Archive item of the month: March 2023
Philip Cipriani Hambly Potter (London, 3 October 1792 – London, 26 September-1871)
Potter was the son of Richard Huddlestone Potter (1755-1821, Member A102). Richard married Charlotte Baumgarten (daughter of the bassoonist Samuel Christian Baumgarten, 1729?-1798, Member EM033) in 1783, played flute in the Handel festivals held at Westminster Abbey in the 1780s, and, at the time of joining the RSM, was organist at St Bride’s Church Fleet Street; he was one of the original thirty founding members of the Philharmonic Society in 1813. Richard and Charlotte’s son, Philip, was given the family name of his godmother, thought to be the sister of the artist Giovanni Baptista Cipriani (see Archive Item of the Month, September 2021, for one of his concert ticket designs).
Potter studied counterpoint with Thomas Attwood (1765-1838, Member A126) who was to endorse his application for RSM Membership in 1817.
Potter had become a member of the Philharmonic Society in early 1815 and the following year had two compositions commissioned by them for performance in their concerts. He travelled to Vienna in 1817, met Beethoven who was complimentary and offered advice, and studied with Aloys Förster (1748-1823), a composer primarily known for his piano and chamber works. Upon his return to London in 1819 Potter was for many years a solo pianist, giving many of the first British performances of Mozart’s piano concertos. He was the first piano teacher at the Royal Academy of Music as well as Principal from 1832-1859, and also conducted for many years the Philharmonic Concerts; in this latter role he was known as someone who stood rather than sat and did not use a baton.
On 4 February 1854, writing from Baker Street, Potter wrote to the Society’s Secretary offering a March for the Anniversary Dinner that year. The letter shows Potter’s careful, and charming, sense of occasion whereby he writes that he has “limited myself to 16 of 17 performers” due to “not wishing to put the Society to any extra expense”.
The March was performed at the 116th Anniversary Festival Dinner held at the Freemasons Hall on 7 March.
