This is simply fantastic information. 1778 is about 30 years before I
thought that Jefferson called out his desire for the band of oboes,
clarinets, horns and a bassoon. I always thought it was the US Marine Band
which inspired him. Hey, maybe he revisited his idea when President, and
inspired the US Marine Band to upgrade from their fifes and drums!
In any case, be assured that I shall weave all this into a presentation for
which there won't be a dry eye in the house. About 100 selections of the
1800 that I am contributing to UVa are this type of music, so even though
Mr. Jefferson never got his band, his University will get a good set of
Harmoniemusick that would have warmed the cockles of his heart.
Thanks, again for all the help.
Randy Cabell - The Trumpeter of Jamestown
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jurretta Heckscher" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:04 AM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Jefferson and the Monticello Band
> Yes, Steve, you're right: the relevant letter is the following:
>
> Thomas Jefferson to Giovanni Fabbroni, June 8, 1778
> Original (draft) is here:
> http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mtj1&fileName=mtj1page001.db&recNum=947
> but, um, good luck with that; so transcript is here:
> http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=JefLett.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=12&division=div1
>
> Hope this helps, Randy!
>
> --Jurretta Heckscher
>
>
> On Feb 10, 2009, at 8:28 AM, S. Corneliussen wrote:
>
>>> I understand that he wrote somebody that he wanted to establish
>>> a band at Monticello -- two oboes, two clarinets, two natural
>>> horns, two bassoons ... I would appreciate it if any of you
>>> Jefferson Scholars can pin down that letter for me so that
>>> I can reference it.
>>
>> Interesting stuff. To me, this entry (below the dashed line) from the
>> online Jeffersonian Cyclopedia at the U.Va. electronic text center looks
>> suspiciously relevant. (So TJ wanted polymath servants. That guy was a
>> real dreamer sometimes, wasn't he? Just like Adams said. Well, good for
>> him.)
>> Steve Corneliussen
>> Poquoson, Virginia
>>
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>>
>> 5587. MUSIC, Domestic bands. -- The bounds of an American fortune will
>> not admit the indulgence of a
>> domestic band of musicians, yet I have thought that a passion for music
>> might be reconciled with that economy which we are obliged to observe. I
>> retain, for instance, among my domestic servants a gardener, a weaver, a
>> cabinet-maker, and a stone-cutter, to which I would add a vigneron. In a
>> country where, like yours [France] , music is cultivated and practiced
>> by
>> every class of men, I suppose there might be found persons of these
>> trades
>> who could perform on the French horn, clarionet, or hautboy, and
>> bassoon, so
>> that one might have a band of two French horns, two clarionets, two
>> hautboys, and a bassoon, without enlarging his domestic expenses. A
>> certainty of employment for a half dozen years, and at the end of that
>> time,
>> to find them, if they chose, a conveyance to their own country, might
>> induce
>> them to come here on reasonable wages. Without meaning to give you
>> trouble,
>> perhaps it might be practicable for you [* * *] to find out such men
>> disposed to come to America. Sobriety and good nature would be desirable
>> parts of their characters. If you think such a plan practicable, and
>> will be
>> so kind as to inform me what will be necessary to be done on my part, I
>> will
>> take care that it shall be done.
>> TITLE: To -- -- .
>> EDITION: Washington ed. i, 209.
>> EDITION: Ford ed., ii, 159.
>> PLACE: Williamsburg, Va.
>> DATE: 1778
>>
>
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