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Thomas Baltzar (c.1630—1663), German violinist, was born at Lübeck. He visited England in 1656 and made a great impression on John 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.
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