# Frederick the Great!



## Tallisman (May 7, 2017)

Who knew Frederick the Great composed! (Fairly proficiently, too, if derivatively)


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Yes, he was a pupil of Quantz.


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

Not sure how much he composed in total, but I've previously heard quite a few of his works. His flute sonatas and concertos are probably his most accomplished works on the whole (at least of those I've heard), and are in general well worth a listen. He does seem to have been at his best when the flute was prominent - perhaps not surprising given the influence of his longtime teacher and that he was apparently a capable flautist himself. C.P.E. Bach, among other musical notables, was also present at Potsdam during his reign, and he and J.S. Bach were acquainted too - the latter in fact wrote his _Musical Offering_ (BWV 1079) on the basis of a theme provided to him by Frederick.

Just thought I'd mention another accomplished composer-monarch whose musical skills are generally overlooked by comparison to his monarchical activities, Henry VIII of England. Even though he didn't actually compose "Greensleeves", he's credited with a number of instrumental pieces for keyboard and consort, and some frequently very lively songs, the best-known of which is probably this one:


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Some have said that the music of Frederick the Great is probably more Quantz than Freddie. Brahms may have had that in mind when he advised, don't criticize the music of monarchs; you never know what great composer you're insulting. :lol:


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

KenOC said:


> Some have said that the music of Frederick the Great is probably more Quantz than Freddie. Brahms may have had that in mind when he advised, never criticize the music of monarchs; you never know what great composer you're insulting. :lol:


I suspect something similar could be said for at least some of W.A. Mozart's juvenelia too, given that his father was also a composer, and devoted to promoting his son's career. Not that we are ever likely to know for certain now!

Back to this thread: I'm pretty sure that Henry VIII, at least, was an original composer; the song posted above, moreover, seems like exactly the kind of thing he _would_ have written, to those with any knowledge of the man.


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

Orpheus said:


> Just thought I'd mention another accomplished composer-monarch whose musical skills are generally overlooked by comparison to his monarchical activities, Henry VIII of England. Even though he didn't actually compose "Greensleeves", he's credited with a number of instrumental pieces for keyboard and consort, and some frequently very lively songs, the best-known of which is probably this one:


I'll set this as my alarm clock, it's sure to make me get out of bed with some alacrity.

I'm not well-versed in the evidence for how much Henry VIII actually composed, but I'm highly sceptical. After all if the Tudor monarch said 'I composed that', who would oppose him?


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## Orpheus (Jul 15, 2012)

eugeneonagain said:


> I'm not well-versed in the evidence for how much Henry VIII actually composed, but I'm highly sceptical. After all if the Tudor monarch said 'I composed that', who would oppose him?


Oppose Henry? I certainly would not have, had I lived in those times, given his proclivity for lopping off the heads of those who did!

I'm not going to claim to be an expert on the subject myself, but I do know enough to be able to say that circumstantial evidence in favour of Henry having composed the works to which his name is put is actually quite strong. He was both a well-educated and very cultivated man according to the standards of his time, and seems to have been well-regarded as a musical performer himself, in addition to being a noted patron of music and musicians, so the interest, and plausibly the ability, were certainly there. Some of the pieces are known to have been arrangements and reworkings of music by others, certainly, but it's still extremely likely to have been Henry's own hand that did the arranging. I don't want to go into this more fully right now though, largely because this thread was meant to be about Frederick.


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