Biography of  Friedrich der Große (1712-1786)

24.01.1712
Born in Berlin
1720
First flute lessons
1728
First lessons with Quantz.
1733
Move to Rheinsberg in a castle of his own, where he was able to play music any time, something he was not allowed by his father Wilhelm I. Foundation of a band with the brothers Graun being conductors.
1735
Composition lessons with Carl Heinrich Graun
31.05.1740
Coronation for king of Prussia and foundation of a court orchestra, build up of a new opera in Berlin and engagement of Quantz and Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach for playing clavecin.
1780
Abandonment of playing the flute because of shortage of breath and the loss of some teeth and growing gout of the hands.
Contemporary reports say that he had some difficulties to play rhythmically correct.
17.08.1786
Dies in Potsdam

Sheet music for flute:

Drittes Konzert (C-Dur)
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(flute, piano orchestral excerpt)
Chr. Friedrich Vieweg, V 1592a
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro
  2. Grave
  3. Allegro assai
Flötensonaten - Band II
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(flute, piano)
Edition Breitkopf, Nr. 5452
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Sonate 4 (B-Dur): Cantabile - Allegro - Presto
  2. Sonate 9 (e-moll): Grave - Allegro assai - Presto
  3. Sonate 11 (d-moll): Andante - Allegro -Presto
  4. Sonate 14 (Es-Dur): Affetuoso - Allegro - Allegro
  5. Sonate 16 (C-Dur): Affetuoso - Allegro - Allegro ma non tanto
The keys of the sonatas are the original ones. In this edition some of the sonatas are transposed.
Grave - aus dem Konzert C-Dur (c-moll)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(flute, piano)
Edition Breitkopf
Rating: easy
  1. Grave
Old edition by Reinecke, no longer available
Viertes Konzert (D-Dur)
CD-Aufnahmen bei jpc.deMP3-Download bei amazon.de
(flute, piano orchestral excerpt)
Chr. Friedrich Vieweg, V 1729a
Rating: mid-grade
  1. Allegro
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro

Literature von/über Friedrich der Große

Last edit 02.07.2010