Romberg, Bernhard Heinrich
Romberg, Bernhard Heinrich
Romberg, Bernhard Heinrich , German cellist and composer, cousin of Andreas Jakob Romberg; b. Dinklage, Nov. 11, 1767; d. Hamburg, Aug. 13, 1841. He was the son of the bassoonist and cellist Bernhard Anton Romberg (b. Munster, March 6, 1742; d. there, Dec. 14, 1814), who played in the orch. of the Prince-Bishop of Münster (1776-1803). Bernhard Heinrich began his career in Münster when he appeared with his cousin at age 7; they toured with their fathers thereafter, making visits to Frankfurt am Main (1782) and Paris (1784, 1785). After playing in the Bonn electoral orch. (1790–93), they fled in the face of the French invasion and went to Hamburg, where they were members of the opera orch. at the Ackermann Theater; they then toured Italy (1795–96) and visited Vienna (1796), where they became friends of Haydn. After further travels in Italy and another visit to Paris (1801), the cousins pursued separate careers. Bernhard Heinrich visited Spain in 1801, served as prof. of cello at the Paris Cons. (1801–03), and then joined the Berlin Royal Court Orch. (1805). He visited Russia in 1807 and England in 1814; was Berlin Hofkapellmeister (1816–19). In 1820 he went to Hamburg, which he made his home with the exception of another Berlin sojourn (1826–31); also made extensive tours as a virtuoso. He publ. Méthode de violoncelle (Berlin, 1840). He had 2 children who pursued musical careers: Bernhardine (b. Hamburg, Dec. 14, 1803; d. there, April 26, 1878), a concert singer, and Karl (b. Moscow, Jan. 16, 1811; d. Hamburg, Feb. 6, 1897), a cellist in the St. Petersburg German Opera orch. (1830–42).
Works
DRAMATIC: Der Schiruch, operetta (1791; not perf.); Die wiedergefundene Statue, opera (c. 1792; not perf.); Don Mendoza, opera (Paris, 1802; in collaboration with A. Romberg); Ulisse und Circe, opera (Berlin, July 27, 1807); Rittertreue, opera (Berlin, Jan. 31, 1817); Daphne und Agathokles, ballet (Berlin, 1818); Alma, opera (Copenhagen, May 15, 1824); incidental music. ORCH.: 5 syms.; Symphonie burlesque for Children’s Instruments and Orch.; 2 overtures; 10 cello concertos; Concertino for 2 Horns and Orch.; Double Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orch.; many pieces for cello and orch. CHAMBER: 11 string quartets; cello studies; piano pieces; songs.
Bibliography
H. Schäfer, B. R.: Sein Leben und Wirken (diss., Univ. of Bonn, 1931).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire