Friedrich Kuhlau Free Sheet Music, Program Notes, Recordings and Biography

A Drink with a Giant: Kuhlau and Beethoven

In September 1825, the composer Friedrich Kuhlau made a pilgrimage to Vienna with a singular goal: to meet his idol, the great Ludwig van Beethoven. The meeting, which took place in the nearby town of Baden, was a resounding success. The two men, joined by some of Beethoven's friends, spent a long and boisterous day together, fueled by copious amounts of wine. The deaf Beethoven communicated through his conversation books, and at one point, Kuhlau penned a musical canon in his honor. Not to be outdone, the famously witty Beethoven immediately improvised a new canon based on Kuhlau's name, with the playful text "Kühl, nicht lau" ("Cool, not lukewarm"). The day of mutual admiration and boisterous camaraderie was a highlight of Kuhlau's life, and the story perfectly encapsulates his place in music history: a devoted follower and master practitioner of the Viennese classical style, held in high esteem even by the era's most formidable giant.

A German Youth and a Danish Future

Friedrich Daniel Rudolf Kuhlau was born in 1786 in Uelzen, Germany. His childhood was marked by a serious accident; at the age of seven, he slipped on ice and fell, losing the sight in his right eye. Despite this, his musical talents were encouraged, and his family moved to Hamburg where he could study with a prominent teacher. He established himself as a concert pianist and composer, but his budding career was interrupted by the Napoleonic Wars. To avoid being conscripted into the French army, which had occupied Hamburg, Kuhlau fled to Copenhagen in 1810. He arrived as a virtual unknown with few resources, but his talent as a pianist quickly won him recognition. Denmark would become his permanent, adopted home.

The Royal Danish Court

Kuhlau quickly assimilated into Danish culture. He was granted the title of Royal Court Chamber Musician in 1813 and later, Royal Court Composer. He became a central figure in the musical life of Copenhagen, working as a composer, a non-salaried singer at the Royal Chapel, and a respected piano teacher. He was instrumental in introducing the works of his hero, Beethoven, to the Danish public, performing his piano concertos and chamber music. While he wrote several operas for the Royal Theatre, his greatest success with the Danish public came in 1828 with his incidental music for the play Elverhøj (The Elves' Hill). The work, which skillfully weaves together Danish and Swedish folk melodies, was an enormous patriotic success and has remained a beloved part of Danish national culture.

The Beethoven of the Flute

Though Kuhlau was a pianist, his most extensive and perhaps finest body of work was written for the flute. During the early 19th century, the flute was an immensely popular instrument among amateur musicians. Seeing a market for high-quality chamber music, Kuhlau composed a vast catalog of duos, trios, quartets, and sonatas featuring the instrument. These were not simple, throwaway pieces. Kuhlau wrote for the flute with exceptional skill and idiomatic understanding, creating works that were challenging enough for professionals but still accessible to talented amateurs. His fluency and prolific output in the genre were so remarkable that he earned the laudatory nickname, "the Beethoven of the flute." His works remain a cornerstone of the standard flute repertoire to this day.

Master of the Sonatina

For generations of piano students, the name Kuhlau is synonymous with one specific genre: the sonatina. His sets of sonatinas, particularly Op. 20, Op. 55, and Op. 59, have been indispensable staples of piano pedagogy for two hundred years. A sonatina is, in essence, a "little sonata," a shorter, technically less demanding work that still follows the basic formal principles of the larger classical sonata. Kuhlau’s sonatinas are models of the form. They are perfectly proportioned, melodically charming, and they brilliantly introduce developing pianists to the essential elements of the Classical style: sonata-allegro form, lyrical slow movements, and lively rondos. Their enduring popularity is a testament to Kuhlau's gift for writing music that is both educational and genuinely delightful to play.

A Tragic End

Despite his successes, Kuhlau's life was marked by personal and financial difficulties. The greatest tragedy struck in 1831 when a fire broke out in his house. The blaze destroyed nearly all of his unpublished manuscripts, a lifetime of creative work gone up in smoke. Though Kuhlau himself escaped the fire, the shock and loss were devastating. His health, already weakened by a chest ailment, declined rapidly. He died in Copenhagen in March 1832, less than a year after the fire.

Legacy

Friedrich Kuhlau was not a revolutionary composer who changed the course of music history. Rather, he was a supreme craftsman of the late Classical and early Romantic styles. A contemporary of Beethoven, Schubert, and Weber, he created music of exceptional grace, formal elegance, and melodic appeal. While his larger works, such as his piano concerto and operas, have largely fallen out of the repertoire, his legacy is firmly secured in two distinct areas: his masterful and extensive works for the flute have guaranteed him a permanent place in that instrument's history, and his brilliant piano sonatinas have ensured that his name will be known and his music will be played by piano students for generations to come.

Section 4: References and Further Reading

• Mehring, Arndt. Friedrich Kuhlau in the Mirror of His Flute Works. Harmonie Park Press, 2002.

• Fog, Dan. Kompositionen von Friedrich Kuhlau: Thematisch-bibliographischer Katalog. D. Fog, 1977. (The definitive thematic catalog of Kuhlau's works).

• Christensen, Jean, and Nielsl Holger Petersen. "Kuhlau, Friedrich." Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press, 2001.

• Toff, Nancy. The Flute Book: A Complete Guide for Students and Performers. 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2012.