Ludwig August Lebrun (Born 2nd May 1752 in
Mannheim – 16th December 1790 in Berlin) was a German oboist and composer.
Life
The well-known and celebrated oboe virtuoso (a contemporary described being "charmed by his
divine oboe"), played with the orchestra at the court of the Prince-Elector
Carl Theodor in Mannheim. He
started playing with the orchestra at the age of 12 and became a full member at the age of 15. His father, also an oboist of
probably Belgian origin, worked from 1747 at the Mannheim court. He was a contemporary of
Carl Stamitz and Anton Stamitz, and belonged to the
Mannheim school.
In the summer 1778 he married the soprano Franziska
Danzi, the sister of Franz Danzi, one of the most outstanding and well-known singers
of the time. With her he travelled extensively across Europe: Milan, Paris, London,
Vienna, Prague, Naples,
Munich and Berlin. The couple's playing and singing complemented
each other perfectly and arias with obbligato
oboe were written for them, as for instance those in Günther von Schwarzburg (1777) by
Ignaz Holzbauer, L'Europa
riconosciuta (1778) by Antonio Salieri and Castore e Polluce (1787) by
Georg Joseph Vogler.
The music historian Charles Burney wrote about appearances of the pair: "Franziska
Danzi and the excellent oboist Lebrun usually travel together, and it seems as though she has listened to nothing other than his
instrument, for when they perform together in thirds and sixths one cannot hear which is the upper or the lower voice!"
He died at the age of 38.
Works
- Ballet "Armida" and "Adèle de Ponthieu"
- Concertos for Oboe and Orchestra No.1 in D minor, No.2 in G minor, No.3 in C major, No.4 in B-flat major, No.5 in C major,
No.6 in F major
- Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra in B-flat major
- Duos for Violin and Viola
- Flute duets
- Flute trios
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