Cramer, Johann Baptist

1771-1858

Famous member of a family of renowned German musicians. His father, Wilhelm Cramer, was a celebrated composer, conductor and violinist. Johann was the eldest of three sons, all of whom distinguished themselves in music. Of the others Franz or François was a good violinist and Carl was also a violinist and a teacher of repute. Johann was born at Mannheim and was the best known of the family, an executant of eminence on the piano and one of the principal founders of the modern piano school. He was only one year old when his father settled in London, and he lived there almost continuously all of his life. He was instructed by his father on the violin and in the elements of the theory of music and piano-playing. He was a pupil of the celebrated Muzio Clementi for two years, and his musical taste was formed from a study of the works of Handel, Bach, Scarlatti, Haydn and Mozart. He took a course in thorough-bass, in 1785, from C. F. Abel, but he was for the most part self-educated in theory and composition. His first appearance took place in 1781, and in 1788 he made tours of the principal towns of the continent, gaining a reputation as pianist and instructor. In 1828 he founded the music publishing house of J. B. Cramer & Co. of London, which he conducted until 1842, and which still flourishes under his name. After a residence in Munich and Paris, he returned to London, in 1845, and passed the remainder of his life in retirement. He lived to play a duet with Liszt in London, and there are numerous references to him in Bee- thoven's letters, and in Moscheles' life. Indeed, Beethoven is declared to have said that Cramer was the only player of his time who amounted to anything. His most representative work is a book of eighty-four studies, which ranks with dementi's Gradus ad Parnassum, and has been long and widely used by pianists with profit. He also published a  selection of fifty etudes, useful to teachers, and which was edited by von Bülow. He published also numerous concertos for piano and orchestra, sonatas, marches, waltzes, suites, nocturnes and a method for the piano in five parts. His compositions were all distinguished by a style so artistic as to make them liked by the few rather than the many.