Quante, Johann Joachim

famous German flutist, writer on music, and composer; b. Oberscheden, Hannover, Jan. 30, 1697; d. Potsdam, July 12, 1773. Quantz's father was a village blacksmith. Young Johann revealed a natural gift for music and played the double bass at village festivals at age eight. His father died when he was ten, and he was apprenticed to his uncle, Justus Quantz, a "Stadtmusikus" in Merseburg, in 1708, and later toJ. A. Fleischhack. He received instruction on string and wind instruments, becoming particularly adept on the violin, oboe, and trumpet. He also studied harpsichord with J. F. Kiesewetter.

Quantz completed his apprenticeship in 1713 but remained a journeyman under Fleischhack until 1716. He then became a member of the Dresden municipal band. During a three-month leave of absence in 1717, he studied counterpoint with J. D. Zelenka in Vienna and then subsequently became oboist at the Polish chapel of Augustus II in 1718. He was active in Dresden and Warsaw but soon turned to the transverse flute, receiving some lessons fromP. G. Buffardin.

In 1724 Quantz went to Italy in the entourage of the Polish ambassador and sought out FRANCESCO GASPARINI in Rome for further COUNTERPOINT training. After a sojourn in Paris in 1726-27, he visited England before returning to Dresden as a flutist in the court Kapelle. In 1728 he made his first visit to Berlin in the entourage of Augustus II, where he was engaged as teacher to Crown Prince Friedrich. He continued to visit Berlin regularly to instruct the Crown Prince while carrying out his duties in Dresden, which included the making of flutes from 1739.

Friedrich, better known as Frederick the Great, ascended the throne as King of Prussia in 1740 and the next year called Quantz to Berlin, where it was his special province to oversee the King's private evening concerts. He was granted an annual salary of 2,000 thalers, plus an honorarium for each new composition and flute he produced. Quantz was held in such high esteem by his patron that he was the only individual granted the right to criticize Friedrichs performances as a musician.

Quantz's famous guide to the transverse flute, Versuch einer Anweisung die Flote traversiere zu spielen, was published in Berlin in 1752. It remains in print in English today as On Flute Playing and is one of the most valuable guides to the early style of performance on the instrument.

Quantz's extensive output included some 300 concertos for flute, strings, and basso continuo, seven concertos for two flutes, strings, and basso continuo, two concertos for horn, strings, and basso continuo (one dubious), two concertos for oboe, strings, and basso continuo, Concerto for oboe d'amore, strings, and basso continuo (not extant), about 200 sonatas for flute and basso continuo, some 60 trio sonatas, 12 duets for two flutes or other instruments, 12 Capriccios for flute, 8 fantasias for flute, 22 hymns, 6 songs, etc. On the whole, these works reveal Quantz as a transitional figure in the movement from the BAROQUE to the CLASSIC style.