Bernhard Romberg

Bernhard Heinrich Romberg (. * 11-12 November 1767 in Dinklage, † August 13, 1841 in Hamburg ) was a German cellist and composer.

As one of the most important members of the family of musicians Romberg, Bernhard Romberg made ​​on his concert tours throughout Europe as a cello virtuoso and composer. His school of cello is still one of the standard literature for the cello.

Life

Bernhard Romberg was born on 11 or November 12, 1767 in Dinklage, the son of Anton Bernhard Romberg bassoonist in a family of musicians. He spent his youth in Münster and began at an early age trained as a cellist.

It is not clear by whom Romberg cello lessons at the game received, different sources name the German cellist Johann Konrad Schlick, the Viennese cellist Franz Bernhard Romberg or Marteau own father, who also played cello. It is also possible that Romberg was taught by a violinist, as his later cello contained elements typical for the violin.

Together with his cousin about the same age Andreas Romberg (1767-1821), who played violin, Bernhard Romberg joined at the age of seven years in Munster on an audience. In the following years the two several concert tours took through Europe, but have been doing incorrectly referred to as " the younger brothers Romberg ". 1776, they visited the Netherlands, 1782 Frankfurt am Main and in 1784 and 1785 Paris. The French musician François -André Philidor Danican was impressed with the cousins ​​, and presented them to the outstanding violinist Giovanni Battista Viotti. In Paris, Bernhard Romberg learned the works of Haydn and Gluck 's operas know.

Because of their successful performances in Parisian salons, the cousins ​​were committed in 1785 for the Concert Spirituel.

In Münster, Bernhard Romberg devoted intensively to play the cello. Together with his cousin Andreas he played in the court orchestra in Münster. There he joined the Masonic Lodge "One of the three " bar. In 1790 they changed to the Electorate of Cologne court orchestra in Bonn. There, the cousins ​​met many famous musicians, including Christian Gottlob Neefe ( with whom she had known since 1782 ), Ludwig van Beethoven, the violinist Franz Anton Ries ( whose son Ferdinand Bernhard cello lessons received ), and the Czech cellist Joseph Reicha, together with its nephew Anton. For the frequently told anecdote, Beethoven Romberg had offered the composition and dedication of a cello concerto and Romberg had replied that he plays exclusively his own works, currently there is no evidence

Together with Franz Anton Ries ( violin) and Ludwig van Beethoven ( Viola) were the two Romberg as a quartet. In 1799, went their separate 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.

1820 Bernhard Romberg moved to Hamburg, where he lived until his death on August 13, 1841.

Work

About the cello was also Bernhard Romberg composer of operas, symphonies and chamber works. He wrote a significant cello school; she appeared in 1840 and is still one of the standard works in the cello lessons.

His symphonies 1-3 were first recorded in 2007; 2008 appeared in the music label ' Ars ' a CD (more precisely: SACD):

• Trauersinfonie on the death of Queen Louise of Prussia c minor op 23
• Symphony No. 2 in E flat major, Op 28
• Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op 53
• Flute Concerto, Op 17