Crusell, Bernhard (EN)

Crusell Bernhard, Bernd, Henrik, *15 October 1775 Nystad (present-day Uusikaupunki), †28 July 1838 Stockholm, Finnish clarinettist and composer. He learned to play the clarinet in Nurmijärvi, near Helsinki. In 1791, he moved to Stockholm, where he continued his studies with G.J. Vogler. Between 1793 and 1834, he was a member of the royal chapel. In 1798, he studied the clarinet with F. Tausch in Berlin, and in 1803 at the Paris Conservatoire with J.X. Lefevre (clarinet) and with F.-J. Gossec and H.M. Berton (composition). He gave concerts in many European countries, achieving great success as a virtuoso. Between 1818 and 1838, he was also the kapellmeister of the military orchestra in Stockholm; furthermore, he collaborated with the Stockholm Opera, for which he translated the librettos of 10 operas, including Beethoven’s Fidelio, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Auber’s La muette de Portici. Crusell is considered one of the founders of the Finnish Romantic song.

Literature: H. Winter Bernhard Henrik Crusell. 150 vuotismulisto, Helsinki 1925; O. Anderson Bernhard Henrik Crusell, “Finsk tidskrift” I, 1926; T. Haapanen Bernhard Henrik Crusell, “Vår sång” XIV, 1941; C.-G. St. Mörner Ett musikbrev 1779 från Genseric Brandel till Bernhard Crusell, “Svensk Tidskrift for Musikforskiig” XLIX, 1967; F. Dahlström Bernhard Henrik Crusell, Helsinki 1976; F. Dahlström Bernhard Crusell. Tonsättare klarinettvirtuos, Stockholm 1977; Bernhard Crusell, tonsättare, klarinettvirtuos (Bernhard Crusell, composer, virtuoso clarinettist), ed. S. Wilson, «Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien Skriftserie» XXI, Stockholm 1977; I. Kallio Bernhard Henrik Crusell (1775–1838), Uusikaupunki 1994.