Page:The story of the flute (IA storyofflute1914fitz).djvu/211

 before the boy reached his tenth year; and Johannwho, though not knowing a single note of music, had already played the bass viol at fairswent to live with his uncle Justus, the Stadt-Musikus at Merseberg. Here Quantz learned to play the violin, flute, oboe, trumpet, sackbut, cornet, horn, bassoon, viol-de-gamba, clavecin, and a few other instruments! Trusting to his feet, his fiddle, and his flute, he went about 1714 to Dresden, and thence to Warsaw in 1718, where he was appointed oboist in the Polish Chapel Royal, having refused the post of Court trumpeter. Despairing of attaining perfection on the violin, and finding that oboe-playing injured his embouchure for the flute, he abandoned both these instruments, and henceforth devoted himself solely to the flute, studying under Buffardin, the famous French flautist, who was a member of the King of Poland's band. He visited Italy (1724-6), where he met Vivaldi and Porpora. At Naples he was in the habit of playing daily with a certain handsome Marchioness. One day, whilst so engaged, the Spanish Ambassador, who was a lover of the lady, called and stared at Quantz, but said nothing. A few evenings later Quantz was shot at whilst driving to a concert; and instantly arriving at the just conclusion that he had aroused the jealousy of the Spaniard, forthwith quitted Naples, without even bidding the fair lady farewell! He next visited Pariswhere he was much pleased with Blavet, the flute-player at the Operaand London (1727), where Handel and many others endeavoured to persuade him to remain, but after three