Bernhard Molique

Bernhard Molique

Bernhard Molique (Wilhelm Bernhard Molique; 7 October 1802 – 10 May 1869) was a German violinist and composer.

Biography

He was born in Nuremberg. His father was a musician and the boy studied various instruments, but finally devoted himself to the violin. In 1815 he received some lessons from Louis Spohr, and then studied the violin for two years at the University of Munich under Pietro Rovelli.

Career

In 1820 Molique succeeded Rovelli as court violinist in Munich, and, after several successful tours, in 1826 he became music director at Stuttgart. He died in Cannstatt in 1869. One of his pupils was the violinist Henry Blagrove.

Compositions

As a composer Molique was unapologetically self-taught. His music displays the influence of Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn and, especially, Louis Spohr. The then radical developments represented by Berlioz (who publicly praised his violin playing) and the New German School (German: Neudeutschen Schule) left Molique untouched, however.

His Cello Concerto was successfully played in Baden-Baden, by Léon Jacquard, conducted by Hector Berlioz, on August 27, 1860. He also wrote some charming songs.

Other selected compositions

• Chamber music
  • String Quartets, Opp. 16 (in G) and 17 (the latter in C minor)
  • Three String Quartets, Op. 18 (published 1843)
  • First grand trio concertante for piano, violin and violoncello, Op. 27
  • Sixth String Quartet, Op. 28 in F minor
  • Quintet for flute, violin, violas, violoncello, Op. 35, D major
  • Seventh String Quartet in B-flat major Op. 42 (published 1854)
  • Eighth String Quartet, Op. 44 in A minor (published by Kistner of Leipzig by 1853)
  • Second Piano Trio, Op. 52 in F major (published 1858)
  • Sonata for Concertina and Piano, Op. 57 (1857)
  • Piano Quartet, Op. 71 in E-flat major (published 1870)
• Concertante works
  • Concertino in F minor for violin, Op. 1
  • Violin Concerto no. 1 in E major Op. 4 (published 1830)
  • Violin Concerto no. 2 in A major, Op. 9 (published 1833)
  • Violin Concerto no. 3 in D minor, Op. 10
  • Violin Concerto no. 4 in D major Op. 14 (published 1839)
  • Violin Concerto no. 5 in A minor, Op. 21 (published 1845)
  • Violin Concerto no. 6 in E minor Op. 30 (ca. 1847?)
  • Cello Concerto in D, Op. 45 (published 1854)
  • Concertino for Oboe and Orchestra in G minor
  • Flute Concerto in D minor, Op. 69
  • Clarinet Concerto in F minor, 1824
• Oratorio
  • Abraham, op. 65.
• Liturgical
  • Mass in F minor, op. 22.(published 1846.)

Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
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External links

• Free scores by Bernhard Molique at the International Music Score Library Project