A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Engel, Carl

by A. J. Hipkins

ENGEL, Carl, an eminent writer on musical instruments, was born at Thiedenwiese, near Hanover, July 6, 1818. His attainments as a musician, his clear insight into books in many languages, his indefatigable perseverance in research, and the exercise of a rare power of judicious discrimination, made him one of the first authorities on his subject in Europe. When a student he received piano lessons from Hummel, and after adopting music as a profession, he for some time remained in the family of Herr von Schlaberndorf, a nobleman in Pomerania. About 1844–5 Engel came to England and resided at first at Manchester, where he gave lessons on the piano. He removed soon after to London, and settled in Kensington. He began by reading in the British Museum to prepare himself for those studies in musical history on which his reputation is founded, and became a collector when opportunities were more frequent than they are now for acquiring rare instruments and books. He thus formed a private museum and library that could hardly be rivalled except by a few public institutions. The change in the direction of his musical activity did not however divert him from pianoforte-playing; he became as familiar with the works of Schumann, Brahms, and other modern composers, as he was with those of the older masters. He wrote and published a Pianoforte Sonata (Wessel, 1852), the 'Pianist's Handbook' (Hope, 1853), and a 'Pianoforte School for Young Beginners' (Augener, 1855). He also wrote 'Reflections on Church Music' (Scheuermann, 1856). The first fruits of his archæological studies were shown in the publication of 'The Music of the Most Ancient Nations, particularly of the Assyrians, Egyptians and Hebrews' (Murray, 1864), which was followed by 'An Introduction to the Study of National Music' (Longmans, 1866). About this time his connection with the South Kensington Museum began, to which he gave valuable advice respecting the formation of the rich collection of rare musical instruments which is an important branch of that institution. His first public essay in connection with it was the compilation in 1869 of a folio volume entitled 'Musical Instruments of all countries,' illustrated by twenty photographs; a work now rarely to be met with. He compiled the catalogue of the Loan Collection of ancient musical instruments shown there in 1872; and followed it by a 'Descriptive Catalogue of the Musical Instruments in the South Kensington Museum,' published in 1874, a masterpiece of erudition and arrangement, and the model for the subsequently written catalogues of the Paris and Brussels Conservatoires, and of the Kraus Collection at Florence. He resolved to complete this important work by an account of the musical instruments of the whole world, and wrote a book which, in manuscript, fills four thick quarto volumes, and is illustrated by upwards of 800 drawings. It remains in the hands of his executors and is still (1888) unpublished. While however this, his magnum opus, was in progress, he wrote a contribution to 'Notes and Queries' on Anthropology, pp. 110–114 (Stanford, 1874), Musical Myths and Facts' (Novello, 1876), and articles in the 'Musical Times,' from which 'The Literature of National Music' (Novello, 1879) is a reprint. Among these articles the descriptions of his four Clavichords possess an unusually lasting interest and value. They were published in July—Sept. 1879, and were followed by 'Music of the Gipsies,' May—Aug. 1880, and 'Æolian Music,' Aug. and Sept. 1882. A posthumous publication of considerable importance is 'Researches into the Early History of the Violin Family' (Novello, 1883). There remain in manuscript, besides the great work already mentioned, 'The Musical Opinions of Confucius' and 'Vox Populi' (a collection of National Airs). After the death of his wife in 1881, he thought of living again in Germany, and sold his library by public auction, while the more valuable part of the musical instruments (excepting his favourite harpsichords, clavichord and lute, now in the possession of Mr. Herbert Bowman and the present writer) was acquired by South Kensington Museum. But, after a short visit to Hanover he returned to England, and died at his house in Addison Road, Kensington, Nov. 17, 1882.

[ A. J. H. ]