Joseph Dando

Joseph Dando (full name Joseph Haydon Bourne Dando; 11 May 1806 – 9 May 1894) was an English violinist and viola player. He introduced the first public concerts of chamber music in England.

He was born in Somers Town, London in 1806. He studied the violin with his uncle Gaetano Brandi, then from 1819 he was a pupil of Nicolas Mori for about seven years.

In 1831 he joined the Philharmonic Orchestra, where he played until 1855. For many years he led the orchestras of the Classical Harmonists and Choral Harmonists societies in London. In 1832 he played in the first performance in England of Beethoven's Fidelio.

He was the first to introduce public concerts in England consisting entirely of chamber music: on 23 September 1835, a benefit concert took place at the Horn Tavern, Doctor's Commons, in which Dando led an ensemble. It was successful, and more concerts followed. One such concert led by Dando, of chamber music by Onslow, Spohr, Beethoven and Corelli, was reviewed: "These chamber concerts will prove of essential benefit to the cause of sterling music. We cannot but recognise the promise of better days, when we witness... a large company attentively listening for a whole evening to an unvaried succession of instrumental compositions."

Dando assembled a string quartet consisting of Henry Blagrove and Henry Gattie (violins), Charles Lucas (cello) and himself playing viola: their first concert was on 17 March 1836 at the Hanover Square Rooms, and they continued for seven seasons until 1842, when Blagrove left the group.

The quartet was then led by Dando, with John Fawcett Loder playing viola and other members as before: they gave concerts at Crosby Hall, London until Gattie and Loder died in 1853. A reviewer of one of these concerts wrote: "Mr. Dando officiated as first violin, throughout the evening, and, in this capacity, we doubt whether he has many superiors among the violinists of all Europe. He is in all respects, an accomplished an admirable quartet player, with a feeling for his task which few possess."

...
Wikipedia