Klein, Bernhard (Joseph)

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Klein, Bernhard (Joseph)

Klein, Bernhard (Joseph), German composer; b. Cologne, March 6, 1793; d. Berlin, Sept. 9, 1832. He went to Paris in 1812 and received some advice from Choron, but he was mainly self-taught. Returning to Cologne, he was appointed music director of the Cathedral. In 1818 he settled in Berlin, and from 1820 he taught at the Royal Inst. for Church Music. He also taught singing at the Univ. of Berlin, retiring in 1830. He was greatly praised by his Berlin contemporaries for his contrapuntal craftsmanship in sacred works and as a composer of lieder. His stepbrother, Josef Klein (b. Cologne, 1802; d. there, Feb. 10, 1862), was his pupil; he was one of the first composers to set Heine’s texts to music.

Works

dramatic:Opera: Dido (Berlin, Oct. 15, 1823); Ariadne (Berlin, 1823). vocal: Several oratorios, including Jephtha (Cologne, 1828) and David (Halle, 1830); several cantatas, including Worte des Glaubens (1817) and Hiob (Leipzig, 1820); various other sacred vocal works; songs. other: Piano Sonatas.

Bibliography

C. Koch, B. K (diss., Univ. of Rostock, 1902).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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