Fesch Willem de, also de Veg, de Feghg, du Feche, Defesch, baptised 26 August 1687 Alkmaar (North Holland), †3 January 1761 London, Dutch composer and violinist.
From around 1710 to 1725, he lived in Amsterdam and worked as a teacher and violinist, giving several concerts in Antwerp (1718, 1719, 1722). Between 1725 and 1730, or 1731, he served as the cathedral’s Kapellmeister in Antwerp, succeeding A. d’Eve. In 1732, he settled permanently in London, where he soon became a highly regarded violin teacher and composer. Several of his stage works were performed in London theatres. In 1746, he took part (as first violinist) in the premiere performance of G.F. Handel’s Occasional Oratorio, and from 1748 he conducted the Marylebone Gardens orchestra. There is no information regarding his later life.
Fesch’s sonatas and songs gained great popularity not only in England but also in many other European countries, as evidenced by their numerous reprints. In his sonatas, Fesch underwent a fairly marked development in his compositional style, moving from virtuoso pieces influenced by the masters of the Italian Baroque to works of greater expressive depth revealing the influence of Handel.
Literature: F. van den Bremt Willem de Fesch (1687–1757?). Nederlands Componist en Virtuoos, Leven en Werk, Brussels 1949 (contains a thematic catalogue of Fesch’s works).
Compositions:
Instrumental:
VI Duetti… Op. 1, for 2 violins, Amsterdam 1716
Sonates... Op. 1, for 2 cellos, bassoons or viols, Paris 1738
VI Concerti… Op. 2, for 4 violins, viola, cello and b.c., Amsterdam 1716/17
VI Sonates… Op. 2, for 3 cellos, bassoon or viol, Paris 1738
VI Concerts… Op. 3, Nos. 1–4 for 4 violins, haute contre and b.c., Nos. 5–6 for 2 oboes, 2 violins, bass and b.c., Amsterdam 1716/17
VI Sonates… Op. 3, for 2 cellos, bassoons or viols, Paris 1738
XII Sonate… Op. 4, Book 1, Nos. 1–6 for violin, violone and b.c., Book 2, Nos. 7–12 for 2 cellos and b.c., Amsterdam 1725, also Book 2 published separately by Halevi as VI Sonates à deux violoncelles..., Paris 1738
VI Concerti… Op. 5 Nos. 1–4 for 2 transverse flutes, 2 violins, alto viol and b.c., Nos. 5–6 for 4 violins, viola, cello and b.c., Amsterdam n.d.
VI Sonate… Op. 6 for violin or transverse flute and b.c., Brussels 1725–31
XII Sonatas... Op. 8 No.1–6, for violin and b.c., Nos. 7–12 for 2 cellos and b.c., London 1736–38
Six Sonatas... Op. 8 for cello and b.c., London n.d.
VI Sonatas… Op. 9, for 2 transverse flutes, London 1739
VIII Concertos… Op. 10, Nos. 1–6 for 2 violins, tenor violin, cello, 2 violins b.c., No. 7 additionally with transverse flute, No. 8 additionally with 2 transverse flutes, for 2 violins, tenor violin, cello and b.c., London 1741
Thirty duets… Op. 11, for 2 transverse flutes, London 1747
Twelve Sonatas… Op. 12, 2 transverse flutes or 2 violins and b.c., London 1748
VI Sonatas… Op. 13, for cello and b.c., London ca. 1750
Vocal-instrumental:
Canzonette ed arie…, songs for soprano and b.c., London 1733 (?)
XX Canzonette…, songs for soprano and b.c., London 1733 (?)
VI English songs, songs with violin accompaniment, transverse flute and b.c., London ca. 1748
XV English Songs…, songs with violin accompaniment, transverse flute and b.c., London b.r.
Six new English Songs for the year 1749..., songs with violin accompaniment, transverse flute and b.c., London n.d.
Mr Defesch’s songs at Marybon-Gardens, songs, London 1753
additionally numerous individual texts to English songs
***
manuscript preserved:
Apis amata, cantata for 3 instruments
manuscript not preserved:
Missa Paschalis
Judith, oratorio, 1733
Joseph, oratorio, 1744
Love and Friendship, serenata, 1745
The London Prentice, operetta, 1754
in addition, the violin concertos and bassoon concertos have not survived.
Editions:
sonatas Op. 7 Nos. 2, 4 and 8, for 2 flutes or 2 violins and b.c., ed. F. Schroeder, Wilhelmshaven 1965
sonatas Op. 8, for cello and b.c., ed. W. Schultz, Leipzig 1961, also E. Koch and B. Weigart (Nos. 1–2, 4–6) as well as E. Koch and R. Ewerhart (No. 3), «Cello-Bibliothek» iss. – 96, 107, 54, 102, 99 and 109, Mainz 1965–71
sonatas Op. 8, Nos. 7–12, for 2 cellos and b.c., ed. L. Schäffler, «Moecks Kammermusik» XIX/XX
trio sonatas Op. 9, ed. H. Ruf, Heidelberg 1961
sonatas Op. 13, for cello and b.c., ed. R. Ewerhart and E. Koch, «Cello-Bibliothek» iss. 87–92, Mainz 1963–67
concerto in D major Op. 10 No. 7, ed. H. Ruf, «Nagels Musik-Archiv» CXCV, Kassel 1958
