August Bruhns

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DakoJack
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August Bruhns

Post by DakoJack »

August Bruhns????
What does everyone know about him all I really know is that he was famous for playing the David Concertino and I believe played it at Davids funeral ,but I'd like clarifacation on that and any other knowledge that you may know.
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LeTromboniste
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by LeTromboniste »

Try searching with alternative spellings. I.e. Bruns.

He was trombonist of the Kapelle of Dresden from 1861 to 1892. One of his sons became principal trombone there in 1901, and stayed until WW2.

He did apparently play the David at the Gewandhaus in 1873 (the year of David's death), but I don't find info about playing at the funeral. I had read somewhere that the funeral march from the concertino was played on violin at that occasion, but then again that was right next to a totally unsubstantiated and dubious claim that Mendelssohn was supposed to compose the piece originally, so it's not worth much. So if you have info about Bruns playing at the funeral that would be very interesting information!
Maximilien Brisson
www.maximilienbrisson.com
Lecturer for baroque trombone,
Hfk Bremen/University of the Arts Bremen
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DakoJack
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by DakoJack »

LeTromboniste wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:50 pm Try searching with alternative spellings. I.e. Bruns.

He was trombonist of the Kapelle of Dresden from 1861 to 1892. One of his sons became principal trombone there in 1901, and stayed until WW2.

He did apparently play the David at the Gewandhaus in 1873 (the year of David's death), but I don't find info about playing at the funeral. I had read somewhere that the funeral march from the concertino was played on violin at that occasion, but then again that was right next to a totally unsubstantiated and dubious claim that Mendelssohn was supposed to compose the piece originally, so it's not worth much. So if you have info about Bruns playing at the funeral that would be very interesting information!
Thanks for the bread crumbs I'll continue to investigate upon further research I'm having trouble tying hime to the actual funeral perhaps I mistaked the Gewandhaus for his actual funeral. Thank you so musch for your input im concidering doing some scholarly research on this.
Retrobone
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by Retrobone »

Maybe this would interest you...a contemporary review of a performance by Bruns in Hamburg quoted in my research into the Leipzig trombone builders Sattler and Penzel

https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/360420/360442

“The famous trombone of the lamented Queisser of Leipzig has come into the hands of the great master’s thoroughly worthy successor, the trombonist Bruns, of the Hamburg City Theater.... we noticed this young artist after he performed an aria form Rossini’s Stabat Mater and a “Lied” by Belcke with organ accompaniment in the Jacobi-Kirche... Queisser’s trombone, made of heavy silver brass, (the thin metal makes too much noise) displays an especially rich, soft tone. It was in very safe hands, and when through the humidity of the breath, when one blows into it, the inner silver oxidises, the tone becomes progressively softer and nobler, but loses its stability and projection in later years....

We heard a certain Saxon here, Nabich, several years ago. He came from London calling himself the Non Plus Ultra of trombonists, and also had an excellent instrument. What an enormous power we heard on this trombone. He also trilled not in whole tones but in minor thirds, and his sound was not particularly round...

What a difference to hear our Hamburg trombonist last Monday in the Jacobi Kirche. The higher notes could be exchanged with a horn and the possession of an excellent well schooled breathing technique allows Bruns to perform melodies on this powerful instrument with elegance and lightness. The brilliant breath control was laid bare with a minute long trill in piano with crescendo and diminuendo, whereby we could scarcely believe what a human chest could achieve. Respect for such an instrument, such a virtuoso.”
Tim Dowling
Principal trombonist, Residentie Orchestra, The Hague
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DakoJack
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by DakoJack »

Retrobone wrote: Sun May 31, 2020 2:46 pm Maybe this would interest you...a contemporary review of a performance by Bruns in Hamburg quoted in my research into the Leipzig trombone builders Sattler and Penzel

https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/360420/360442

“The famous trombone of the lamented Queisser of Leipzig has come into the hands of the great master’s thoroughly worthy successor, the trombonist Bruns, of the Hamburg City Theater.... we noticed this young artist after he performed an aria form Rossini’s Stabat Mater and a “Lied” by Belcke with organ accompaniment in the Jacobi-Kirche... Queisser’s trombone, made of heavy silver brass, (the thin metal makes too much noise) displays an especially rich, soft tone. It was in very safe hands, and when through the humidity of the breath, when one blows into it, the inner silver oxidises, the tone becomes progressively softer and nobler, but loses its stability and projection in later years....

We heard a certain Saxon here, Nabich, several years ago. He came from London calling himself the Non Plus Ultra of trombonists, and also had an excellent instrument. What an enormous power we heard on this trombone. He also trilled not in whole tones but in minor thirds, and his sound was not particularly round...

What a difference to hear our Hamburg trombonist last Monday in the Jacobi Kirche. The higher notes could be exchanged with a horn and the possession of an excellent well schooled breathing technique allows Bruns to perform melodies on this powerful instrument with elegance and lightness. The brilliant breath control was laid bare with a minute long trill in piano with crescendo and diminuendo, whereby we could scarcely believe what a human chest could achieve. Respect for such an instrument, such a virtuoso.”
This is great stuff I need to get back to this research thank you so much for the info.
bcschipper
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by bcschipper »

LeTromboniste wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 12:50 pm Try searching with alternative spellings. I.e. Bruns.

He was trombonist of the Kapelle of Dresden from 1861 to 1892. One of his sons became principal trombone there in 1901, and stayed until WW2.

He did apparently play the David at the Gewandhaus in 1873 (the year of David's death), but I don't find info about playing at the funeral. I had read somewhere that the funeral march from the concertino was played on violin at that occasion, but then again that was right next to a totally unsubstantiated and dubious claim that Mendelssohn was supposed to compose the piece originally, so it's not worth much. So if you have info about Bruns playing at the funeral that would be very interesting information!
The David Concertino was played at a concert in memory of Ferdinand David on October 2, 1873. The source is Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (AMZ) 1873, p. 701. The solo player is not mention in the source. However, Handrow (Posaunenvirtuosen des Gewandhausorchesters zu Leipzig, in: Die Deutsche Posaune - ein Leipziger Welterfolg, 2010, p. 87) lists K. Bruns as solo player of the David Concertino in the Leipziger Gewandhaus on October 2, 1873. This is confirmed by a primary source, The Monthly Musical Record, November 1, 1873, p. 145-146, which states that the concertino "was played on the present occasion very excellently by the royal Kammermusiker, Herr Bruns, from Dresden."

The description of David's funeral in AMZ 1873, p. 492, does not mention Bruns or David's concertino for trombone. Instead, the university chorus and the Thomaner Chor were singing at his grave. The military music corps of the 104. Infanterieregiment played Chopin's funeral march on the way to the cemetery. The funeral was on July 24, 1873.
RustBeltBass
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by RustBeltBass »

Hello everyone, what an interesting topic.

I was a fellowship holder/Akademist at the Staatskapelle Dresden during my studies in Berlin. That meant that from 2009-2011 I was obligated and privileged to play with the orchestra 15 times a month and received a stipend. What a great (and challenging) way to learn the ropes of orchestral playing, and especially opera playing.

This orchestra (the oldest continually existing orchestra in Germany) has a unique history and some of the greatest works ever written were premiered there.

I still remember how baffled I was when I had the opportunity to play “Die schweigsame Frau” (The silent women) by Richard Strauss and found out we were playing off the original parts !!!!
:o :o

One of my mentors and colleagues from Dresden who is second/assistant principal trombone there runs a website dedicated to the history of the low brass section in Dresden and traced back the biographies of the members into the 1600s, very impressive. His name is Guido Ulfig and he really care about all this a lot.

From his website I could find out that August Bruns (no H) was a self taught trombonist but in Dresden he actually held the tuba position. Yup, that was his main gig. There is also an image of an old Hamburg newspaper article lamenting his departure from Hamburg for Dresden.

http://ulfig.eu/august-bruns.php
bcschipper
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Re: August Bruhns

Post by bcschipper »

Well, tubas were something new and cool at the time when valves came into fashion. August Bruns still played trombone besides tuba.

BTW, I just noticed that Rolf listed K. Bruns (Konrad) instead of August Bruns in his article. Konrad was born only in 1877. So he could not have performed at David’s memorial concert. It was his father, August Bruns.

Nice fellowship you got in 2009-2011. I was born in Dresden. I listen to these guys a lot. I also own a Kruspe Weschke that was played by former principal trombone of the Dresdner Staatskapelle (and another one owned by the former principal of Dresdner Philharmonie).
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