John Ella
John Ella (born December 19, 1802 in Thirsk , † October 2, 1888 in London ) was an English violinist , music writer and concert organizer.
Life
Ella was the son of Richard Ella and should become a lawyer if he wanted. However, he received violin lessons from a Mr. Fémy from 1819 and is first mentioned on January 18, 1821 as a member of the orchestra of the Theater Royal Drury Lane . The following year he was a member of the King's Theater orchestra .
From 1826, after completing his studies with Thomas Attwood and François-Joseph Fétis in Paris , he can be traced back to several important orchestras in London, including the Royal Philharmonic Society . He played in the orchestra on the occasion of the funeral service of Carl Maria von Weber on June 21, 1826.
At the same time he became the musical editor of the Athenaeum and other newspapers. From 1826 to 1842 he was a music critic for the Morning Post .
In 1845 he founded a series of chamber music under the name “Musical Union”, which initially took place in his own house and to which he was able to engage numerous important artists. The concerts were later performed in Willis's Rooms , from 1858 in the Hanover Square Rooms , from 1859 in the newly opened St. James's Hall .
From 1868 Ella's apartment was in 9 Victoria Square, in 1880 he ended his activity as organizer of the "Musical Union".
Ella played an important role in the musical life of the British capital and stood up for Hector Berlioz , Joseph Joachim , Anton Rubinstein , Robert Schumann , Clara Schumann and other musicians. He was buried on October 5, 1888 in Brompton Cemetery .
Works
John Ella's estate, including meticulously kept diaries on London's musical life, is in the Bodleian Library in Oxford . He also published a few books during his lifetime.
- Record of the Musical Union , London 1845–1881 (published annually, containing all concerts of the Musical Union)
- Musical Sketches, Abroad, and at Home , London: Ridgway 1871 ( digitized version ) - 3rd ed. by John Belcher, London: William Reeves 1878
- Lectures on Dramatic Music, and Musical Education Abroad and at Home , London: Ridgway 1872 ( digitized version )
literature
- John Ravell, John Ella 1802-1888 , in: Music & Letters , Vol. 34, No. 2 (April 1953), pp. 93-105
- Christina Bashford, John Ella and the Making of the Musical Union , in: Music and British Culture, 1785–1914: Essays in Honor of Cyril Ehrlich , Oxford 2000, pp. 193–214
- Christina Bashford, The Pursuit of High Culture: John Ella and Chamber Music in Victorian London , Woodbridge 2007 - digitized (reading samples)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ella, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English violinist, music writer and concert organizer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 19, 1802 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Thirsk |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 2, 1888 |
| Place of death | London |