Bernhard Romberg (cellist)
Bernhard Heinrich Romberg (* 11 / 12. November 1767 in Dinklage , † 13. August 1841 in Hamburg ) was a German cellist and composer .
As one of the most important members of the Romberg family of musicians , Bernhard Romberg made a name for himself as a cello virtuoso and composer on his concert tours throughout Europe. His school for violoncello is still part of the standard literature for cello lessons.
Life
Bernhard Romberg was born on November 11 or 12, 1767 in Dinklage as the son of the bassoonist Bernhard Anton Romberg into a family of musicians. He spent his youth in Münster and began training as a cellist at a young age.
It is not clear from whom Romberg received cello lessons; different sources name the German cellist Johann Konrad Schlick , the Viennese cellist Franz Marteau or Bernhard Romberg's own father, who also played the cello. It is also possible that Romberg was tutored by a violinist , as his later cello playing contained elements typical of the violin.
Together with his cousin Andreas Romberg (1767-1821), who played the violin, Bernhard Romberg performed in front of an audience in Münster at the age of seven. In the following years the two undertook several concert tours through Europe, but were wrongly referred to as "the younger Romberg brothers ". They visited the Netherlands in 1776, Frankfurt am Main in 1782 and Paris in 1784 and 1785 . The French musician François-André Danican Philidor was impressed by the cousins and introduced them to the outstanding violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti . In Paris, Bernhard Romberg got to know the works of Haydn and Gluck's operas .
Due to their successful appearances in Parisian salons, the cousins were engaged for the Concert Spirituel in 1785 .
In Münster, Bernhard Romberg continued to devote himself intensively to playing the cello. Together with his cousin Andreas he played in the court orchestra in Münster. There he joined the Masonic lodge "To the three bars". In 1790 they moved to the Electoral Cologne court orchestra in Bonn . There the cousins met many well-known musicians, including Christian Gottlob Neefe (with whom they had known since 1782), Ludwig van Beethoven , the violinist Franz Anton Ries (whose son Ferdinand received cello lessons from Bernhard), and the Czech cellist Joseph Reicha together with his Nephew Anton . There is no evidence for the anecdote that Beethoven offered Romberg the composition and dedication of a cello concerto and Romberg replied that he only played his own works.
Together with Franz Anton Ries (violin) and Ludwig van Beethoven ( viola ), the two Rombergs performed as a quartet . In 1799 they parted ways. Bernhard Romberg went on a concert tour to Spain , lectured at the Conservatory in Paris and became a member of the Royal Chapel in Berlin .
In 1820 Bernhard Romberg moved to Hamburg, where he lived until his death on August 13, 1841.
In honor of Romberg, three images of Romberg have been set up in the musician's birthplace in the middle of the Dinklager Ring / Märschendorfer Strasse roundabout (see photo on the right).
plant
In addition to playing the cello, Bernhard Romberg was also a composer of operas , symphonies and chamber music works. He wrote an important cello school; it appeared in 1840 and is still part of the standard literature in cello lessons today.
His symphonies 1 to 3 were recorded for the first time in 2007; In 2008 a CD was released by the music label Ars (more precisely: SACD ):
- Mourning Symphony on the Death of Queen Luise of Prussia in C minor, Op. 23
- Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op. 28
- Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 53
- Flute Concerto in B minor op.17
literature
- Marion Brück: Romberg, Bernhard Heinrich. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 22, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-428-11203-2 , p. 19 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Martin Blindow: Bernhard Romberg (1767-1841). Life and work of the great violoncello virtuoso. Katzbichler Verlag, Munich / Salzburg 2013, ISBN 978-3-87397-352-7 .
- Rebekka Sandmeier: Romberg, Bernhard (Heinrich). In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 14 (Riccati - Schönstein). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2005, ISBN 3-7618-1134-9 ( online edition , subscription required for full access)
Web links
- Literature by and about Bernhard Romberg in the catalog of the German National Library
- Works by and about Bernhard Romberg in the German Digital Library
- Detailed biography and work analysis (English)
- Sheet music and audio files by Bernhard Romberg in the International Music Score Library Project
- Catalog of works on Klassika
- Biography and commentaries on the symphonies on Musica oblita
- Romberg collection of ULB Münster
- Music prints Romberg of the ULB Münster
Individual evidence
- ^ Walter Grimmer: Bernhard Romberg, attempt at a critical appreciation. Or: Why Beethoven didn't leave us a cello concerto . ( Memento of the original from April 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) Lecture at the HMT Zurich 2002.
- ^ Bernhard Romberg: Cello School. 1st edition. Verlag Katzbichler, Munich / Salzburg 2005, ISBN 3-87397-177-1 . (Reprint of the first edition, Trautwein 1840)
- ↑ (Ars No. 5217076) Cologne Academy, Michael Alexander Willens
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Romberg, Bernhard |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Romberg, Bernhard Heinrich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German cellist and composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 11, 1767 or November 12, 1767 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dinklage |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 13, 1841 |
| Place of death | Hamburg |