Richard Mühlfeld ( German: Richard Mühlfeld , real name Bernhard Hermann Mülfeld ; February 28, 1856 , Bad Salzungen - June 1, 1907 , Meiningen ) - German clarinet player , the first performer of the compositions of Johannes Brahms .
| Richard Mülfeld Richard Mühlfeld | |
|---|---|
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| basic information | |
| Full name | Bernhard Hermann Mülfeld |
| Date of Birth | February 28, 1856 |
| Place of Birth | Bad Salzungen , German Union |
| Date of death | June 1, 1907 (51 years old) |
| A place of death | Meiningen , German Empire |
| Buried | |
| A country |  Germany |
| Professions | executor |
| Instruments | clarinet |
Content
- 1 Biography
- 2 Creativity
- 3 Bibliography
- 4 References
Biography
He received his first music lessons from his father; he studied violin and clarinet. In 1873, he received the position of violinist at the court of the Duke of Saxe-Meyningensky, and six years later he became the first clarinet player in Miningen and occupied this place until his death. Hans von Bülow , the conductor of the orchestra at that time, noted the high quality of Mülfeld's performance and instructed him to conduct rehearsals with individual groups of orchestra musicians. In 1881, he married Minna Seifert and gave birth to two children with her. Mülfeld also directed the male choir, and in 1890 he was appointed director of the court theater.
Johannes Brahms arrived in Meiningen in March 1891 , and conductor Fritz Steinbach recommended Mülfeld to him as an excellent clarinet player. Hearing his performance, Brahms, who had not composed before within a year, set about creating two works with the clarinet. On December 12 of the same year, in Berlin, Mülfeld performed the a-moll Trio for the first time with a piano (Brahms played his part) and cello, as well as the h-moll quintet with strings. Mühfeld is dedicated to two Brahms sonatas (f-moll and Es-dur) for clarinet and piano, op. 120, written in 1894 and first performed on January 7, 1895 . Brahms gained such respect for Mülfeld that he deducted all fees for performing his works for clarinet and handed him the manuscripts of both sonatas after their publication.
Since 1904, Mülfeld complained about various serious health problems. Died June 1, 1907 from a stroke, after gradual renal failure. He was buried in the Mininger Park cemetery.
For 31 years, Richard Mülfeld released 645 concerts in 138 locations. In addition to his work, he worked as a piano teacher.
Creativity
Mühlfeld gained international fame, repeatedly toured in England, where he performed accompanied by the Quartet of Joachim and Fanny Davis. Among the composers who composed for Mülfeld are Karl Reinecke , Henri Marto , Waldemar von Bausnern , Gustav Jenner (Sonata G-dur, op. 5), Charles Stanford (Concert a-moll, op. 80) and others. Mülfeld was awarded the Royal Bavarian Ludwig Gold Medal. His performance was distinguished by deep drama and sincerity of interpretation.
Bibliography
- P. Weston. Clarinet Virtuosi of the Past. - London, 1971