Biography of the Day: Bernhard Crusell (1775−1838)

[altmariusclassic]

http://www.swedishmusicalheritage.com/composers/crusell-bernhard/

Berndt (Bernhard) Henrik Crusell was born 15 October 1775 in Uusikaupunki in Finland (then part of Sweden), and died in Stockholm on 28 July 1838. He was principal clarinettist in the Royal Court Orchestra in Stockholm 1793−1833, and often performed as a soloist and chamber musician. He became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1801, and from 1818 onwards he conducted military music in Linköping every summer. Crusell composed concertos for clarinet and other wind instruments, chamber music, a comic opera, small format vocal music and music for military orchestras, and translated ten operas into Swedish.

Summary list of works

A comic opera (Lilla slavinnan), orchestral works (3 clarinet concertos, Introduction et Air Suèdois varié for clarinet and orchestra, Concertante for clarinet, bassoon, horn and orchestra, Concertino for bassoon and orchestra, etc.), chamber music (3 clarinet quartets, divertimento for oboe and string quartet, etc.), 2 declamatory works (Den siste kämpen, Vid Göta Kanals invigning), songs for one or more voices with piano (from Frithiofs saga etc.), songs for male choir (Hell dig du höga Nord etc.), music for military band.

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Works by Bernhard Crusell

This is not a complete list of works. The following works are those that have been inventoried so far.

• Operetta / Comic opera
  • Den lilla slavinnan, Die kleine Sklavin, Romantisches Schauspiel in...
• Clarinet and orchestra
  • Concerto pour la clarinette [B-flat major] opus 11
  • Concerto pour la clarinette [E-flat major] opus 1
  • Grand concerto pour la clarinette [F minor], opus 5
  • Introduction et Air Suèdois varié opus 12
• Bassoon and orchestra
  • Concertino [B-flat major, for bassoon and orchestra]
• French horn and orchestra
  • Concerto for horn and orchestra [F major]
• Solo for several wind instruments and orchestra
  • Concertante pour Clarinette, Cor et Basson [B-flat major] opus 3
• Mixed choir a cappella
  • "Hell dig, du höga Nord"
  • Rings drapa
• Male choir a cappella
  • 'Hell dig, du höga Nord'
  • "Det sköna hopp som swenskars trohet kröner"
  • Göta lejon ("Ej nordens gamla stamträd kan förtvina")
  • Rings drapa [Nr 11 ur "Tolf Sånger ur Frithiofs Saga satta i musik ...
  • Serenad ("Kring myrtenskylda fönstrets karm")
  • Sång till Glädjen ("Stormen I böljor")
• Voice and piano
  • "Jag har dig åter"




 ur Svenska sånger 1790-1810 [av flera tonsä...
  • Den gamle Svensken, En Folkvisa [A Folk Song], [included as no. 7 i...
  • Farväl, [included as no. 3 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pi...
  • Fiskaren, [included as no. 9 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte ...
  • Fragment af Schillers Thekla (Ett svar ur Andeverlden), [included a...
  • Frithiof går i landsflykt, Declamation och Sång, [no. 5 from Ten So...
  • Frithiof hos Angantyr [Nr 5 ur "Tolf Sånger ur Frithiofs Saga satta...
  • Frithiof och Ingeborg, [no. 1 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga co...
  • Frithiof spelar Schack, [no. 2 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga c...
  • Frithiofs Lycka, [no. 3 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga composed...
  • Frithof kommer till Kung Ring (Efter gamla Scalan), [no. 8 from Ten...
  • Fågelleken
  • Herthas Barn, [included as no. 2 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Fo...
  • Hjelten, 1813, [included as no. 5 in 'Songs with accompaniment of F...
  • Ingeborgs Klagan, [no. 4 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga compose...
  • Kalla Händer, Varmt Hjerta, [included as no. 4 in 'Songs with accom...
  • Kung Rings död, [no. 9 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga composed ...
  • Källan, [included as no. 1 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pi...
  • Mathilda, [included as no. 2 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte ...
  • Minne af Friherrinnan H.C. Åkerhjelm, [included as no. 3 in 'Songs ...
  • Minne och Hopp, [included as no. 9 in 'Songs with accompaniment of ...
  • Nöjet, [included as no. 6 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pia...
  • Oskuld, Sällhet och Saknad, [included as no. 1 in 'Songs with accom...
  • Smeden, [included as no. 8 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pi...
  • Sång innom Preste-Ståndet vid en Middag den 1sta Maj 1823, [include...
  • Sång på Högtidsdagen i Sällskapet Nytta och Nöje, [included as no. ...
  • Söndagsmorgonen, [included as no. 1 in 'Songs with accompaniment of...
  • Vikingabalk, [no. 6 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga composed to ...
  • Wisa, [included as no. 3 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pian...
  • Årets tider, [included as no.43 in 'Songs with accompaniment of For...
• Voice and other instruments
  • Farväl, [included as no. 3 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Forte Pi...
  • Frithiof och Ingeborg, [no. 1 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga co...
• Voice and orchestra
  • [Kantat, När för sitt slägtes väl]
• Voices and piano
  • Birfilaren, [included as no. 7 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Fort...
  • Cantate [to general Carl Johan Adlercreutz' honour], Music by Crusell
  • Frithiof och Björn, [no. 7 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga compo...
  • Glaset och Lyran, [included as no. 5 in 'Songs with accompaniment o...
  • Gåsen och Lärkan, [included as no. 2 in 'Songs with accompaniment o...
  • Konungavalet, [no. 10 from Ten Songs from Frithiofs Saga composed t...
  • Militärisk Sång till H.K.H. Kronprinsen, [included as no. 7 in 'Son...
  • Snuset. Visa, [included as no. 6 in 'Songs with accompaniment of Fo...
  • Sång till H.M. Konungen, [included as no. 6 in 'Songs with accompan...
  • Tolf [Tolv] Sånger ur Frithiofs Saga
• Voices and other instruments
  • Uppmuntran till Glädje, [included as no. 8 in 'Songs with accompani...
• Other chamber music with winds
  • 3 Quartetter för fyra Waldhorn [sic]
  • Concert trio for clarinet, bassoon and horn, [Pot Pourri pour clari...
  • Grand Septetto de L.van Beethoven oeuv.20 [sic]. Arrangé en Harmoni...
• 4 Instruments
  • Quatuor [D major] pour la Flûte, Violon, Viola et Violoncelle opus 8
  • Quatuor [N:o 1, E-flat major] pour Clarinette, Violon, Alto et Viol...
  • Quatuor [N:o 2, C minor] pour Clarinette, Violon, Alto et Violoncel...
  • Quatuor [N:o 3, D major] pour la Clarinette, Violon, Viola et Violo...
• 5 Instruments
  • Divertimento [C major] opus 9

Number of works: 68

Picture: Marcus Larson - Nattlig marin

Bernhard Henrik Crusell (15 October 1775 – 28 July 1838) was a Swedish-Finnish clarinetist, composer and translator, "the most significant and internationally best-known Finnish-born classical composer and indeed, — the outstanding Finnish composer before Sibelius".

Work: Clarinet Concerto No.2 in F-minor, Op.5 (c. 1817) Dedicated to tsar Alexander I of Russia.

Mov.I: Allegro 00:00
Mov.II: Andante pastorale 11:23
Mov.III: Rondo: Allegretto 16:52

Clarinet: Per Billman

Orchestra: Uppsala Kammarorkester

Conductor: Gérard Korsten

Crusell's Concerto in F minor, Opus 5, has been dated to 1815. It was dedicated to Alexander I, Tsar of Russia, and published, when the necessary permission had been granted, in 1818. The choice of key and the nature of the thematic material make of this work something very different.

The first movement is again in the expected form, with an orchestral exposition dominated by the principal theme, leading to the entry of the soloist. Again in the solo writing there is a full use of the resources of the instrument and the composer's own virtuosity as a performer, with the two characteristic registers of the clarinet exploited at once, before the development of the theme by the solo instrument. The key of F minor allows an additional element of drama and occasional poignancy that is very much of its period. A portrait of the composer painted in the 1820s by Johan Gustaf Sandberg shows him holding the score of the concerto with the principal theme of the first movement seen in the music he is holding, a suggestion of its importance to him.

The D flat major slow movement, an Andante pastorale in a lilting 9/8 metre, gives a chance for display of another kind, in its dynamic changes and contrasts, with final echo effects that offer, incidentally, a further technical challenge in the demand for the softest playing imaginable, as the clarinet answers the orchestra. The movement is followed by a final F minor Rondo of great charm, ending in a positive F major.