Kummer, Friedrich August
Kummer, Friedrich August
Kummer, Friedrich August, noted German cellist, oboist, teacher, and composer; b. Meiningen, Aug. 5, 1797; d. Dresden, Aug. 22, 1879. His father, also named Friedrich August Kummer (1770–1849), was oboist at the courts in Meiningen and then Dresden (from 1805). The young Kummer went with his family to Dresden, where he studied cello with Dotzauer. He also studied oboe, and joined the electoral Court Orch. as an oboist (1814). After further cello studies, he became a cellist there, eventually succeeding Dotzauer as principal (1852–64). He made tours as a virtuoso in Germany and Italy, but was content to remain at his Dresden post. He taught at the Dresden Cons, and privately. He composed over 400 works, about half of which were publ. His output included virtuoso pieces for cello and orch., as well as chamber music, many didactic pieces, and some 200 entr’actes for the Dresden Court Theater. He publ. the Violoncello-Schule, op.60 (Leipzig, 1839).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire