1756–1823 · France
Nicolas-Joseph Hüllmandel was born in Strasbourg in 1756 and died in London in 1823. A French composer, pianist and teacher of Alsatian origin, he wrote sonatas for the clavier, that is, for harpsichord or piano. His collections were published in Paris and London, and one of his pieces is available on our site.
Nicolas-Joseph Hüllmandel was born in Strasbourg on 23 May 1756. He grew up in a family of musicians: his father, Michel Hüllmandel, played the violin at Strasbourg cathedral, and his mother's brother, Jean-Joseph Rodolphe, was a violinist and horn player.
He began his musical studies in his home city. Among his teachers are named Joseph Garnier and Franz Xaver Richter, both choirmasters in Strasbourg. Little is known about his musical education.
At about the age of twenty Hüllmandel settled in Paris and quickly won success in aristocratic circles and private salons. The dedications of his first works show this: they are addressed to Marie-Antoinette, Baroness Talleyrand and the Duke of Guines.
Professional musicians also took an interest in his sonatas. It is reported that the notebook of sonatas Op. 3, published in 1777, drew the attention of Mozart when he visited Paris the following year.
Hüllmandel taught. His pupils included George Onslow and Hyacinthe Jadin, as well as Madame de Villeblanche, to whom he dedicated a collection of three sonatas in 1782. Another pupil, Mademoiselle Lemachois, later became the mother and first teacher of Charles Gounod.
Among Hüllmandel's friends was Charles Nodier.
When the Revolution began, Hüllmandel left for London with his family. There he published one more collection of sonatas in 1796 and lived until the end of his life. He died in London on 19 December 1823.
His son, Charles Joseph Hullmandel, became one of the founders of British lithography.
Hüllmandel wrote music for the clavier, that is, for harpsichord or piano. His sonatas appeared in collections, with an accompaniment that could be obligatory or optional. The collections were published in Paris in 1773–1788, and the last one came out in London in 1796.
The titles of some collections speak of gradual progression. Op. 5 is called "Petits airs d'une difficulté graduelle" ("Little airs of graduated difficulty"), and Op. 12 was issued with "Progressive Lessons"; its title names the piano and the harpsichord.
Our site has Hüllmandel's "Divertissement" for solo piano, at the level "Intermediate+". This piece suits a player who already has the basic skills.