Biography of Anton Bernhard Fürstenau (1792-1852)
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
- C-Dur (Preludio con fuoco - Moderato)
- a-moll (Preludio Lentamente - Allegro)
- G-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegretto)
- e-moll (Preludio a suo comodo - Allegro)
- D-Dur (Preludio con agilita - Allegro)
- h-moll (Preludio Fiero - Allegretto)
- A-Dur (Preludio con grazia - Presto)
- fis-moll (Preludio affetuoso - Moderato)
- E-Dur (Preludio ardito - Allegretto)
- cis-moll (Preludio energico - Moderato)
- H-Dur (Preludio brillante - Allegro ma non tanto)
- gis-moll (Preludio malinconico - Allegretto)
- Fis-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegro)
- 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
- F-Dur (Preludio con gusto - Allegro ma non tanto)
- d-moll (Preludio agitato - tempo di Polacca)
- B-Dur (Preludio con fuoco - Vivace)
- g-moll (Preludio con agitazione -Allegro con fuoco)
- Es-Dur (Preludio feroce - Andante)
- c-moll (Preludio lugubre - Burlesco moderato)
- As-Dur (Preludio con eleganza - Moderato)
- f-moll (Preludio con duolo - Moderato)
- Des-Dur (Preludio risoluto - Adagio)
- b-moll (Preludio a piacere - Allegretto)
- Ges-Dur (Preludio a piacere - Allegro)
- es-moll (Preludio lentamente - Allegretto)
6 Easy Duets - Book I op. 137
(2 flutes)
Rating: difficult
- Duett 1 (C-Dur)
- Duett 2 (G-Dur)
- 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)
Rating: mid-grade
- Rondo - Allegretto
- Allegretto
- Andante grazioso
- Rondo - Moderato
Bouquet des Tons op. 125 (Etüde)
(flute)
Alphonse Leduc, AL 20 964
Rating: difficult
- Energico
- Lagrimoso
- Allegro con spirito
- Moderato con molto sentimento
- Allegro moderato
- Serioso
- Allegretto
- Allegro appassionato
- Andantino con espressione
- Malinconico
- Allegro con spirito
- Allegro con fuoco
- Allegro moderato
- Andante maestoso
- Risoluto
- Allegro tempestoso
- Allegretto grazioso
- Allegro feroce
- Allegro non tanto
- A piacere
- A piacere
- Allegro agitato
- Allegro con fuoco
- Moderato
Very, very nice.
Großes Trio (mit Fuge) op. 118 (F-Dur)
(3 flutes)
Zimmermann, ZM 32130
Rating: mid-grade
- Allegro con spirito
- Scherzo vivace
- Andante
- Rondo Allegretto
Introduction et Rondeau brillant op. 132 (D-Dur)
(2 flutes, piano orchestral excerpt)
Zimmermann, ZM 2447
- Introduzione - Allegro moderato
- Larghetto
- Allegro animato
- Allegro
- 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)
Rating: mid-grade
- Introduktion - Moderato - Andante - Adagio
- Thema - Allegretto und 4 Variationen
Quartett op. 88 (F-Dur)
(4 flutes)
Zimmermann, ZM 2687
Rating: mid-grade
- Adagio espressivo
- Allegro con fuoco
- Menuetto - Allegro
- Allegro maestoso
- 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
- Flöteninstrumente und ihre Baugeschichte - Spielpraxis - Komponisten und ihre Werke - Interpreten1. edition Laaber: Laaber-Verlag,2009. - ISBN: 978-3-89007-545-7
- Fitzgibbon, Henry Macaulay: The Story of the fluteA facsimile reprint of the 1915 EditionWildhern Press,2009. - ISBN: 978-1-84830-180-1
- Celle: Edition Moeck,1987. - ISBN: 3-87549-028-2
- The instrument - the performer - the music9. edition Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press,- ISBN: 0-89672-285-6
- Flötenspiel in Klassik und Romantik1. edition Kassel: Bärenreiter,1988. - ISBN: 3-7618-0859-3
- Tonger, P. J.: Conversations-Lexikon der TonkunstBeilage der Neuen MusikzeitungKöln: Wilhelm Hassel,1910.
Last edit 02.04.2012