Nicolas Joseph Hüllmandel

Hullmandel was a proficient and excellent performer on the piano, harpsichord and glass harmonica. His preference for the piano is illustrated by his call for dynamics and the sounds differentiating the piano from the harpsichord. Most of the titles of Hullmandel's music seems to indicate a preference for the harpischord at least between the years 1773 and 1780. In these works the harpsichord comes first (i.e., for harpsichord or piano); however, between the years 1782 and 1796 Hullmandel changed the order (i.e., works for piano or harpsichord). There was only one exception to the latter group of works. His teachers included Garnier or Richter, possibly both, and possibly, though not probable, C.P.E. Bach. He enjoyed work in Paris and taught Marie Antoinette and possibly the Baroness Tallyrand as his second opus was dedicated to her. As a teacher, Hullmandel excelled as well with students like Onslow, Jadin, Aubert, and Lemachois, the mother of Charles Gounod. As indicated he most often composed for the piano or harpsichord and would also include an obligato violin. For the most part the violin parts were tertiary, that was, until his opus six in 1782 when Hullmandel forged ahead giving the violin a full voice in his compositions. It became responsible for thematic and melodic development and paved the way for violin virtuosity in the later Classical and early Romantic periods. He also had a penchant for music theory, development and pedagogy. His opus twelve contained thirty one short pieces which advanced in difficulty, and, his article on the `Clavecin' for the "Encyclopedie methodique" demonstrated his historical knowledge of the instrument as well as his criticisms and praises of it. ~ Keith Johnson