John Hartmann

John Hartmann (October 24, 1830 – 1897) was a Prussian brass composer. He is notable for having served Prince George, Duke of Cambridge as bandmaster in the British 4th Regiment, 12th Lancers.

Hartmann was born in Auleben. When he went to fulfil his mandatory service obligation to the Prussian military, he chose to be a musician. Doing that gave him the option of choosing the regiment he would serve with. He chose to serve with the Cuirassiers in Cologne. While with the Cuirassiers, he played solo cornet and violin. In 1854, his bandmaster, Herr Schallehn, left service and traveled to England, joining the Crystal Palace Company. Hartmann joined him when his service was over in October 1855. John's brother Ernest also joined Schallehn (prior to John).

Hartmann continued to play cornet in the Crystal Palace Band until he was offered the position of bandmaster of the Tyrone Militia at Sheffield. He served with them, with the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, and with the Royal Sherwood Foresters (Nottingham Militia), who were "one of the best brass bands in the country." He organized the band of the 2nd Battalion of the (King's Own) 4th Foot at Chichester. He served with the 4th Foot Guards in Corfu, and the 12th Lancers at Hounslow for four years (turning it from a mediocre band to a professional band).

While serving with the 12th Lancers, Hartmann was invited with his regiment to serve the Duke of Cambridge in Aldershot, Leeds, and Manchester. He did this until a requirement to be enlisted in the military forced him to choose to end his career.

Afterwards he returned to Germany, and not liking it, retired again in the UK, doing compositions and arrangements of music for British publishing companies. He died in Liverpool.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 24, 1830, Died 1897

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1901 - 1929

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 65 10-in. ca. 1901 Arbucklenian polka Artists vary Cornet solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 65 7-in. ca. 1901 Arbucklenian polka Artists vary Cornet solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1089 7-in. ca. 1902 Facilita Bohumir Kryl Cornet solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 1089 10-in. ca. 1902 Facilita Bohumir Kryl Cornet solo, with piano composer  
Columbia (U.K.) WA8855 10-in. April-May 1929 Facilita Band (unidentified; Columbia (U.K.) Records) ; Jack Mackintosh Cornet solo, with military band composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hartmann, John," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102187.

Hartmann, John. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102187.

"Hartmann, John." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102187

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