Hoeckh, Carl (EN)

Hoeckh, Hockh, Carl, *22 January 1707 Ebersdorf (near Vienna), †25 November 1773 Zerbst, Austrian violinist and composer. He initially learnt to play the violin from his father, Christoph, and singing from F. Dorfmüller; from 1722, Hoeckh continued his musical studies with M. Schade in Bruck an der Leitha. It is likely that around 1725 he became an oboist in the orchestra of Count F.P. Weilli’s regiment, stationed in Temesvär (Romanian: Timişoara) and Orșova, where Hoeckh spent two years. In 1730, together with F. Benda and W. Weidner, he travelled to Warsaw; he soon became a horn player and second violinist in the ensemble of F. Szaniawski, the starost of Sochaczew. In 1734 he moved to Zerbst, where he served as concertmaster in the court orchestra led by J.F. Fasch. He remained there for the rest of his life, gaining recognition as a violinist and teacher; Hoeckh’s pupils included, among others, F.W. Rust, J.G. Seyffarth and J.W. Hertel. He composed orchestral and violin works, of which only Sieben Parthien for 2 violins and b.c., Berlin 1761, and 2 sonatas for violin and b.c. in Musikalisches Vielerley, Hamburg 1770, have been published. Many of Hoeckh’s works have been lost (including around 10 symphonies, 17 violin concertos and violin sonatas). However, the libraries of Dresden, Berlin and Brussels preserve manuscripts of Sinfonias for 2 violins, 2 oboes, viola and basso continuo, 13 sonatas for violin and basso continuo, and 10 Capricetti for solo violin.