ABSTRACT
In the first half of the seventeenth century, the violin emerged as a solo instrument in northern Europe, particularly in Germany, attaining a much higher social status than ever before. William Brade was, along with John Dowland, Thomas Simpson, Walter Rowe, Peter Philips and John Bull, among the most influential English musicians active on the continent during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Brade's social rise should be viewed as the consequence of a steadily pursued career, which was remarkable for his ability to use political networks between courts to his advantage. Brade significantly contributed to the professionalization and rising social status of string players in seventeenth-century Germany. A closer look at Brade's professional biography reveals the importance of patronage and institutional changes within Danish and German Hofkapellen for the increasing specialization and professionalism of violin playing.
