Graun brothers

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The Graun brothers were three German composers of the 18th century . They were among the main representatives of the First Berlin Song School and became well known beyond the Prussian borders. In the case of some of the compositions that have survived (such as piano concertos) it has not yet been proven beyond doubt which of the brothers they belong to.

They were born in Wahrenbrück , received their training at the Dresden Kreuzschule and worked at the court of Frederick II : Johann Gottlieb Graun (1703–1771) as concertmaster, his brother Carl Heinrich (1704–1759) as court conductor from 1741. Her oldest brother August Friedrich Graun (1698 / 99–1765), cantor and composer, was rather unknown.

Johann Gottlieb Graun was mainly active in the field of church composition. Among other things, he created a setting of Klopstock's cantata Auferstehn, ja auferstehn .

Carl Heinrich Graun wrote a total of 27 operas. In 1742, the newly built Berlin Opera House opened with his opera Cesare e Cleopatra .

literature

  • Christoph Henzel: Studies on the Graun tradition in the 18th century . Habilitation thesis at the University of Rostock, 2001.

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