Thomas Gainsborough
Portrait of a Musician, probably a portrait of Antonín Kammel (1730–84), c. 1768
Oil on canvas, 76 x 64 cm (30 x 25 in)
(Private Collection)
Courtesy of Simon Gillespie Studio.
Anthony Kammell, as he called himself in England, (originally Antonín Kammel), was active as a composer in England between 1765 and 1784. He was one of the close circle of friends of Thomas Anson of Shugborough and a colleague of Johann Christian Bach. This study looks at his career and his world, and asks what became of his family.
There is an appendix with my case for Kammell as the subject of the newly discovered Gainsborough portrait.
(This is a work in progress and is regularly updated and corrected,)
Antonin Kammell – A Bohemian Composer in 18th Century England 01112023
A biography of Kammell, with details of his family and descendants. The first appendix explains the links between Kammell and Gainsborough. The second appendix looks at the possibility that Lola Montez was his great-granddaughter.
Kammell Thematic Catalogue 16042025
A listing of all known works.
(This is a work in progress and is regularly corrected and updated.)
DOWNLOADABLE SCORES
AK1/3 Sonata in A (unpubished)
Kammell Sonata in A with piano part sib 7 – Score and parts
AK4/1 String Quartets Op. 4 (dedicated to George Pitt)
Kammell Op 4 quartet 5 – Score and parts
Kammell Op 4 quartet 4 – Score and parts
Kammell Op 4 quartet 3 – Score and parts
Kammell Op 4 quartet 2 – Score and parts
Kammell Op 4 quartet 1 – Score and parts
AK2/2 Violin Duos op. 5 (dedicated to Thomas Anson)
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 6 – Score and parts
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 5 – Score and parts
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 4 – Score and parts
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 3 – Score and parts
Kammell Duet Op. 5 no. 2 – Score and parts
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 1 – Score and parts
Rediscovering Antonin Kammell
An article for the journal Czech Music which looks at the philosophical ideas of music and nature from Kammell’s teacher Tartini that might have influenced Gainsborough, the Price family and Benjamin Stillingfleet.
RECORDINGS
Kammell String Quartets Op. 4 AK4/1, performed at Shugboorugh in September 2023 by the Valle Quartet
Kammell Violin Duets Op. 5 AK2/2(dedicated to Thomas Anson) performed at Shugborough September 2023 by Georgia Davies and Clair Stanley
A Kammell duet recorded at Shugborough September 2022
Kammell String Quartets Op. 4, complete
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 1 arranged for orchestra by Andrew Baker
Kammell Duet Op. 5 No. 5 arranged for orchestra by Andrew Baker
Andante Alla Francese from Symphony in G with added wind.
Minuet from Kammell’s Sonata Op. 9 No. 1, at Shugborough.
Kammell Symphony Op. 10 No. 1 – digital playback
Kammell Symphony Op. 10 No. 2 – digital playback