Kaspar Kummer

Kaspar Johann Kummer[1] (1795–1870) was a German flautist, professor and composer.

Kummer was born December 10, 1795 in Erlau in Thuringia (in Sankt Kilian.) [2] He taught himself the flute while learning violin, horn, trumpet, clarinet, bassoon, oboe, cello and double bassoon.[3]

Kummer was taught by Neumeister for a year, then took training in music theory from the Cantor of Schleusingen, Gottlob Abraham Stäps. From 1835, he worked as a flautist at the chapel of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and took over direction of their orchestra in 1854.[4]

His published compositions ran to over 150 opus numbers, mostly involving the flute, but also including lieder, etc.

He also had several students, including Friedrich Kiel[5] and Felix Draeseke.[6]

He died in May 1870, probably 21 May, in Coburg.[2]

Notes

1. sometimes Caspar or Gaspard. Spelling, in publications and otherwise, would often vary
2. Musicsack - http://www.musicsack.com/PersonFMTDetail.cfm?PersonPK=100007153 - has Erlau, Scheusingen, Hungary. Thuringia from German Wikipedia.
3. German Wikipedia. Note that there are bassoon works by a "G. Kummer" (which have been uploaded to IMSLP), but they are not generally or probably by "Gaspard" Kummer but rather by his contemporary, a bassoonist Gotthelf Kummer. (The trouble with initials.)
4. German Wikipedia.
5. "Friedrich Kiel (Obituary)". The Monthly Musical Record. XV (178). October 1, 1885. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
6. "Nachlass Felix Draeseke" (in German). SLUB Dresden. Retrieved January 26, 2014.

Further reading

• Fürstenau, Moritz. Allegemeine Deutsche Biographie (Wikisource. From Band 17, 1883. In German.)

External links

• Free scores by Kaspar Kummer at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) (compositions, partial worklist)