Sonata, P.F. (No. 31). F min. (L'Invocation.)

Works without Opus-number.
   Feudal times, favourite Overture.
   Overture to Pizarro.
   Grand Overture, P.F., 4 hands.
   Instructions on the Art of playing the P.F.
   2 Trios, P.F. and Strings. E♭, B♭.
   'Le combat naval.' Sonata for P.F., V., and Cello, with Gr. Tambour ad lib. D.
   2 Duos faciles. 2 Pianos, C, F.
   Sonata facile, P.F., 4 hands. C.
   3 Grand Sonatas, P.F., 4 hands.
   3 Fugues and Sonata, P.F. 4 hands.
   5 Rondos.
   Sonata. P.F. F. (La Chasse.)
   6 Sonatines for Harp.
   Rondo on 'L'adieu,' P.F. B♭.
   Do., Air Russe. C.
   Do., A la Tedesca. B♭.
   Do., L'Amusoire. F.
   Do., on Countess of Sutherland's' reel. F.
   Do., Militaire. B♭.
   Do., Mignon. C.
   Do., on the favourite Hornpipe.
   Do., on Lord Howe's Hornpipe.
   Do., on 'My lodging is on.'
   Do., on 'The Ploughboy.'
   Do., on the Royal Quickstep.
   Do., on 'To to Carabo.'
   Do., on Viotti's Polacca.
   Do., L'Elgante.
   Do., La Matinée.
   Variations on 'Anna.' do. C.
   Do. on 'Il Pastore Alpigiano,' do. C.
   Do. on 'Partant pour la Syrie,' do. E♭.
   Do. on 3 Scotch airs
   Variations on 'Hope told a flattering tale.'
   Do. on a favourite German air.
   Do. on Blaise et Babet.
   Do. on Fal lal la.
   Do. on God save the King.
   Do. Petits air connus, 'Œuvre VI.L'
   Do. Three Parisian airs.
   6 New Waltzes, for P.F. and Violin or Flute.
   2 English airs and 2 Waltzes.
   3 Preludes. Bk. 1, P.F.
   6 Canons, for 3 and 4 voices.
   Song on 3 notes (B♭, G, D) for Voice and P.F.
   6 Songs for Voice and P.F.
   'The Captive of Spilburg.' a musical drama, produced at Drury Lane. Nov. 1798 [App. p.619 "written in collaboration with Michael Kelly. It should of course be spelt Spielberg"].
   The naval battle and total defeat of the Dutch Fleet by Admiral Duncan, Oct. 11, 1797. P.F. solo.
   A complete ... delineation of the ceremony from St. James's to St. Paul's ..... Dec. 19. 1797. P.F. D.
   The Paris correspondent of the A.M.Z. (1811, Nov. 6) mentions a Grand Mass sent to Prince Esterhazy.

  1. Fancy! the afterwards boon companion of Prince Louis Ferdinand!
  2. Not Chopin's early patron, but probably his father.
  3. Spohr, in his usually unsatisfying manner, does not say which quartet, or by whom composed. Probably Dussek's own—in E flat.
  4. Fétis must surely mean in Paris?
  5. This, it must be borne in mind, was written in 1812.
  6. The top of which Delphic hill Clementi never reached.
  7. Who died two years later than Dussek.
  8. But none of whose compositions for the Pianoforte have unfortunately, been published, though many exist in MS.
  9. About whom John Cramer used to speak with enthusiasm.