William Herschel

(1738-1822)

All première recordings

BUY THIS CD for £11.00 plus p&p

He was born Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in Hanover, Germany, as one of ten children (of whom four died very young), of Isaac Herschel (1707-1767) a member of the Hanover Military Band. In 1755 the Hanoverian Guards regiment, in whose band William and his brother Jacob were engaged, was ordered to England. At the time, the crowns of England and Hanover were united under George II. He learned English quickly and, at age nineteen, he changed his name to Frederick William Herschel.

He became a successful music teacher and bandleader, played the violin, the oboe and, later, the organ. He composed numerous musical works, including 24 symphonies and many concertos, as well as some church music. After a career leading orchestras in Newcastle, Leeds and Halifax (he was organist at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Halifax, West Yorkshire), he became organist of the Octagon Chapel, Bath, in which town he was also Director of Public Concerts.

Herschel's music led him to an interest in mathematics, and hence to astronomy. The turning point in Herschel's life was 13 March 1781, while he was living in Bath, when he made the first sighting of the planet Uranus. This made him famous and enabled him to turn to astronomy full-time. Naming the new planet Georgium Sidus, Latin for "George's Star", in honour of King George III also brought him favour (the name didn't stick - in France, where reference to the British king was to be avoided if possible, the planet was known as 'Herschel' until the name Uranus was universally adopted). That same year, Herschel was awarded the Copley Medal and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1782, he was appointed "The King’s Astronomer".

In The Herschel Chronicle (Cambridge University Press, 1933) his granddaughter Constance Lubbock wrote: His own taste in music was simple; music must express emotion; he loved melody and hated fugues. Most of Herschel’s compositions date from between about 1759 and 1770; they include twenty-four symphonies, a dozen concertos for various instruments (violin, viola, oboe, and organ); sonatas for harpsichord and violin; pieces for harpsichord and organ; and some psalm-settings and anthems. The symphonies (all in three movements) were composed between June 1760 and June 1764 and all bear the place and date of completion; in 1967 the composer’s own scores and parts were sold by his descendants to the British Museum.