Woldemar, Michel
Woldemar, Michel
Woldemar, Michel, French violinist and composer; b. Orléans, June 17, 1750; d. Clermont-Ferrand, Dec. 19,1815. He studied with Lolli and Mestrino. After teaching violin in Paris, he served as music director of a group of strolling players; eventually settled in Clermont-Ferrand as maître de chapelle at the Cathedral. By adding a 5th string (c) to the violin, he obtained an instrument that he called ’Violon- alto,r/ because it included the viola range, and for which he wrote a concerto. He also publ. 3 violin concertos, a String Quartet, duos for 2 violins and for violin and viola, Sonates fantomagiques for Violin (L’Ombre de Lolli, de Mestrino, de Pugnani, de Tortini), Yl grand solos, 6 rêves ou Caprices, Caprices ou Etudes, Le Nouveau Labyrinth pour violon, followed by studies in double stops, Le Nouvel Art de l’archet, Etude élémentaire de l’archet moderne, variations on Les Folies d’Espagne, etc., and methods for violin, viola, and clarinet. He also developed a system of musical stenography (Tableau mélotachigraphique) and a method of musical correspondence (Notographie).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire