John Abell
John Abell (* 1652 in Aberdeen , † 1724 in Cambridge ) was a Scottish singer (tenor), lutenist , composer and theater director of the Baroque.
Life
John Abell was trained as a choirboy in the Royal Chapel. As a Catholic and a supporter of the Pope, he had to leave England during the revolution of 1688 . He then traveled to several European countries. According to Johann Mattheson , who wrote this down in his The Perfect Capellmeister , he performed successfully as a singer in the Netherlands and Hamburg, as well as in Warsaw before the King of Poland. Mattheson also wrote that "Abell had the gift of keeping his beautiful voice up to an advanced age." From 1690 to 1691 Abell was music director at the court of Kassel . In 1700 he was able to return to his homeland. In 1701 Abell appeared in London as a singer in the title role of the opera " The Judgment of Paris " by Daniel Purcell . From 1702 to 1704 he served an English prince in Ireland.
plant
John Abell was a composer of song collections. His English compositions were patriotic. His song collection, published in 1701, with works in several languages, showed Italian influences. He dedicated it to King Wilhelm of England in gratitude for the opportunity to return to his homeland . Some lost works are noted in a catalog by the Amsterdam publisher Estienne Roger . Another collection of songs appeared posthumously in 1740.
literature
- Karl-Josef Kutsch , Leo Riemens : Large singer lexicon . Unchanged edition. KG Saur, Bern, 1993, first volume A – L, column 2 f., ISBN 3-907820-70-3
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ François Joseph Fétis: Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique (1835)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Abell, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish singer (tenor), lutenist, composer and theater director of the Baroque era |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1652 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Aberdeen |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1724 |
| Place of death | Cambridge |