Dahmen: Three Cello Sonatas

Dutch-born cellist Johan Arnold Dahmen (1766–1812) was a principal player in Joseph Haydn’s “Salomon” orchestra in 1792 and became a well-known musician in London. His compositions included songs and choruses, string chamber music, piano sonatas, and at least one cello concerto; about forty-five items were published during his lifetime.

The only extant autograph manuscript by Dahmen is held by George Mason University. It comprises three sonatas of three movements each for two cellos (or for cello with violone), works that were composed between 1794 and Dahmen’s death in 1812. The music exemplifies chamber music in classical style and form, intended for collegial, informal performance by skilled musicians in intimate surroundings, or perhaps for pedagogical use. Preparation of the edition included conjectural reconstruction of several measures in one sonata due to a tear in one leaf of the manuscript.