Digital Dragonetti

Arthur Hill’s bookplate for the collected volume

Through these documents, a clear image emerges of Dragonetti: innovator, businessman, benefactor and respected professional. They are only a portion of a bound documentary volume offering a curated summary of Dragonetti’s life and career. The volume was assembled in 1905 by famed London instrument dealer Arthur F. Hill, who acquired Dragonetti’s materials in a sale of objects that had been owned by Vincent Novello.

The entire volume has been digitized, featuring a wide range of documents — legal papers, personal letters, and even musical notation.

Payments to family

During the years Dragonetti lived in London, he remained loyal to and supportive of his family in Italy.

This letter from the violinist Gaetano Bartolozzi to Dragonetti informs Dragonetti that the money Dragonetti sent to his relatives in Italy had run out and that Bartolozzi’s Venetian cousin, Puggiotto, had made extra payments to Dragonetti’s father on Dragonetti’s behalf. The payments had been made because of the desperate financial situation in which Dragonetti’s father found himself.

Resident Alien

Dragonetti, to some degree, was always an outsider in England, since he was never naturalized nor given the right to own land. This document shows that as an alien, Dragonetti was not allowed to live within 10 miles of the English seacoast, nor could he live near a dockyard. He was required to report any change of address to the Alien Office.

Conducting his business

A letter from the Director of the Philharmonic Society offers Dragonetti 50 guineas (or approximately $5,000 in 2023 U.S.D.) to perform with the orchestra. Dragonetti acted as his own business agent.

Correspondence with Rossini

Dragonetti was in contact with many of the important musical figures of his time. Gioachino Rossini, noted opera composer, had asked Dragonetti to explain the advantages of both his bow and tuning method to help Rossini introduce Dragonetti’s methods into the curriculum of the Paris Conservatoire. In response to Rossini, Dragonetti sent this letter in which he promised to send Rossini one of his bows and states that “tuning in fourths is by nature more correct. Furthermore, I can share with you, with some evidence, that the French way of tuning the double bass will never allow the execution that my instrument does both in playing chords, and in facility, evenness, and strength of sound.”

The Academy of St. Cecilia

The Academy of St. Cecilia is one of the oldest and most illustrious musical institutions in the world, founded by papal bull (decree) by Sixtus V in 1585. This is the letter Dragonetti received inviting him to become a member of this prestigious organization.

Here is Dragonetti’s letter, proudly accepting membership in the Academy of St. Cecilia in what he said was his 70^th year. Dragonetti says that he was “profoundly grateful for the honour conferred on me in being elected a member of the illustrious Congregation and Academy of St Cecilia….I shall eagerly look forward to receiving the Diploma from Sig. Cav Spontini, to whom, I send through you, a thousand thanks for his friendly proposal, reserving to myself to repeat them to him in person at the first opportunity.”

Dragonetti in the Press

Dragonetti was 76 years old in 1839 when he received a review in The Musical World by an anonymous writer which stated that “age and illness are now making sad havoc with this venerable artist.”  Dragonetti took great offence with this review and did not want the press to dictate the length of his musical career.  In response, and with the help of his good friend Vincent Novello, Dragonetti issued a circular addressed to the “English Musical Public” dated May 21, 1839, in which he stated “An attempt has been made to mislead the musical public by a report, which has been industriously circulated that I am at present in a state of infirmary and decay.”  Dragonetti goes on to say that the circular contains two letters which give a brief overview of the whole situation, and the English Musical Public can then “judge the whole affair.” The two supporting letters were written by Novello, who does not believe that Dragonetti was in no way decayed. Novello states that the review was a “falsehood …calculated both to mislead the public and prove injurious to Signor D. in the formation of his present and future professional engagements.” Novello goes on to say that he suspects that the writer was jealous of Dragonetti and “resorts to the mask of an anonymous writer, under which to spread his falsehoods and slanderous insinuations, in the hope he may escape the consequence of malice and detraction.”

Corelli Op 9, #5

Dragonetti and his long-time cellist and collaborator Robert Lindley were famous for their performances of baroque duos and trios.  This is the double bass part of Corelli’s Op 9, #5 that Dragonetti arranged to play an octave lower, with some adjustments to the original violoncello part. Lindley performed the violin part an octave lower on his violoncello.

Dragonetti’s Will

Dragonetti made out his will in Italian, six days before his death on April 16, 1846 at the age of 82. This English translation provides insights into his friendships, wealth and collections of books, music, art, jewelry and musical instruments.  There were many recipients of these possessions, and they represented a wide spectrum of society.  English royalty like H.R.H. Prince Albert received a “large violoncello which belonged to the celebrated English Singer Bartleman” and which Dragonetti had played for the Prince in 1845 during a “Concert of Ancient Music last year when H.R.H. was Director himself.“  Dragonetti also made provisions for the poor in his will, instructing that the “residue (whether of the money and securities for money or of the articles property sold and converted also into money) shall be distributed to the poor of the parishes of Saint Mark and Saint Simeon the Great in Venice.”  It is important to note that Dragonetti bequeathed all of his musical compositions to Vincent Novello, who in turn bequeathed them to the British Library where they reside today. His celebrated bass (made by Gaspar di Salo) was bequeathed to the “Patriarchal Church of St Mark at Venice” where this remarkable instrument still resides.

Dragonetti and Beethoven

This undated letter from Maurice Dietrichstein to Dragonetti outlines the plan for Dragonetti’s meeting with Beethoven. In the spring of 1799, Dragonetti was returning to London after visiting Venice. His route took him through Vienna where he stayed for several weeks.  This letter, written in French, shows evidence that Count Dietrichstein arranged a meeting of Beethoven and Dragonetti. Dietrichstein writes to Dragonetti “My dear friend, go tomorrow morning at eight o’clock exactly to Prince Lifnofsky’s. You will breakfast at his house and he will take you himself to Beethoven’s to engage him to fulfill your wishes. I should have gone with you, but I have muddled things up, I am unable to.  Make my excuses to the Prince and tell him that, relying on his friendship, I am persuaded that he will take you there without me.  Show him this note and rest assured that I will be praying for you in waiting. I am counting on seeing you after tomorrow morning to learn the result. “

To see more documents, view the digitized collection. 

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This collection is housed in the Music Library, Digital Collections, and Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives of Northwestern University Libraries.