Kuhlau, Fantasy for Flute Solo, Op. 38

As tiresome as talk of sheltering-in-place may be, it does prompt me to return to a theme we explored more than three years ago: music for solo, unaccompanied instruments. This week’s feature was filmed, appropriately enough, in an empty factory belonging to a company called Kabelwerk Oberspree which produced electronic cables here (located in former East Berlin) from 1897 to the early 1990s. The area is under restoration and the building has been used for concerts by the Berlin Philharmonic.

Once celebrated composer Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832) was born and raised in Germany, the son of a military bandsman. He studied music theory and composition in Hamburg and wrote many of his best known works while living there: songs, piano works, and works for flute. He left Hamburg when it was invaded by Napoleon in 1810 and went to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen had aligned with Napoleon at the beginning of the century and suffered significant damage, being bombarded by the British in 1801 and 1807. Kuhlau arrived as Denmark was entering what is known as the “Danish Golden Age,” which would be marked by the art of Eckersberg and Bendz, the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, and the philosophy of Kierkegaard.

Kuhlau landed on his feet, performing concerts at the Royal Theater and being appointed chorus master there in 1816. He also performed extensively in Sweden.

He championed the works of Beethoven and visited him on a trip to Vienna in 1825. Kuhlau was famous for writing canons, and he and Beethoven  traded canons: Beethoven’s unpublished Wo0 191 is entitled “Kühl, nicht lau” (cool, not lukewarm) and, interestingly, it is based on the B-A-C-H theme.

Kuhlau is remembered particularly for his incidental music to Heidberg’s play Elverhoj (“The Elf’s Hill”), which remains the most frequently performed work at Denmark’s Royal Theater.