Dotzauer, (Justus Johann) Friedrich

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Dotzauer, (Justus Johann) Friedrich

Dotzauer, (Justus Johann) Friedrich, famous German cellist; b. Haselrieth, near Hildburghausen, Jan. 20,1783; d. Dresden, March 6, 1860. He studied piano and violin with Heuschkel and Gleich-mann, cello with Ressner, and composition with Ruttinger in Hildburghausen. He made his debut as a cellist at a court concert (1798) and then completed his cello studies with Kriegck in Meiningen (1799). He was a member of the Meiningen Court Orch. (1801–5) and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. (1805–11) before joining the Dresden Court Orch. (1811), where he served as 1stcellist (1821–50). He prepared several valuable teaching manuals. He wrote an opera, Graziosa (Dresden, 1841), syms., overtures, cello concertos and other works for cello, sonatas, masses, etc., but these works are conventional and undistinguished. Among his pupils were Carl Schuberth, Friedrich Kummer, and his own son, Karl Ludwig Dotzauer (b. Dresden, Dec. 7, 1811; d. Kassel, July 1, 1897), who was cellist in the Kassel Court Orch. (1830–97).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire