Romberg, Andreas Jakob
Romberg, Andreas Jakob
Romberg, Andreas Jakob , German violinist and composer, cousin of Bernhard Heinrich Romberg; b. Vechta, near Münster, April 27, 1767; d. Gotha, Nov. 10, 1821. He was the son of the clarinetist and violinist Gerhard Heinrich Romberg (b. Aug. 8, 1745; d. Nov. 14, 1819). He studied with his father, then made his debut at age 7 in Münster with his cousin. The two subsequently toured (with their fathers) to Frankfurt am Main (1782) and Paris (1784, 1785); they played in the Bonn electoral orch. from 1790 until the French invasion of 1793 compelled them to flee to Hamburg. After playing in the opera orch. at the Ackermann Theater, they set out on a tour of Italy (1795–96); they also visited Vienna in 1796 and were befriended by Haydn; then returned to Italy. After another sojourn in Paris (1801), Andreas Romberg settled in Hamburg and devoted himself mainly to composition; he was then called to Gotha as court Kapellmeister (1815). He had 2 sons: Heinrich Maria (b. Paris, April 4, 1802; d. Hamburg, May 2, 1859) became concertmaster of the St. Petersburg Imperial Opera orch. (1827) and later served as its music director; Ciprian Friedrich (b. Hamburg, Oct. 28, 1807; d. there, Oct. 14, 1865) was first cellist of the St. Petersburg German Opera orch. (1835–15).
Works
DRAMATIC : Opera: Der blaue Ungeheuer (1790–93; not perf.); Die Macht der Musik (1791; not perf.); Die Nebelkappen (1793; unfinished); Der Rabe (Hamburg, April 7, 1794); Don Mendoza (Paris, 1802; in collaboration with B.H. Romberg); Point de bruit (Paris, 1810); Die Ruinen zu Paluzzi (Hamburg, Dec. 27, 1811); Die Grossmut des Scipio (Gotha, 1816). ORCH.: 10 syms.; 20 violin concertos; 2 concertos for Violin and Cello; 2 concertos for 2 Violins; Concerto for Clarinet and Violin. CHAMBER: Many works, including 19 string quartets; Octet for Strings; Clarinet Quintet; 8 flute quartets; String Quintet; Piano Quartet; 3 violin sonatas. VOCAL: Various sacred vocal works; many secular choral pieces, including the popular Lied von der Glocke (1809); part-songs; lieder.
Bibliography
K. Stephenson, A. R.: Ein Beitrag zur Hamburger Musikgeschichte (Hamburg, 1938).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire