Carl Friedrich Abel

Karl Friedrich Abel (December 22, 1723- June 20 1787)

was a German composer of Baroque music.

He was born in Kothen in 1723, and died on June 20 1787 in

London. He was a great player on the viola da gamba,

and composed much music of importance in its day for that

instrument.

He studied under Johann Sebastian Bach at

the Leipzig Thomasschule; played for ten years (1748-1758)

under A. Hasse in the band formed at Dresden by the elector

of Saxony; and then, going to England, became (in 1759)

chamber-musician to Queen Charlotte. He gave a concert

of his own compositions in London, performing on various

instruments, one of which, the pentachord, was newly

invented.

In 1762 Johann Christian Bach, the eleventh son

of Sebastian, came to London, and the friendship between

him and Abel led, in 1764 or 1765, to the establishment of

the famous concerts subsequently known as the Bach and Abel

concerts. For ten years these were organized by Mrs Comelys,

whose enterprises were then the height of fashion.

In 1775 the concerts became independent of her, and were continued

by Abel unsuccessfully for a year after Bach's death in

1782. At them the works of Haydn were first produced in

England. After the failure of his concert undertakings

Abel still remained in great request as a player on various

instruments new and old, but he took to drink and thereby

hastened his death.

He was a man of striking presence, of whom

several fine portraits, including two by Gainsborough, exist.

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Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia