Bernhard Crusell facts for kids
Bernhard Henrik Crusell (born October 15, 1775 – died July 28, 1838) was a famous Swedish-Finnish musician. He was a talented clarinet player, a composer who wrote music, and a translator. Many people consider him the most important Finnish-born classical composer before Sibelius.
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Early Life and Learning Music
Crusell was born in Uusikaupunki, Finland. His family was not rich; his father was a bookbinder. When Bernhard was four years old, he loved listening to a shop assistant play the flute. He would sit outside just to hear the music. Even though his parents sometimes scolded him, he kept going back because he loved the melodies so much.
When Crusell was eight, his family moved to a village called Perttula. He found a friend's clarinet and taught himself to play it just by listening! Soon, he started getting lessons from a musician in the local army band.
In 1788, when he was thirteen, a family friend noticed his amazing musical talent. This friend took him to meet Major O. Wallenstjerna at Sveaborg. Sveaborg was a Swedish fortress near Helsinki. The Major was very impressed with Bernhard's playing. He invited Bernhard to join the Sveaborg military band as a volunteer and live with his family. There, Crusell got a good education and became excellent at music and languages.
In 1791, Major Wallenstjerna moved to Stockholm, Sweden, and Crusell went with him. Even though he spent most of his life in Sweden, Crusell always felt like he was from Finland.
Becoming a Clarinet Star
In Stockholm, Crusell continued his studies and became a well-known clarinet player. In 1792, at age sixteen, he became the director of an army band. The next year, he became the main clarinet player for the Royal Court Orchestra. His composition teacher, Abbé Vogler, led this orchestra.
In 1798, Crusell received money to study in Berlin for a few months. He learned from a famous German clarinet player named Franz Tausch. Tausch taught a style of playing that focused on a beautiful sound. Crusell learned quickly and performed in concerts in Berlin and Hamburg. People loved his playing!
Crusell lived in Sweden for the rest of his life. He only visited Finland once, in 1801, performing in Helsinki and Turku.
In 1803, a friendship with the French ambassador helped Crusell travel to Paris. He played concerts there and studied clarinet at the new Conservatoire. He bought new, improved clarinets during his travels.
The Théâtre-Italien de Paris even offered Crusell a job as their main clarinet player. But the King of Sweden, Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, wanted to keep Crusell in his royal orchestra. So, the King made Crusell the chief conductor of the bodyguard regiment bands. Crusell stayed with the Royal Court Orchestra until 1833.
Crusell traveled again in 1811 and 1822 to buy more advanced clarinets from famous makers like Heinrich Grenser in Dresden. His Grenser clarinet had eleven keys, which was very modern for the time!
Throughout his career, Crusell became famous as a clarinet soloist in Sweden, Germany, and England. He played music by composers like Beethoven, Mozart, and Weber. Critics always praised his playing, especially his beautiful, even tone and his ability to play very softly. He was one of the highest-paid musicians in the royal orchestra for many years.
Crusell the Composer
Between 1791 and 1799, Crusell studied music theory and composition with Abbé Vogler and Matheus Daniel Böritz. In Paris in 1803, he also studied composition with Gossec and Berton. He wrote many pieces, including concertos (music for a solo instrument with an orchestra) and chamber music (music for a small group of instruments). He wrote these pieces for himself and for other wind players in the court orchestra.
In 1811, he started working with a music publisher in Leipzig, which helped his music become more widely known.
From 1818 to 1837, Crusell spent his summers leading military bands in Linköping. He arranged music by other composers and wrote pieces for male choirs. In 1822, he published three books of songs using poems by the Swedish poet Esaias Tegnér. He published another book of songs, Frithiofs saga, in 1826.
His opera, Lilla slavinnan (The Little Slave Girl), was first performed in Stockholm in 1824. It was very popular and was performed 34 times over the next 14 years!
Other Achievements and Awards
Crusell was also very good at languages. He translated important Italian, French, and German operas so they could be performed in Sweden. His translation of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro in 1821 was so good that he was invited to join the Geatish Society, a group of important writers and academics in Sweden.
In 1837, he received a gold medal from the Swedish Academy and was given the Order of Vasa award for his service to the country.
Crusell Music Festival
Since 1982, a special event called Crusell Week has been held every summer in Uusikaupunki, Finland, where Bernhard Crusell was born. This festival celebrates music for woodwind instruments like the clarinet, flute, and oboe. Jussi Särkkä is the Artistic Director of Crusell Week.
List of Musical Works
Crusell wrote many beautiful pieces of music. Here are some of his most famous works:
Soloist with Orchestra
- Clarinet Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 1
* This concerto has three parts: fast, slow, then a lively dance. * It was finished around 1808 or 1810.
- Clarinet Concerto in F minor, Op. 5 ("Grand")
* This is another three-part concerto, with a beautiful slow section. * It was first performed in 1815.
- Clarinet Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 11
* This concerto also has three parts, ending with a Polish dance style called "Alla polacca." * It was published in 1829.
- Sinfonia concertante in B-flat major, Op. 3
* This piece is for three solo instruments: clarinet, horn, and bassoon, playing with an orchestra. * It was first performed in 1804.
- Concertino in B-flat major, for bassoon and orchestra
* This shorter concerto for bassoon was completed and published in 1829.
- Introduction et Air suedois, for clarinet and orchestra, Op. 12
* This piece is based on a popular Swedish song. * It was first performed in 1804.
Chamber Music
- Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 2
* This is for clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. * It was composed around 1807.
- Quartet in C minor, Op. 4
* Another quartet for clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. * It was composed around 1804.
- Quartet in D major, Op. 7
* This quartet is also for clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. * It was composed around 1821.
- Quartet in D major for flute, violin, viola and cello, Op. 8
* This is an arrangement of his Op. 7 quartet, but for flute instead of clarinet.
- Three clarinet duets
* These are pieces for two clarinets to play together. * They were published in 1821.
- Divertimento in C major for oboe, two violins, viola and cello, Op. 9
* This piece is for oboe and a small string group. * It was published in 1823.
Vocal Works
- Sångstycken ("Songs")
* These are songs with words by Esaias Tegnér and other poets. * Published in 1822.
- Frithiofs saga (10 songs)
* More songs based on poems by Esaias Tegnér. * Published in 1826.
- "From Ganges' beauteous strands"
* This song is from his opera The Little Slave Girl. It's for a singer, clarinet, and piano.
- "Oi terve Pohjola!" ("Hail, O Northland!")
* This is a very famous song in Finland, often sung by vocal groups or choirs.
Music for Stage
- Lilla slavinnan (The Little Slave Girl)
* This is an opera in three acts. * It was first performed in Stockholm on February 18, 1824.
