Bernhard Cossmann
Encyclopedia
Bernhard Cossmann was a German
cellist
. Born in Dessau
, he first studied under Theodore Muller. During his life, he worked for the Grand Opera
in Paris
and became acquainted with Franz Liszt
, with whom he went to Weimar
. In 1866, Cossmann was appointed professor of cello studies at the Moscow Conservatory
. However, in 1878, Cossmann helped found the Hoch Conservatory
in Frankfurt
, where he occupied the post of teacher of cello.
Cossmann was not only a frequent soloist and quartet member, but was also a composer. His works include three fantasia
s, Tell, Euryanthe
, and multiple solo works for various instruments. In addition, he composed many etudes and studies for the cello, many of which are still used today.
In 1890 Cossmann adapted the Erlkönig from Franz Schubert
for solo cello for the exclusive use of his student Heinrich Kiefer. He wrote this in his score on Frankfurt 28. Nov. 1890 by B. Cossmann.
Bernhard Cossmann, author of many original works and of diverse “Phantasien” on motifs from operas (such as Freischutz, Euryanthe, etc.) as well as on well-known pieces (also for solo cello such as “Paraphrase sur une chanson populaire allemande Ach, wie ist’s möglich dann. Thüringen Volkslied”), had formerly dedicated his Fünf Neue Concert Etuden to Heinrich Kiefer.
The transcription of the Erlkönig was given to Kiefer in manuscript, for his exclusive use, because with his great talent he would be able to explore the possibilities of the piece and bring it to life; we know that in reality Kiefer studied the Erlkönig prepared by his maestro very carefully and wrote another copy (now in a private collection) with many alterations.
Cossmann’s transcription reveals a truly deep knowledge of the cello and of its peculiar potential: nowhere does it show, for example, any influence of the transcription for violin of H.W. Ernst; and in it we can see the reasons for the special admiration that Bernhard Cossman and the Italian virtuoso Alfredo Piatti had for each other, as Carl Fuchs tells us: “Alfredo Piatti was one of the great ‘cellists. He dedicated to my master Cossmann his Twelve Caprices, beautiful studies. The admiration of these two great ‘cellists was mutual, for Cossmann dedicated his five great Concert Studies (op.10) to Piatti.”.
He died in Frankfurt
.
One of his sons, Paul Nikolaus Cossmann (born 1869), author of a brief book on Hans Pfitzner (1904), died of typhus at Theresienstadt in 1942.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. Born in Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
, he first studied under Theodore Muller. During his life, he worked for the Grand Opera
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and became acquainted with Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, with whom he went to Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
. In 1866, Cossmann was appointed professor of cello studies at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
. However, in 1878, Cossmann helped found the Hoch Conservatory
Hoch Conservatory
Dr. Hoch’s Konservatorium - Musikakademie was founded in Frankfurt am Main on September 22, 1878. Through the generosity of Frankfurter Joseph Hoch, who bequeathed the Conservatory one million German gold marks in his testament, a school for music and the arts was established for all age groups. ...
in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, where he occupied the post of teacher of cello.
Cossmann was not only a frequent soloist and quartet member, but was also a composer. His works include three fantasia
Fantasia (music)
The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
s, Tell, Euryanthe
Euryanthe
Euryanthe is a German "grand, heroic, romantic" opera by Carl Maria von Weber, first performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor, Vienna on 25 October 1823...
, and multiple solo works for various instruments. In addition, he composed many etudes and studies for the cello, many of which are still used today.
In 1890 Cossmann adapted the Erlkönig from Franz Schubert
Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
for solo cello for the exclusive use of his student Heinrich Kiefer. He wrote this in his score on Frankfurt 28. Nov. 1890 by B. Cossmann.
Bernhard Cossmann, author of many original works and of diverse “Phantasien” on motifs from operas (such as Freischutz, Euryanthe, etc.) as well as on well-known pieces (also for solo cello such as “Paraphrase sur une chanson populaire allemande Ach, wie ist’s möglich dann. Thüringen Volkslied”), had formerly dedicated his Fünf Neue Concert Etuden to Heinrich Kiefer.
The transcription of the Erlkönig was given to Kiefer in manuscript, for his exclusive use, because with his great talent he would be able to explore the possibilities of the piece and bring it to life; we know that in reality Kiefer studied the Erlkönig prepared by his maestro very carefully and wrote another copy (now in a private collection) with many alterations.
Cossmann’s transcription reveals a truly deep knowledge of the cello and of its peculiar potential: nowhere does it show, for example, any influence of the transcription for violin of H.W. Ernst; and in it we can see the reasons for the special admiration that Bernhard Cossman and the Italian virtuoso Alfredo Piatti had for each other, as Carl Fuchs tells us: “Alfredo Piatti was one of the great ‘cellists. He dedicated to my master Cossmann his Twelve Caprices, beautiful studies. The admiration of these two great ‘cellists was mutual, for Cossmann dedicated his five great Concert Studies (op.10) to Piatti.”.
He died in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
One of his sons, Paul Nikolaus Cossmann (born 1869), author of a brief book on Hans Pfitzner (1904), died of typhus at Theresienstadt in 1942.
External links
- Fünf Concert-Etuden für Violoncell. Op. 10. From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection