Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken (November 16, 1810 – April 3, 1882) was a German composer and conductor.
Kücken was born in Bleckede
. He learned piano as a child and played chamber music
in his youth. After moving to Schwerin
he studied under Friedrich Lührss, Paul Aron, and George Rettberg. He composed the song Ach, wie wärs möglich dann, which became quite popular and resulted in his being chosen for the court of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He furthered his studies in 1832 with Joseph Birnbach in Berlin
and later with Sechter in Vienna
(1941-43), as well as with Halevy and Marco Bordogni
in Paris
. He held a conducting position at a Stuttgart court theater from 1851 to 1861. He died in Schwerin
.
His works included choral pieces, opera, and others. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
viewed Kücken's work dimly as "saccharine." His most popular work was the opera Der Prätendent, premiered in Stuttgart
in 1847.
Kücken was born in Bleckede
Bleckede
Bleckede is a town in the district of Lüneburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated mostly on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 20 km east of Lüneburg.Bleckede is located on the German Framework Road.-History:...
. He learned piano as a child and played chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
in his youth. After moving to Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
he studied under Friedrich Lührss, Paul Aron, and George Rettberg. He composed the song Ach, wie wärs möglich dann, which became quite popular and resulted in his being chosen for the court of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He furthered his studies in 1832 with Joseph Birnbach in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and later with Sechter in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(1941-43), as well as with Halevy and Marco Bordogni
Marco Bordogni
Giulio Marco Bordogni , usually called Marco Bordogni, was an Italian operatic tenor and singing teacher of great popularity and success, whose mature career was based in Paris.-Biography:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He held a conducting position at a Stuttgart court theater from 1851 to 1861. He died in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
.
His works included choral pieces, opera, and others. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
viewed Kücken's work dimly as "saccharine." His most popular work was the opera Der Prätendent, premiered in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in 1847.