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King Frederick II of Prussia, also known as Frederick the Great, was a proficient flautist and composer. He was an early and avid supporter of the pianoforte and owned at least three instruments made by Gottfried Silbermann. He also played the keyboard and owned several harpsichords. As a composer, he has over 100 works in the catalog, including four autograph manuscripts. His flute sonatas were often composed in collaboration with Johann Joachim Quantz, his music tutor and flute maker. Frederick's dedication to the arts and the Enlightenment, along with his military successes and reorganisation of the Prussian Army, greatly contributed to Prussia's rise as a major military power in Europe.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Military successes | Victories in the Silesian Wars, reorganisation of the Prussian Army, the First Partition of Poland |
| Political views | Enlightened despotism or benevolent absolutism, rationality, education, religious tolerance, freedom of speech, right to hold private property |
| Musical ability | Flute sonatas, operas, Symphony in D, proficient flautist and composer |
| Leadership qualities | Administrative efficiency, devotion to duty, success in building Prussia into a great power |
| Personal life | Homosexual, married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Bevern, had little in common with his wife and separated after securing the throne |
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What You'll Learn
Flute sonatas
King Frederick II of Prussia, better known as "Frederick the Great", was a flute enthusiast and a composer. He played the flute every day, even during wartime, and composed 121 sonatas and 4 concertos for the instrument. He also played the keyboard and was an enthusiast of the pianoforte, owning at least three instruments made by Gottfried Silbermann.
Frederick's flute sonatas were often composed in collaboration with Johann Joachim Quantz, who was his music tutor in his youth and later joined his court as a composer and flute maker. The sonatas are written in the Baroque style, with the flute playing the melody and the accompaniment usually played by just one instrument per part to highlight the delicate sound of the flute. The works also sometimes imitated operatic vocal styles like the aria and recitative.
The sonatas by Frederick the Great illustrate several fascinating aspects concerning formal plans. They represent the spirit of experimentation in the North German school preceding the Classical sonatas of Haydn and Mozart. The main body of his work, the 121 sonatas, demonstrate that the King's musical taste was limited to the style galant, as exemplified by Quantz.
In his palace in Potsdam, Frederick had teachers of extraordinary skill, including Quantz and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. While he was influenced by their style, he also developed a style of his own, influenced by vocal music and inspired by his masonic faith. His works contain interesting esoteric symbolisms associated with numerology, masonic keys, and the concept of the initiatory journey.
Of particular interest is the Sonata in C minor (King's Catalogue No.190), in which an introductory Recitativo and an Andante cantabile lead to the closing movement, which is a Fugue. The subject of the fugue includes a reference to the 'Thema Regium', the famous theme that the King gave to Johann Sebastian Bach during their meeting in Potsdam in 1747, which formed the basis of the Musical Offering BWV1079.
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Military victories
Frederick the Great was a brilliant military campaigner who led Prussia to become a major military power in Europe. He was a courageous leader, often commanding his army personally, and had multiple horses shot from under him during battle. He commanded the Prussian Army at sixteen major battles, ultimately obtaining almost all his political objectives.
Frederick's first military victory was the Battle of Mollwitz in April 1741, though he did not lead the troops himself. His most notable victories include the Battle of Hohenfriedberg in June 1745, fought during the War of Austrian Succession, where he decisively defeated the Austrians. He also defeated a counterattack by the Austrians at the Battle of Soor. In December 1745, Prussian forces under Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau defeated the Saxons at the Battle of Kesselsdorf, after which Frederick occupied Dresden, forcing the Saxon elector to capitulate.
Another significant victory was the Battle of Rossbach, where Frederick defeated a combined Franco-Austrian army of 41,000 with only 21,000 soldiers, inflicting 10,000 casualties on the Franco-Austrian side while suffering only 550 casualties himself. In the Battle of Leuthen, Frederick's 39,000 troops inflicted 22,000 casualties on Charles of Lorraine's Austrian force of 65,000.
In 1756, Frederick invaded neutral Saxony, capturing Dresden and forcibly incorporating the Saxon forces into his army. This action brought him widespread international criticism, but it also provided him with significant financial, military, and strategic assets. He then invaded Bohemia in the spring of 1757, winning a victory at the Battle of Prague, though his losses were too great to take the city. In December 1757, he fought at Leuthen again, a battle described as "eighteenth-century linear tactics at their best," which sealed his reputation as a battlefield commander.
In 1760, Frederick defeated the Austrians attempting to retake Silesia at the Battle of Liegnitz. He won a marginal victory at the Battle of Torgau, securing Berlin from further raids, but his position remained desperate, and he was unable to prevent Russian and Austrian troops from raiding Berlin in October.
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Expansion of Prussia
Prussia underwent significant expansion under the rule of Frederick the Great, who was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. Frederick's leadership and military successes contributed to Prussia's emergence as a major military power in Europe and a significant player among the German states.
One of the notable expansions of Prussia under Frederick's rule was the acquisition of Silesia. Through military victories, such as the Battle of Hohenfriedberg in 1745, and subsequent treaties, including the Treaty of Dresden, Prussia gained control of Silesia. This expansion secured valuable resources and strengthened Prussia's position.
Frederick also played a pivotal role in the First Partition of Poland in 1772, acquiring most of Royal Prussia. By annexing approximately 38,000 square kilometers of land and adding 600,000 inhabitants to his realm, Frederick connected East Prussia and Farther Pomerania. This strategic move granted Prussia control over the mouth of the Vistula River and disrupted Poland's sea trade.
Additionally, Frederick's initiatives led to the establishment of about a thousand new villages, attracting 300,000 immigrants to Prussia. He implemented advanced technology for land reclamation, including a massive drainage program in the Oderbruch marshland, creating roughly 150,000 acres of new farmland. This expansion of agricultural land boosted Prussia's food supply and economic strength.
Frederick's expansionist policies extended beyond territorial gains. He also focused on the reorganization of the Prussian Army, modernizing its military structure and enhancing its capabilities. Furthermore, he laid the foundations for a Prussian primary education system, emphasizing the importance of education in the kingdom.
Through a combination of military conquests, strategic acquisitions, population growth, land reclamation, and institutional reforms, Frederick the Great successfully expanded Prussia's territory, influence, and power during his reign. His efforts transformed Prussia from a European backwater into an economically and militarily powerful state, solidifying its position as a major force in Europe.
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Enlightenment ideals
Frederick the Great, also known as Frederick II, was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was an enlightened absolute monarch, and a leading exponent of the ideas of enlightened government. He is considered one of the most enlightened rulers of all time, and played a crucial role in the development of German Enlightenment thought.
Frederick's commitment to enlightenment culture and administrative reform built the foundation for Prussia to contest the Austrian Habsburgs for leadership among the German states. He reformed the Prussian bureaucracy and civil service, and pursued religious policies that ranged from tolerance to segregation. He allowed religious freedom and tolerated Jews and Catholics in Prussia, although Protestantism remained the favoured faith. He also encouraged immigrants of diverse backgrounds to come to Prussia.
Frederick supported the arts and philosophers he favoured, and allowed freedom of the press and literature. He wrote essays, discourses, epistolary and literary texts that contributed to Prussian and European philosophical debates. He shared a noteworthy correspondence with the French philosopher Voltaire, an Enlightenment pioneer, and the two exchanged ideas on governance, philosophy, and the Enlightenment. Voltaire influenced Frederick's views on religious tolerance and legal reform.
Frederick also had a long-lasting interest in ancient philosophy, particularly Marcus Aurelius. He was inspired by French and British enlightened ideas, and his philosophical preferences had a compelling impact on the development of Enlightenment thought during his reign. He created a speculative philosophy class at the Berlin Academy, and encouraged translations and European movements and views.
In conclusion, Frederick the Great was a strong advocate and practitioner of Enlightenment ideals. Through his military and administrative reforms, as well as his patronage of intellectual and artistic movements, he played a key role in modernizing 18th-century Germany and spreading Enlightenment thought throughout Europe.
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Opera and other compositions
Frederick the Great was a proficient flautist and composer. He played the keyboard and was an enthusiast of the pianoforte, owning at least three instruments made by Gottfried Silbermann. He also owned several harpsichords, including two Shudi models.
Frederick's flute sonatas were composed in collaboration with Johann Joachim Quantz, his music tutor and flute maker. These sonatas are written in the Baroque style, with the flute playing the melody and imitating operatic vocal styles like the aria and recitative. The accompaniment was usually played by a single instrument to highlight the delicate sound of the flute.
In addition to his flute sonatas, Frederick composed four concertos for flute and strings, four sinfonias, three military marches, and seven arias. He is also known for his collaboration with Graun on a 3-act opera called "Montezuma" in 1755.
The King's musical taste and style were described as rigid, particularly after the Seven Years' War. His compositions and performances reflected a preference for the style galant, as exemplified by Quantz, rather than the more progressive works of C. P. E. Bach.
Despite this, Frederick's talent as a musician and composer was recognized by his contemporaries. Dr. Burney, who visited Sans Souci, described Frederick's flute playing as surpassing "anything I had ever heard among the dilettanti or even professors."
Today, recordings of Frederick the Great's compositions are available on CD and YouTube, allowing modern audiences to appreciate his musical contributions.
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Frequently asked questions
Frederick the Great was a proficient flautist and keyboard player. He was also an enthusiast of the pianoforte and owned at least three instruments made by Gottfried Silbermann.
Yes, Frederick the Great was a composer and has over 100 works in the RISM catalog, including four autograph manuscripts. He also wrote sketches, outlines, and libretti for opera.
Frederick the Great's compositions include the operas Coriolano (1749), Silla (1753), Montezuma (1755), and Il tempio d'Amore (1756). He also composed the Hohenfriedberger Marsch to commemorate his victory in the Battle of Hohenfriedberg.
Frederick the Great's musical taste was described as rigid and limited to the style galant. He preferred the compositions of Johann Joachim Quantz, his music tutor and flute maker, over those of Bach.
