Fisher, John Abraham
Fisher, John Abraham
Fisher, John Abraham, English violinist and composer; b. Dunstable or London, 1744; d. probably in London, 1806. After training with Thomas Pinto, he was a violinist in various theater orchs. in London. From about 1769 to 1778 he was concertmaster at Covent Garden, where he had success as a composer for the stage. In 1777 he received his B.M. and D.M.A. degrees from the Univ. of Oxford. During the next few years, he made successful tours of Europe as a violinist. While in Vienna in 1783, he took Nancy Storace as his 2nd wife, but his poor treatment of her led the Emperor to expel him the following year and his marriage collapsed. After a sojourn in Ireland (1786–88), he settled in London.
Works
DRAMATIC (all 1st perf. at Covent Garden, London): The Court of Alexander, burlesque opera (Jan. 5, 1770); The Golden Pippin, burletta (Feb. 5, 1773); The Beggar’s Opera, ballad opera after John Gay (Sept. 27?, 1776); The Tempest, dramatic opera after Shakespeare (Dec. 27, 1776); Love Find the Way, comic opera (Nov. 18, 1777); also pantomimes, masques, and incidental music. OTHER: Providence, oratorio (Oxford, July 2, 1777); 6 Simphonies (London, c. 1775); Concerto for Violin, 2 Violins, Viola, and Basso Continue (Berlin, c. 1782); chamber music; cantatas; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire