Davidoff, Carl

Davidoff, Carl – Cello Concerto No. 2 in A minor Op. 14 (Piano reduction/Cello solo)

(b. Kuldīga, Courland, 15. März 1838 – d. Moscow, 26. Februar 1889)

Karl Yulievich Davidov was born March 15 1838 in Goldingen in what was then the Duchy of Courland, in present-day Latvia, moving to Moscow 2 years later. His father was a medical doctor and a violinist. His mother ran a boarding school for women. Davidov studied mathematics (his brother, August Davidov became a notable mathematician) and cello at the Moscow conservatory. first teacher was Heinrich Schmidt, the principle cellist in the Moscow Theater, then Carl Schuberth in St. Petersburg where he continued his musical studies. The amount of talent he possessed must have been formidable. Many sources state that he began studying at age 12. His first orchestral debut was at 14, which implicates an incredibly quick assent into virtuosity, and yet his friends tell that he did not want a life of constant practicing, and would rather compose. He went to Leipzig to complete his studies, where he studied composition with Moritz Hauptmann, and took over Friedrich Grützmacher’s post as teacher of the Leipzig conservatory when he was only 22. He did retain the post very long, however, as he began to tour Europe as a soloist to great acclaim. Davidov was well-connected with the great composers and performers of his time, including Rubenstein, Sarasate, Wieniawsky, Von Bülow, etc, and also with nobility, being a frequent guest and performer at the imperial court. He and his wife (Alexandra Davydova née Gorozhanskaya, married in 1865) turned their private house into a central gathering point for international professional musician friends for performances of chamber music. He went on to be the head of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, although this post ended in scandal after he was thought to be in a relationship with a young student. He owned a Stradivarius cello which now goes by the name “Davidoff”. During the last two years of his life he completed work on the first part of his “Cello School”, considered the basis of the modern Russian Cello School. He is known for the theoretical advancement called the “Davidov hinge” which is used to play across the lower strings in the thumb position. His death from heart disease was sudden and unexpected on February 14, 1889, aged 51. …

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