A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Wasielewsky, Joseph

WASIELEWSKY, Joseph W. von, author, violin-player and conductor, born June 17, 1822, at Gross Leesen, near Dantzig. His parents were both capable musicians, and his father taught him the violin at an early age, and urged the study of it upon him and his two elder brothers. Joseph repeatedly endeavoured to be allowed to take music as his profession; but it was not till April 3, 1843, that his wish was gratified by entering the Conservatorium at Leipzig under Mendelssohn's personal teaching. Other branches he learned under David and Hauptmann, and remained in the Conservatorium till Easter, 1845. He then played in the orchestras of the theatre, the Gewandhaus, and the Euterpe concerts, till 1850, when he left for Düsseldorf at the invitation of Schumann, and remained there for two years. In May, 1852, he removed to Bonn, and became conductor of the 'Concordia,' the Gesangverein, and the 'Beethoven-Verein.' After three years he exchanged this for Dresden. In 1869 he was recalled to Bonn as 'town music-director.' In 1858 he published his biography of Schumann (2nd and 3rd eds., 1869 and 1880); in 1869 his excellent book on the Violin and its Masters (Breitkopf & Härtel); in 1874 'Die Violine im 17 Jahrhundert,' etc. (Bonn); and 'History of Instrumental Music in the 16th Century' (Berlin). He has a decoration from the Duke of Meiningen (1871); and is a royal music-director (1873), and a member of the 'Accademia filarmonica' at Bologna.

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