Woldemar, Michel

1750-1816

 

French violinist; born at Orleans. His surname was Michel but he changed it at the wish of a relative. His instructor was Lolli and they possessed many peculiarities in common. For some years he was conductor for a wandering troupe of comedians, but he eventually settled at Clermont-Ferrand, where he died. He changed the violin by adding a fifth string (bass C) calling this modification a violin-alto as it included the viola compass. He composed a concerto for it. Orhan adopted this instrument. Woldemar composed three violin concertos, quartet for strings, duets for two violins and for violin and viola, twelve grand violin solos, Phantasmagorical Sonatas, The New Harmonic Maze for the Violin, The New Art of the Bow, Elementary Study of the Modern Bow, also a Method for Violin one for viola, and one for piano. He invented a kind of musical stenography which he called Tableau melotachy graphique, and a musical correspondence called notagraphie.