30 Facts About Domenico Dragonetti

Domenico Carlo Maria Dragonetti was an Italian double bass virtuoso and composer with a 3 string double bass.

Domenico Dragonetti stayed for thirty years in his hometown of Venice, Italy and worked at the Opera Buffa, at the Chapel of San Marco and at the Grand Opera in Vicenza.

Domenico Dragonetti was acquainted with composers Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven, whom he visited on several occasions in Vienna, and to whom he showed the possibilities of the double bass as a solo instrument.

Domenico Dragonetti is remembered today for the Dragonetti bow, which he developed throughout his life.

Domenico Dragonetti began playing the guitar and the double bass by himself on his father's instruments.

Domenico Dragonetti was noticed by Doretti, a violinist and composer of ball music, who took him along for public performance in Venice.

At the age of thirteen, Domenico Dragonetti was appointed principal player at the Opera Buffa in Venice.

Domenico Dragonetti made a first attempt in 1784, which was lost to Antonio Spinelli.

Domenico Dragonetti later was offered a place by the Tsar of Russia, which was declined and got him a salary raise in the chapel.

Domenico Dragonetti became very famous at the time, started playing solo pieces, which was exceptional at the time for the double bass, and even got elected as one of the directors of a musical festival held for the coming of fourteen sovereign princes to the republic of Venice.

Domenico Dragonetti was offered another position to the Tsar of Russia, which he declined after the procurators of St Mark increased his salary to an exceptional 50 ducats.

Domenico Dragonetti had no close family, but had many close friends in the musical world in London.

Domenico Dragonetti was an avid collector, and did indeed collect dolls, sometimes taking one along on trips to amuse the children, of whom he was very fond.

Domenico Dragonetti never did learn to speak English, expressing himself in a mixture of Italian, English, French and Venetian dialect, but was an astute businessman, and in fact, helped his surviving family in Venice financially.

Domenico Dragonetti took part between 1816 and 1842, in forty-six concerts held by the Philharmonic Society of London.

At the age of 82, Domenico Dragonetti visited Bonn in August 1845 to participate in the 3-day music festival held as part of the inauguration of the Beethoven Monument there.

Domenico Dragonetti died in his Leicester square lodgings at the age of 83 and was buried on 23 April 1846 in the vaults of the Roman Catholic chapel of St Mary, Moorfields.

On that second occasion, Haydn met Domenico Dragonetti, who became a very good friend, and who visited him in Vienna in 1799.

On that first trip to Vienna, Domenico Dragonetti met Beethoven in a famous encounter.

Domenico Dragonetti was not more remarkable for his astounding execution than for the deep, genuine musical feeling which elevated and ennobled it.

Domenico Dragonetti was now - in the spring of 1799, so far as the means are at hand of determining the time - returning to London from a visit to his native city, Venice, and his route took him to Vienna, where he remained several weeks.

Many years afterwards Domenico Dragonetti related the following anecdote to Samuel Appleby, Esq.

Domenico Dragonetti wrote piano accompaniments to some of his concert pieces, and they maintained a lifelong correspondence.

Domenico Dragonetti was again in Vienna in 1813 and got to meet once more Beethoven, who had just written Wellington's Victory, to celebrate the victory of Wellington over the French armies of King Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Vitoria.

The premiere of this work, as well as of Beethoven's seventh symphony was performed on 8 December 1813 in the university's Festsaal, with Domenico Dragonetti leading the double basses.

Domenico Dragonetti had large hands with strong, broad fingers, which allowed him to play with a taller bridge and strings twice as far from the fingerboard as the other bassists.

Domenico Dragonetti was a lover of the fine arts, and a collector of musical instruments as well as many art-related articles, such as original scores and paintings.

Similarly, it is reputed that Domenico Dragonetti was presented with an instrument made by Gasparo da Salo by the Benedictine nuns who occupied St Peter's monastery in Vicenza where Domenico Dragonetti lived and played in the Grand Opera.

When he left for London in 1795, Domenico Dragonetti left many papers and manuscripts, including a Complete system of the double bass, or instruction book for that instrument, containing many elaborate exercises and studies, in the care of a friend.

Some were directly bequeathed by Domenico Dragonetti, some were offered by Vincent Novello, and some were bought at auctions.