Baltzar, Thomas
BALTZAR, THOMAS (c.1630-1663), German violinist, was born at Lübeck. He visited England in 1656 and made a great impression on Evelyn and Anthony Wood. In 1661 he was appointed leader of the king's famous band of twenty-four violins, but his intemperate habits cut short his career within two years. Nothing like his violin-playing had ever been heard in England before, and in all probability the instrumental music of Henry Purcell owes much to its influence.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
