Romberg, Andreas Jakob (EN)

Romberg Andreas Jakob, *27 April 1767 Vechta, †10 November 1821 Gotha, German violinist and composer, son of Gerhard Heinrich. He learned music from his father, with whom he performed as an accompanist, among others, in 1782 in Frankfurt, and 1784–85 in Paris. For many years, he travelled to concerts with his cousin Bernhard Heinrich. Approx. 1800, he settled permanently in Hamburg, and in 1809 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Kiel; from 1815 he acted as court bandmaster in Gotha. His works, in a classical style (influenced by J. Haydn and W.A. Mozart), were recognised by his contemporaries and were often published and performed. Das Lied von der Glocke, published in the mid-20^th century (Wiesbaden 1951, Leipzig 2^nd edition 1953), enjoyed great success.

The most famous of the 11 children of Andreas Jakob Romberg include the sons: Heinrich Maria (*4 April 1802 Paris, †2 May 1859 Hamburg), from 1827 first violinist, then director of the Tsarist Opera in St. Petersburg, and Ciprian Friedrich (*28 October 1807 Hamburg, † 14 October 1865 Hamburg), who, after numerous concert tours in Germany and Russia, was the cellist of the German Opera Orchestra in St. Petersburg in 1835–45.

Literature: E Rochlitz Andreas Romberg, in: Für Freunde der Tonkunst, vol. 1, Leipzig 1824, 3^rd ed. 1868; K. Stephenson Andreas Romberg. Ein Beitrag zur Hamburger Musikgeschichte, «Veröffentlichungen des Vereines für Hamburgische Geschichte» XI, 1938; E. Wulf Romberg Andreas Jacob, Romberg Bernhard Heinrich, in: Rheinische Musiker, vol. 1, published by K.G. Feilerer, «Beiträge zur Rheinischen Musikgeschichte» XLIII, Cologne 1960 (includes a complete list of compositions).