Composers

Friedrich Kuhlau

Piano
Flute
Voice
Piano four hands
Orchestra
Mixed chorus
Violin
Cello
Men's chorus
Viola
Sonata
Variation
Sonatina
Rondo
Song
Dance
Waltz
Duet
Marche
Fantasia
by popularity

#

10 German Songs, Op.11a10 Waltzes, WoO 21112 German Songs, Op.2312 Piano Sonatines12 Variations and Solos for Flute, Op.10b12 Waltzes for Piano, WoO 2122 Folksongs, WoO 1372 Marches, WoO 2062 Romances from Hugh von Reinberg, WoO 1282 Songs from 'Aladdin', WoO 1313 Brilliant Duos for 2 Flutes, Op.1023 Brilliant Duos for 2 Flutes, Op.813 Duets for 2 Flutes, Op.103 Duos brillants, Op.1103 Duos for 2 Flutes, Op.803 Fantaisies for Solo Flute, Op.383 Fantaisies, Op.953 Flute Quintets, Op.513 Flute Sonatas, Op.833 Flute Trios, Op.133 Flute Trios, Op.863 Gesänge, Op.72b3 Grand Duets for 2 Flutes, Op.393 Grand Solos, Op.573 Leichte Rondos über beliebte Opern Melodien, Op.313 Leichte Rondos über beliebte Opern-Melodien, Op.563 Piano Sonatas, Op.263 Piano Sonatas, Op.463 Piano Sonatas, Op.6a3 Poems, Op.213 Rondolettos, Op.1173 Rondos for Piano Duet, Op.1113 Rondos, Op.13 Sonatas for Piano 4-Hands, Op.663 Sonatas with Variations, Op.603 Sonatas, Op.523 Sonatas, Op.593 Sonatinas, Op.203 Sonatinas, Op.443 Thèmes favorits de l'opera 'Preciosa', Op.533 Violin Sonatas, Op.794 Sonatinas, Op.885 Variations on a Scottish Folk Song, Op.1045 Variations on 'sur un air national danois', Op.146 Canzoni, Op.96 Divertissements, Op.686 Rondos, Op.406 Scottish Dances, WoO 2186 Sonatinas, Op.556 Songs, Op.676 Thêmes favoris tires de l'Opera 'Der Freyschütz' variés, Op.496 Variations on 'Euryanthe', Op.636 Waltzes for Piano 4 hands, Op.286 Waltzes, WoO 2107 Variations on an Irish Folksong, Op.1058 Rondos, Op.418 Variations on a Danish Song, Op.168 Waltzes for Piano 4 hands, Op.24

A

Adagio and Rondo for Piano 4-Hands, Op.124Adagio for Harp, Cello and StringsAllegro pathetique for Piano 4-hands, Op.123

C

Comische Canons für drei Männerstimmen, WoO 183Concertino For 2 Horns and Orchestra, Op.45

D

Den kronede norske Nationalsang, WoO 139Die Feier des Wohlwollens, Op.36Divertimento, WoO 192Divertissement, Op.37

E

Elisa, Op.29Elverhøj, Op.100Eurydice in Tartarus, Op.47

F

Fantaisie, Op.93Fantasy and Variations, Op.25Flute Quintet in D major, Op.51 No.1Flute Sonata, Op.64Flute Sonata, Op.69Flute Sonata, Op.71Flute Sonata, Op.85Flute Trio in B minor, Op.90Forglem mig ei, WoO 146

G

German Songs, Op.19Grand Flute Quartet, Op.103Grande Valse heroique, WoO 216

I

Introduction and Rondo on 'Le Colporteur', Op.98aIntroduction and Rondo, Op.98bIntroduction and Variations, Op.99Introduction et variations brillantes, Op.101

L

La clochette, Op.121La légèrete, rondeau brillant, Op.120Leichte Variationen über sechs Oestreichische Volkslieder, Op.42

M

March in E-flat major, WoO 209Marsch til den Kongelige Liv Garde, WoO 207Marsch, WoO 138Menuet

P

Piano Concerto, Op.7Piano Quartet, Op.32Piano Quartet, Op.50Piano Sonata in A major, Op.59 No.1Piano Sonata in C major, Op.59 No.3Piano Sonata in F major, Op.59 No.2Piano Sonata in G major, Op.34Piano Sonata, Op.127Piano Sonata, Op.30Piano Sonata, Op.4Piano Sonata, Op.5aPiano Sonata, Op.6bPiano Sonata, Op.8aPiano Sonatina in C major, Op.20 No.1Piano Sonatina in C major, Op.55 No.1Piano Sonatina in C major, Op.55 No.3Piano Sonatina in C major, Op.55 No.6Piano Sonatina in D major, Op.55 No.5Piano Sonatina in F major, Op.20 No.3Piano Sonatina in F major, Op.55 No.4Piano Sonatina in G major, Op.20 No.2Piano Sonatina in G major, Op.55 No.2

R

Rondeau brillant, Op.96Rondo, WoO 203Røverborgen, WoO 129

S

Sang for de kongelige Land-Cadetter den, WoO 140Sonata for Piano 4 hands, Op.8bSonatina for Piano 4 Hands, Op.17Sonatinas for the PianoSørge Marsch ved Hans Majestæt Kong Christian VII, WoO 205String Quartet, Op.122

T

Trio for Piano and 2 Flutes, Op.119Trylleharpen, Op.27

V

Variations concertantes sur 'Le Colporteur', Op.94Variations on a Danish Song, Op.22Variations on a Swedish melodyVariations on an Old Norwegian Air, Op.15Variations on Danish National Song, Op.35Variations on 'Guide mes pas o providence', Op.12Variations on 'Herz, mein Herz, was soll das geben', Op.72Variations on 'Willkommen Purpurschale, du!', Op.18Violin Sonata, Op.33

W

William Shakespeare, Op.74
Wikipedia
Friedrich Daniel Rudolf Kuhlau (German; Danish sometimes Frederick Kulav) (11 September 1786 – 12 March 1832) was a Danish pianist and composer during the late Classical and early Romantic periods. He was a central figure of the Danish Golden Age and is immortalized in Danish cultural history through his music for Elves' Hill, the first true work of Danish National Romanticism and a concealed tribute to the absolute monarchy. To this day it is his version of this melody which is the definitive arrangement.
During his lifetime, Kuhlau was known primarily as a concert pianist and composer of Danish opera, but was responsible for introducing many of Beethoven's works, which he greatly admired, to Copenhagen audiences. Kuhlau was a prolific composer, as evidenced by the fact that although his house burned down, destroying all of his unpublished manuscripts, he still left a legacy of more than 200 published works in most genres.
Kuhlau was born on 11 September 1786 just south of Lüneburg in the Uelzen district of Lower Saxony (Germany). At the age of seven, he lost his right eye when he slipped on ice and fell. His father, grandfather, and uncle were military oboists. Even though Kuhlau was born to a poor family, his parents managed to pay for piano lessons. In 1802 he moved to Hamburg where he began learning the piano with scholar C.F.G Schwencke.
In 1804, Kuhlau made his debut and began working as a concert pianist. It was around this time that he began composing songs and chamber music to earn money. Many of Kuhlau's compositions throughout his life were for the flute, though he himself did not play the instrument. In 1810, he fled to Copenhagen to avoid conscription in the Napoleonic Army, which overwhelmed the many small principalities and duchies of northern Germany. In the same year, Kuhlau published his first piano and flute compositions. Kuhlau made a living in Copenhagen as a piano teacher and composer in 1811. He was later appointed as a non-salaried musician in the Danish Court in 1812. Kuhlau eventually became a Danish citizen in 1813. Following the success of his singspiel, The Robber's Castle, Kuhlau gained a high-paying position as a singing teacher at the Royal Theater in 1816. Kuhlau's works between 1817 and 1820 failed to gain much prominence. His opera, The Magic Harp, was said to have failed due to a controversial libretto. In 1821 and 1825, Kuhlau travelled to Vienna where he befriended Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven's influence is evidential in Kuhlau's later works such as his singspiel, Elves' Hill, a work widely regarded as a tribute to the Danish Monarchy and an inspiring piece from the Danish Golden Age. In 1828, Kuhlau was awarded an honorary professorship.
Kuhlau had his breakthrough in 1814 at the Royal Danish Theatre with Røverborgen ("The Robbers' Castle"), a singspiel with a libretto by Adam Oehlenschläger.
His next few dramatic works, including Trylleharpen (1817), Elisa (1820) and Hugo og Adelheid (1827), lacking drama, failed miserably. With Lulu from 1824 he finally once again experienced success with one of his singspiels. He also wrote music for performances of William Shakespeare's plays.
In 1828 he achieved his greatest success when he wrote the music for Elverhøj. It won immediate popularity, especially for its overture and the final royal anthem, his setting of Kong Christian stod ved høien Mast (King Christian Stood by the Towering Mast). In the music, Kuhlau made very effective use of Danish and Swedish folk tunes. In 1976 the overture was rearranged by Danish composer Bent Fabricius-Bjerre and used as the soundtrack in a scene in the film The Olsen Gang Sees Red. The scene depicts the Olsen Gang breaking into The Royal Theater of Copenhagen, making their way through bricked up walls using explosives and other means. The whole break-in is choreographed so it corresponds directly to the music. The scene is one of the most – if not the most – recognized in the history of Danish film.
Alongside his dramatic works, Kuhlau wrote several compositions for flute and a large number of works for piano. Particularly his short pieces, sonatinas, for piano, enjoyed great popularity both in Denmark and abroad.
Beethoven, whom Kuhlau knew personally, exerted the greatest influence upon his music. Kuhlau's C major Piano Concerto, Op. 7 from 1810 displays a strong influence from Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, written 14 years earlier. All three movements of the work are strongly reminiscent of the corresponding movements in Beethoven's work, making it a musical pastiche.
In addition to the above-mentioned piano concerto were a string quartet and several works for piano that included all the current genres of the day: sonatas, sonatinas, waltzes, rondos and variations. He also created several works for strings with piano (three quartets and two quintets, and several violin sonatas), works of incidental music and several operas. However, his most-often recorded and played works are several piano sonatinas and numerous works for flute. It is because of these flute works that he was nicknamed "the Beethoven of the flute" during his lifetime.