Carl Heinrich Graun

Carl Heinrich Graun (7 May 1704, Uebigau-Wahrenbrück – 8 August 1759, Berlin) was a German composer and tenor singer. Along with Johann Adolf Hasse, he is considered to be the most important German composer of Italian opera of his time.[1]

Contents

Biography

Graun was born in Wahrenbrück in Brandenburg. He sang in the chorus of the Dresden opera before moving to Braunschweig, singing there and writing six operas for the company. In 1735 Graun moved to Rheinsberg, after he had written an opera for the crown prince, when marrying Elisabeth Christine in Salzdahlum. He was kapellmeister to Frederick II of Prussia (Frederick the Great) from his ascension to the throne in 1740 until Graun's death nineteen years later in Berlin.

Graun wrote a number of operas. His opera Cesare e Cleopatra inaugurated the opening of the Berlin opera house in 1742. Others, such as Montezuma (1755), with a libretto by King Frederick. His pieces are rarely played today, though his passion Der Tod Jesu (The Death of Jesus, 1755) was frequently performed in Germany for many years after his death. His other works include concertos and trio sonatas.

Carl Heinrich Graun was the brother of Johann Gottlieb Graun, also a composer.

Works

Stage works

Other works

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ^ The New Grove Dictionary of Opera vol. 2 p.519

Sources

External links

Carl Heinrich Graun (1742) · Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1775) · August Wilhelm Iffland (1796) · Carl von Brühl (1815) · Gaspare Spontini (1819) · Giacomo Meyerbeer (1842) · Theodor Küstner (1847) · Botho von Hülsen (1851) · Bolko von Hochberg (1886) · Georg von Hülsen-Haeseler (1903) · Franz Winter (1918) · Max von Schillings (1919) · Heinz Tietjen (1925) · Ernst Legal (1945) · Heinrich Allmeroth (1952) · Max Burghardt (1954) · Hans Pischner (1963) · Günter Rimkus (1984) · Georg Quander (1992) · Peter Mussbach (2003) · Ronald Adler (2008, commissioner) · Jürgen Flimm (2010)