Graupner, Gottlieb, 1767-1836
Dates
- Existence: October 6, 1767 - April 15, 1836
Biography
(b Verden, nr Hanover, 6 Oct 1767; d Boston, 16 April 1836). American musician, teacher and publisher of German origin. He was a son of the oboist Johann Georg Graupner, but no evidence has been found to link him with the earlier Christoph Graupner of Darmstadt. He was a skilled performer on many instruments, but followed his father’s profession and joined a military regiment in Hanover as oboist. He was honourably discharged in 1788 and shortly afterwards travelled to London, where he was first oboist in the orchestra assembled for Haydn’s concerts during 1791–2. He later immigrated to America where his first documented musical activity was as a member of the City Theatre Orchestra in Charleston, South Carolina, performing an oboe concerto on 9 November 1795. He married there Catherine Comerford Hillier, an English actress and opera singer, and the couple soon moved to Boston and were engaged at the Federal Street Theatre by January 1797.
Both Graupners were active as performers, and Gottlieb also opened a music store in which he taught, published and sold music. During the early decades of the 19th century he became Boston’s leading music publisher and dealer, selling music and instruments on consignment from other dealers, and engraving and printing much music and instructional material himself. He was leader of the Philharmonic Society throughout its existence (1809–24), and was a charter member of the Handel and Haydn Society in 1815. Graupner’s influence on the musical life of Boston was considerable because of the variety and scope of his activities through a long career.
Graupner wrote a few songs, in which the text appears between the two staves of one keyboard system, Governor Brooks’ Grand March for flute and piano, and several instruction books: Rudiments of the Art of Playing on the Piano Forte (Boston, 1806), New Instructor for the Clarinet (Boston, 1811) and G. Graupner’s Complete Preceptor for the Clarinet (Boston, 1826).
Source:
Douglas A. Lee. ""Graupner, Gottlieb."" In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.mnl.umkc.edu/subscriber/article/grove/music/11655 (accessed February 16, 2011).
