Julius Klengel

Julius Klengel (1903)

Julius Klengel (24 September 1859 – 27 October 1933) was a German cellist who is most famous for his etudes and solo pieces written for the instrument.

Born in Leipzig, the son of a lawyer who was a fine amateur musician and a friend of Mendelssohn, Klengel studied with Emil Hegar in his youth. After his 15th birthday, Klengel joined the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, where Hegar played first cello, and began touring Europe and Russia. Klengel also became a soloist at that point, frequently giving solo performances.

Klengel rose to become principal cellist of the orchestra, aged 22, in 1881; there he remained for over four decades: to celebrate his fifty years of service, Furtwängler conducted a jubilee concert, in which with Klengel played the cello part in a double concerto he composed for the occasion. During that time period, Klengel became professor at the Leipzig Conservatory, and began composing. He ultimately composed hundreds of pieces for the cello, including four violoncello concertos, two double cello concertos, cello quartets, a cello sonata, as well as numerous caprices, etudes and other technical pieces.

Klengel is credited with reviving Bach's six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, which he taught to all his students, among whom were Emanuel Feuermann, Guilhermina Suggia, Paul Grümmer, Gregor Piatigorsky, and William Pleeth. He died in October 1933 in his hometown of Leipzig.

Of his music, only the two volumes of etudes ("Technical Studies") for cello remain in the repertory.

Works with Opus number

• Op. 3, Capriccio
• Op. 4, Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor
• Op. 5, 2 pieces for 4 cellos

• Serenade
• Humoresque

• Op. 6, Scherzo for cello and piano
• Op. 7, Concertino No. 1 in C major for cello and piano
• Op. 10, Concert piece in d minor for cello and piano
• Op. 14, Mazurka for Cello and Piano, No.3
• Op. 15, Variations for 4 cellos
• Op. 22, Suite d-minor for 2 cellos
• Op. 24, Serenade in F major
• Op. 27, Caprice for cello and piano
• Op. 28, Theme with Variations for 4 cellos
• Op. 30, Impromptu for 4 cellos
• Op. 31, Concerto No.3 for Cello
• Op. 33, 4 pieces for 4 cellos

• Song without words
• Gavotte
• Lullaby
• March

• Op. 35, Piano Trio No.2 (children's)

• No.1 Kindertrio C-major

• Op. 37, Concert No.4 for Cello in b minor
• Op. 39, Kindertrio F-major No.1

• Kindertrio in D major No.2

• Op. 41,

• Sonatine in c minor No.1 for cello and piano
• Concertino No.2 in G major for cello and piano

• Op. 43, "Caprice in the Form of a Chaconne after a Theme by Schumann" for solo cello
• Op. 45, Double Concerto in e minor for 2 cellos
• Op. 46, Concertino No.3 in a minor for cello and piano
• Op. 47, Sonatine C-major No.1 for cello piano
• Op. 48, Sonatina No.1 in c minor
• Op. 51, Andante Sostenuto for cello and orchestra
• Op. 54, Suite for cello and organ
• Op. 56, Suite for Cello in D minor
• Op. 57, Hymnus for 12 Cellos
• Op. 59, Small Suite for 3 cellos
• Op. 61, Concerto for Violin and Cello and orchestra
• Op. 62, 3 pieces for 2 cellos and piano (organ)

Works without Opus number

• Tagliche Ubungen, Band I
• Tagliche Ubungen, Band II
• Tagliche Ubungen, Band III

External links

• Free scores by Julius Klengel at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)