At a time when ants, for some inexplicable reason, begin to make their way indoors (isn’t it just getting nice outside?), I suppose it’s only appropriate that we acknowledge the anniversary of the birth of John Antes.* The Moravian composer was born in Frederick, Montgomery County, PA, on this date in 1740.

Antes is credited with being one the first American composers to write chamber music. He was also the creator of the earliest surviving bowed string instrument made in America by someone actually born in the colonies. Antes’ violin, made in 1759, is housed in the Museum of the Moravian Historical Society in Nazareth, PA. A viola, made by Antes in 1764 (again believed to be the earliest surviving of American origin), is housed in the Lititz Moravian Congregation Collection in Lancaster County. Antes created at least seven such instruments.

In 1752, Antes attended school in Bethlehem, PA. In 1760, he was admitted into the Single Brethren’s choir there. From Bethlehem, he travelled to Herrnhut, Germany, the international center of the Moravians, to prepare for a career as a missionary. In the meantime, he also took up watchmaking. He was ordained a minister in 1769, and then set out for Egypt. There, he served as a missionary to the Coptic Church in Grand Cairo. After a largely uneventful decade, he was captured and bastinadoed by followers of Osman Bey.

During his convalescence, he occupied himself with the composition of three string trios. He also sent a copy of six quartets to Benjamin Franklin, whom he had known in America. The quartets are now lost (nice job, Ben), but the trios survive.

Apparently, Antes also delved into making keyboard instruments (he completed a few for friends), but then the church elders reined him in. An Antes cello was discovered in somebody’s attic in 2018.

https://apnews.com/article/e88096710de44cde9c4db7fae41b1760

Video comparison of the three surviving Antes instruments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WhWs-3u-EI

Selections from the String Trio No. 2 in D minor:

Here’s a shout-out to all my peeps in the Lehigh Valley.

*Pronounced “Anties.”