Biography of Anton Bernhard Fürstenau (1792-1852)

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20.10.1792

Born in Münster, son of the flutist Caspar Fürstenau.

1798

First lessons from the father, with whom he also did some concert tours later.

1804

Member of the court´s orchestra in Oldenburg.

1815

Acquaintance with Carl Maria von Weber on a concert tour to Prague

1817

Member of the municipal orchestra in Frankfurt

1820

Move to Dresden and engagement by the king of Sachsen, being solo flutist playing under Carl Maria von Weber. Both became friends soon. Weber supports Fürstenau in composing.

1826

Flute method "Flötenschule" op. 26 and journey to London with Weber, whos opera Oberan is played there. Finds the dead composer in his quarter in the morning after an evening spent together.

Another friendship with Kuhlau who´s duets he used to play together with the composer.

1838

In the newspaper Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, october issue, his article "Historisch-kritische Untersuchung der Konstrukzion unserer jetzigen Flöte" is published

1844

His book Kunst des Flötenspiels in theoretisch-practischer Beziehung is published by Breitkopf

Concert tours with his flute playing son Moritz.

Stayed with an nine key flute for all his life.

18.11.1852

Dies in Dresden.

Further information/Sources:

• → Anton Bernhard Fürstenau auf Flutehistory.com
• → Noten von Fürstenau auf imslp.org
• → CDs by/of Anton Bernhard Fürstenau bei JPC (mit Hörproben)
• → Music by/with Anton Bernhard Fürstenau at amazon.de

Sheet music for flute:

26 Übungen - Heft I op. 107 (Etüde)

(flute)

Edition Peters, Nr. 5059a

Rating: mid-grade

1. C-Dur (Preludio con fuoco - Moderato)
2. a-moll (Preludio Lentamente - Allegro)
3. G-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegretto)
4. e-moll (Preludio a suo comodo - Allegro)
5. D-Dur (Preludio con agilita - Allegro)
6. h-moll (Preludio Fiero - Allegretto)
7. A-Dur (Preludio con grazia - Presto)
8. fis-moll (Preludio affetuoso - Moderato)
9. E-Dur (Preludio ardito - Allegretto)
10. cis-moll (Preludio energico - Moderato)
11. H-Dur (Preludio brillante - Allegro ma non tanto)
12. gis-moll (Preludio malinconico - Allegretto)
13. Fis-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegro)
14. dis-moll (Preludio lentamente - Allegretto)

Difficult, but worth the work.

26 Übungen - Heft II op. 107 (Etüde)

(flute)

Edition Peters, Nr. 5950 b

Rating: difficult

1. F-Dur (Preludio con gusto - Allegro ma non tanto)
2. d-moll (Preludio agitato - tempo di Polacca)
3. B-Dur (Preludio con fuoco - Vivace)
4. g-moll (Preludio con agitazione -Allegro con fuoco)
5. Es-Dur (Preludio feroce - Andante)
6. c-moll (Preludio lugubre - Burlesco moderato)
7. As-Dur (Preludio con eleganza - Moderato)
8. f-moll (Preludio con duolo - Moderato)
9. Des-Dur (Preludio risoluto - Adagio)
10. b-moll (Preludio a piacere - Allegretto)
11. Ges-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegro)
12. es-moll (Preludio lentamente - Allegretto)

6 Easy Duets - Book I op. 137

(2 flutes)

International Music Company, 2243

Rating: difficult

1. Duett 1 (C-Dur)
2. Duett 2 (G-Dur)
3. Duett 3 (F-Dur)

Parts in a cover. Unfortunately without numbering the bars in any way. The "Easy" as part of the title should not be taken literally. Both parts are emancipated and demanding, the movements are quite long and some of them are really very beautiful.

Only parts.

Amusements - 4 Bagatellen op. 65

(flute, piano)

Kindler

Rating: mid-grade

1. Rondo - Allegretto
2. Allegretto
3. Andante grazioso
4. Rondo - Moderato

Bouquet des Tons op. 125 (Etüde)

(flute)

Alphonse Leduc, AL 20 964

Rating: difficult

1. Energico
2. Lagrimoso
3. Allegro con spirito
4. Moderato con molto sentimento
5. Allegro moderato
6. Serioso
7. Allegretto
8. Allegro appassionato
9. Andantino con espressione
10. Malinconico
11. Allegro con spirito
12. Allegro con fuoco
13. Allegro moderato
14. Andante maestoso
15. Risoluto
16. Allegro tempestoso
17. Allegretto grazioso
18. Allegro feroce
19. Allegro non tanto
20. A piacere
21. A piacere
22. Allegro agitato
23. Allegro con fuoco
24. Moderato

Very, very nice.

Großes Trio (mit Fuge) op. 118 (F-Dur)

(3 flutes)

Zimmermann, ZM 32130

Rating: mid-grade

1. Allegro con spirito
2. Scherzo vivace
3. Andante
4. Rondo Allegretto

Introduction et Rondeau brillant op. 132 (D-Dur)

(2 flutes, piano orchestral excerpt)

Zimmermann, ZM 2447

1. Introduzione - Allegro moderato
2. Larghetto
3. Allegro animato
4. Allegro
5. Rondo - Allegretto grazioso

With lots of virtuos cadencas. Probably this was composed for concerts with his son Moritz Fürstenau.

Introduktion und Variationen - über das polnische Nationallied "Noch ist Polen nicht verloren" op. 94 (G-Dur)

(flute, piano)

Kindler

Rating: mid-grade

1. Introduktion - Moderato - Andante - Adagio
2. Thema - Allegretto und 4 Variationen

Quartett op. 88 (F-Dur)

(4 flutes)

Zimmermann, ZM 2687

Rating: mid-grade

1. Adagio espressivo
2. Allegro con fuoco
3. Menuetto - Allegro
4. Allegro maestoso
5. Adagio (Nationalhymne Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser) mit 3 Variationen

Parts and score.

First editions in Berlin and London before 1840.

Literature von/über Anton Bernhard Fürstenau

• Adorján, András:  Lexikon der Flöte
  Flöteninstrumente und ihre Baugeschichte - Spielpraxis - Komponisten und ihre Werke - Interpreten
  1. edition Laaber: Laaber-Verlag,
  2009. - ISBN: 978-3-89007-545-7
• Fitzgibbon, Henry Macaulay:  The Story of the flute
  A facsimile reprint of the 1915 Edition
  Wildhern Press,
  2009. - ISBN: 978-1-84830-180-1
• Goldberg, Adolph:  Portraits und Biographien hervorragender Flöten-Virtuosen, -Dilettanten und -Komponisten
  Celle: Edition Moeck,
  1987. - ISBN: 3-87549-028-2
• Lorenzo, Leonardo de:  My Complete Story of the flute
  The instrument - the performer - the music
  9. edition Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press,
  - ISBN: 0-89672-285-6
• Schmitz, Hans-Peter:  Fürstenau heute
  Flötenspiel in Klassik und Romantik
  1. edition Kassel: Bärenreiter,
  1988. - ISBN: 3-7618-0859-3
• Tonger, P. J.:  Conversations-Lexikon der Tonkunst
  Beilage der Neuen Musikzeitung
  Köln: Wilhelm Hassel,
  1910.