Divertissements nouveaux composés de six simphonies à quatre parties pour trois violons et la basse continue op. 10 - Spourni, Wenceslaus Joseph c. 1700-1754 (Lyon Bertin, 1740)
Václav Spourný was a Czech cellist and composer.The information on its origins and formation is obscure as is the information on its activity. Forgotten by critics for a couple of centuries, the first meager historical information on Spourni was published by Jan Němeček in 1955: from these we only learn that he began his artistic career in Mannheim and then moved to Paris. In the French capital we know that in 1740 he entered the service of the prince of Carignano. The prominent aristocrat died in 1741, heavily in debt. Six years later we find Spourni quoted in the book of debts to be honored by the prince's heirs, where he appears as the largest creditor among the musicians: 4,475 lire tornesi of back wages. The cellist, however, at least until 1743, published his works, signing them as "composer of the late [...] Prince of Carignano". The musician, although certainly esteemed, does not seem to have enjoyed other good opportunities in the Parisian environment after the departure of Carognano.A mention of the diffusion of the character's memory is due to the inclusion of a composition by him in the collection Six solos for Two Violoncellos, composed by Signor Bononcini and other eminent Authors published in London in 1748 by John Simpson. In the successful publication, «Mr. Spourni» appears alongside the other celebrated and virtuous authors Giovanni Bononcini, Giuseppe Sammartini, Giovanni Porta, Andrea Caporale, Pasqualino de Marzis, all successfully active in the British capital. Instead the Czech seems already known to the English public only for the publication of the Six Sonates for a German Flute, a Violin and a Through Bass for the Harpsicord or Violoncello, printed around the same time.The sonata published in Simpson's collection was extracted from his Six Sonates Op. IV pour Deux Violoncelles published in Paris by Leclerc le Cadet and Madame Bonvin in 1741/1742.From the catalogs of the publisher Leclerc we have news of a collection of compositions without an opera number containing three concertos for three violins and bass and three symphonies for two violins and two basses; followed the op. 6 with sonatas for musette or viella, violin and bass; it was probably immediately following the aforementioned op. 4 the collection of six sonatas for two cellos, published in Lyon but on sale by Leclerc; in 1743 he published six played for two transverse flutes without bass without an opera number (with these he began to omit the name of his late employer) and the Première concert burlesque for a trio of violins, flutes and basses; in 1743 and 1744 he published works 12 and 13 for two cellos, now lost; also in '44 he published the op. 14 with six sonatas for two forced cellos.The cello sonatas of the fourth opera appear fully in the Italian compositional style while the first four of those without opera number of 1743 follow a French style but Spourni returned to the Italian one in the last two. This prompted the hypothesis of his training in contact with some master from the peninsula: perhaps the Paduan Antonio Vandini in Prague from 1722 to 1726 or perhaps with the Livorno-born Jean-Baptiste Stuck also in the pay of Carignano? (Wikipedia - Italian Article)
Ex libris Renaud (Plate)
Keywords: 18th Century (1701-1800); Instrumental music; String orchestra; Symphony