Anton Bernhard Fürstenau

Anton Bernhard Fürstenau (born 20 October 1792 in Münster; died 18 November 1852 in Dresden, Germany) was a German flutist and composer. He was the most famous virtuoso in Germany on his instrument and the most important Romantic flutist of the first half of the nineteenth century. His son Moritz Fürstenau (1824–1889), whom he later sent to study with Theobald Boehm in Munich, was one of his numerous students. Skeptical as to the technical advancements of the flute, he remained faithful to the nine key flute until his death.

Anton Bernhard Fürstenau received his first flute lessons from his father, the flautist Kaspar Fürstenau (1772–1819). As early as the age of seven he performed publicly for the first time and five years later he became a member of the Oldenburg State Court Orchestra. Joint concert tours with his father took him to Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Vienna and in 1815 to Prague where he met Carl Maria von Weber, with whom he was friendly until his death.

In 1817 Fürstenau became a member of the municipal orchestra in Frankfurt where he received further instructions on harmony and composition lessons with a musician named Volweiler. In 1820 he joined the court orchestra in Dresden as first flutist, led by von Weber at the time. In 1823 he went to Denmark, following to Bavaria in 1824 again on tour. In 1826 he continued with his concert tours in Paris and then to London with von Weber, who was already seriously ill at that time.

From 1825 to 1844 Fürstenau wrote several articles about musical styles and several manuals for the flute. Among them, The Art of Playing the Flute (German: Die Kunst des Flötenspiels, 1844), which provides a lot of guidelines about playing the classical flute with German and Viennese models.

Fürstenau composed and arranged numerous works, mainly for his instrument. His etudes, often reprinted in England and France, remain used in many classrooms. Through his 147 published works for flute, including twelve solo concertos, many variations, rondos and similar items, as well as duos, trios, a quartet for four flutes and compositions for flute and piano, he created new characteristic literature for his instrument. His music is based on that of his contemporaries, notably Carl Maria von Weber. Fürstenau's Concerto for flute and orchestra No. 8 in D major Op. 84 of 1830, is formally very similar to the Violin Concerto No 8 in A minor, in modo di scena cantante (in the form of a singing scene), Op 47 by Louis Spohr written 14 years prior to his own.