Trumpeter in the Royal Orchestra in Berlin 1853-1893

After he was awarded the title of ‘Royal Chamber Musician’ in 1853 he was allowed to end his military service early (he would actually have had to serve for 12 years) and became 1st trumpeter in the Royal Orchestra of the opera in Berlin. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Richard Wagner and described the performance of Beethoven's 5th Symphony under Wagner and his visit to Bayreuth for Parsifal as the greatest artistic moments of his life. With regard to Wagner, with whom he also had personal contact, he said: ‘that was not only the greatest poet and composer, but also the greatest conductor. I got to know all the famous conductors and for the most part played under them. Oh dear God, what do they want with Richard Wagner! He doesn't make such a fuss as the others; but when he wielded the baton, every orchestra musician knew that he was being conducted by a master. Not only did he give every cue, with his looks, his facial expressions, he also told us exactly how to play - when I think of Meyerbeer, what a fuss that was! And the eternal searching in the score because he had lost the thread’.

From Max Chop ‘Julius Kosleck: Personal memories’ in Neue Militärmusikzeitung 29 March 1906

Royal Court Opera Berlin

Teacher and Professor

From 1870, Kosleck taught trumpet and cornet at the Heinrich Schmidt Conservatory of Music at Charlottenstraße 87. From 1873 to 1903, he was teacher of trumpet and trombone at the Royal Academy of Music in Berlin becoming Professor in 1893. In 1872 he wrote the Great School for Cornet á Pistons and Trumpet. Quote from the school ‘The secret of the art of playing brass instruments, however, consists in artistically feeling the inner connection that exists between blowing and singing. Only by grasping this marvellous connection in the treatment of the right tone mixture of singing and blowing can the art of the wind instrument be practised with virtuosity‘, and the old double-sided character of the trumpet, in which we are already not inferior to the ancients, can be retained; for today we use the term trumpet to describe the former headmaster blowing, the warlike, resounding blowing; with cornet, on the other hand, the former clarino or solo blowing, i.e. the vocal, gentle and soft-toned blowing’.

As a typical representative of his guild, he was also equipped with a biting sense of humour, which was aimed specifically at non-brass players: ‘These violins with their scraping and squeaking! That's only half sound, the other half background noise.’ Or to cellists: ‘I call them pig butchers... The poor animal between the legs and sabred away at it.’ When a young man proudly told him about his bassoon, he replied: ‘Bassoon? how can anyone study bassoon or oboe? That grunting and mewling nasal sound. Have you ever seen an angel with a bassoon? They all play the trumpet.’

From Max Chop ‘Julius Kosleck: Personal Memories’ in Neue Militärmusikzeitung 29 March 1906

From Helen#s CD  

‘auf Kosleck’schen Spuren. rediscovering the music of Julius Kosleck’,

played on two Franz Schediwy "Kreuzkornette" (Cross Cornets)

Julius Kosleck travelled Europe, Russia and the USA as a cornet soloist. In 1861 he performed at Crystal-Palace, a review in ‘The Musical World’ reports two cornet solos by Mr Kosleck, ‘who proved to be a skilful instrumentalist’. A week later, another concert followed in which Pablo de Sarasate also took part. Regarding a solo performance in Berlin in 1866, the reviewer wrote: ‘Mr Kosleck gave a pleasing performance with his lovely rendition of two songs on the Cornet á Pistons’. In the summer of 1868 he travelled to Pavlovsk and St. Petersburg for a five-month solo tour. In 1874 we find him in Kiel, Theodor Fontane writes in his ‘Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg’: ‘Wednesday nine and a half in the morning I was in Kiel, I went straight to Düsternbrook to take my first sea bath. There I met Kosleck, whose concerts have brought excitement to the people of Kiel, while he is less satisfied with his earnings...’ In 1876, he performed his own compositions ‘Aelpler's Farewell’ and ‘Romance’ with the Tivoli Orchestra. The Riga Theatre and Tonkünstler-Lexikon, Moritz Rudolph, 1890, states: ‘His performances were of the highest accuracy and technical roundness, but were occasionally not free of softness’.

Compositions and arrangements for cornet and piano

Aelplers Abschied 1873

Romanze für Kornett oder Posaune 1873

Auf der Alp (Große Fantasie) 1874

Concert-Arie 1874

Gruss an die Waldes Rose 1883

Russisches Zigeunerlied 1883

O du mein holder Abendstern aus Richard Wagners Tannhäuser für Kornett und Klavier

König Heinrichs Aufruf aus Richard Wagners

Lohengrin für Kornett und Klavier

Ausgewählte Lieder für Posaune und Klavier

Arr. von Kosleck 1898

Chr. Spindler Serenade Arr. Kosleck

Wilhelm Speyer Op. 31 Der Trompeter Arr. Kosleck

Das Heimweh Hilmar Schönburg Arr. Kosleck

Together with Wilhelm Finsterbusch, pupil and later colleague in the Kaiser Cornet Quartet and himself a cornet soloist.

Le Cornet au Salon Transkriptionen und Fantasien für Kornett und Klavier (14 Stücke)

From: Valve Brass Instruments, 200 Jahre Ventilblasinstrumente

Ernst Leberecht (Albrecht) Paulus 1839-circa 1903 Berlin
Paulus came to Berlin in 1857 and worked for Julius Lemcke before taking over his business in 1866. From 1874, he also supplied the Berlin court orchestra, in which Julius Kosleck played, with French horns, trumpets and cornets. In 1878, Paulus built a cornet for Kosleck, which can be seen today in the Museum of Musical Instruments in Berlin. The engraving above the decorative wreath reads ‘To the Royal Chamber Musician Kosleck on 18 February 1878’. He was appointed court instrument maker on 24 February 1880. He expanded his workshop as he received large orders from a total of 23 regiments. From 1903, his business was continued by Arthur Sprinz (1878-1939).

The Waldes Rose can be heard on Helen Barsby's CD

‘auf Kosleck’schen Spuren. rediscovering the music of Julius Kosleck’, played on an

Echo-Cornet by Antoine Courtois, Paris 1872.

The Kaiser-Cornet-Quartett

Julius Kosleck founded his cornet quartet in 1870 and made it one of the most famous and successful ensembles of its time. He himself was an excellent cantilena and song player, and he demanded that his players memorise the words of the songs, as he believed this was the only way to play the melody correctly. The Emperor himself admired the quartet for its ‘consummate ensemble playing’ and elevated it to the status of Imperial Cornet Quartet in 1871. In 1872, it took part in the ‘World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival’ in the USA under the name ‘Emperor Williams Household Cornet Quartet’. This was followed by a tour of Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Russia. Both Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Kaiser Wilhelm II were enthusiastic about Julius Kosleck and his quartet and the critics were full of praise. In the summer months of 1877-1880, the ensemble played in Riga. A citizen of the city approached the members with the joking words: ‘For God's sake, don't stay in our city any longer, your playing is as confusing to our women and girls as the Pied Piper's playing used to be to the children of Hameln’. On 12 June 1879, the Kaiser Cornet Quartet gave a charity concert for Emilio Wilhelm Ramsøe (1837-1895) in Riga in front of over 1000 spectators, who gave the ensemble ‘roaring applause’. Unfortunately, the fee was stolen the following day. Ramsøe composed a total of 6 quartets for brass, which can also be found in the repertoire of the Kaiser Cornet Quartet, the 6th of which is dedicated to Julius Kosleck. In 1894, Viktor Ewald (1860-1935) composed a brass quintet inspired by Kosleck's artistry and virtuosity. Unfortunately, it was probably too demanding for his fellow musicians, so he reworked it into a string quartet and even won a prize with it.

Koslecks Arrangements for Brass Quartet

Cornet Quartets for Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Bass Cornets Opus 17
Collection of popular folk songs, choruses and other pieces of music from 1876

Other cornet quartet collections

The success of the Kaiser Cornet Quartet meant that this ensemble form was the dominant one for around 50 years until the brass quintet took over. In the USA alone, there were around 70 professional quartets around 1900. Arrangements and collections also sprang up like mushrooms, the following is a small selection:

Kosleck's collection, however, is characterised by the fact that the song text is given for almost all pieces and that the arrangements contain many solo introductions, cadenzas and transitions, whereas most other collections are merely a series of verses.

Instrumentation and instruments of the

Kaiser-Cornet- Quartet

The Königl. Orchester der Oper in Berlin was supplied by several makers of brass instruments and it stands to reason that these instruments were also used in the Kaiser Cornet Quartet. Carl Wilhelm Moritz, whose father had invented the tuba together with Wilhelm Wieprecht and who developed both Wagner tubas and a bass trumpet for Richard Wagner, should be mentioned here. The above-mentioned Ernst Leberecht Paulus was also one of them, as was Franz Schediwy, who had a branch in Berlin and whose cross cornet was enthusiastically received around 1900. Typical for Berlin was the so-called ‘Berlin or Potsdam model’, in which the leadpipe led into the 3rd valve and the main tuning slide and the tuning slide of the 1st valve were arranged in parallel.

1st part or soprano: cornet in Bb (in Maschera and Reiche                                                             also cornet in Eb)

2nd part or alto: cornet in Bb (also trumpet in F in the quartets                                              by Emilio Wilhelm Ramsøe                                             (1837-1895), although it is not                                            entirely clear whether this was also                                            used. The possibility would have                                           existed, yet the low F trumpet was also                                         an orchestral instrument, Kosleck's                                           school is explicitly for cornet á pistons                                           and trumpet in F).

3rd part or tenor alto cornet in Eb or tenor horn (Ramsøe)

4th part or bass Bass cornet or tuba ( Ramsøe)

The names for the instruments at this time are not standardised, the alto cornet was also called alto horn (according to its construction) or tenor horn (according to its function), as well as bass trumpet in Eb or alto horn in trumpet form. A similar confusion prevailed with the bass. Bass cornet, bass trumpet, tenor horn in trumpet form, bass flugelhorn are some of the names for one and the same instrument.

Moritz also supplied the former Kosleck military band with instruments.

Kornett-Quartett made by Václav František Červený 1819-1896

Towards the end of the 1880s, Kosleck left the Kaiser cornet quartet and founded a large brass ensemble, the Bläserbund. A cornet quartet was supplemented by a soprano cornet in E flat, also known as a piccolo, 2 tenor parts and 2 bass or tuba parts. For marches and large festive pieces, 4 fanfares and timpani were added. The instrumentation varied depending on the piece and there were also several parts. The fanfares were set in such a way that they could be played without valves in the vast majority of pieces, in keeping with Kosleck's ideas of the heroic and chivalrous art of the trumpeter and timpanist. There were performances at major events such as the Emperor's birthday, state receptions, memorial ceremonies and the opening of the Reichstag in 1893. In 1909, Richard Strauss composed ‘Feierlicher Einzug der Ritter des Johanniterordens’ for the Bläserbund, now under the direction of Ludwig Plaß, who had been the first trombonist in the Royal Orchestra since 1893. In 1905, Plaß succeeded Julius Kosleck as director of the Brass Band and the Brass Band Court Music. In 1926, the Bläserbund was led by military music officer Prof Grawert.

"Trompetenmusik der heroisch ritterlichen Trompeter-und Paukerkunst- Seiner Majestät Kaiser Wilhelm II. in tiefster Ehrfurcht gewidmet von J.Kosleck. Königlicher Professor und Lehrer an der Königlichen Hochschule für Musik."

‘Trumpet music of the heroically chivalrous art of the trumpeter and timpanist - dedicated in deepest reverence to His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II by J. Kosleck. Royal professor and teacher at the Royal College of Music.’

Foreword by Julius Kosleck

About military music:

For many years I have been researching the historical course of military music, and I have been particularly fascinated by the period in which the first German Empire flourished, whose emperors, princes and knights speak to us with great splendour. And if we understand this language correctly, we might ask ourselves what kind of music must have been played when those mighty emperors, surrounded by princes and knights, appeared in their splendid armour? To which their battles and knightly games took place?

At all times, the most diverse peoples have possessed their own music, modelled from their innermost essence, and so we also find a branch of music developed in the aforementioned period, in which this splendour of the age of chivalry is reflected.

It is the pure trumpet music that was characteristic of that time, and indeed, performed with the skill with which it was done by the trumpet players of the time, it allows us to recognise how high and noble the emperors appeared in the company of princes and knights, both in battle and at high festivals. The trumpeters of the time were also held in high esteem by emperors and princes because of their art.

In 1430, Emperor Siegismund granted them the right to blow the trumpet alone, so that they formed a comradeship, strictly separated from the other musicians, in which care was taken to develop beauty, splendour and bold determination.

How highly this art was recognised can be seen from the fact that the Elector of Saxony, as Archmarshal of the German Empire, exercised the right of supreme supervision and protection in the comradeship, and at the beginning of the 18th century a Duke of Saxony-Weimar, who blew the trumpet for his own pleasure, allowed himself to be admitted to the comradeship.

Thus we find this beautiful art closely associated with the greatness and power of the empire for several centuries, until with the decline of the German Empire it also dried up and has remained dormant to this day.

The trumpeters of that knightly time are missing, and it is high time to see them rise again, for: great and mighty we see the German Empire once more, and high and honourable shines a sublime imperial house.

I. Abtheilung: Aufzüge, Fanfaren, Märsche für mittelalterliche Trompeten (Signal-Trompeten) und Pauken

1. Lieferung: 1. Kaisergruß

                     2. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Fanfare

                     3. Der Garde-Husar-Trab-Marsch

2. Lieferung: 4. Turnier-Marsch

                     5. Fest-Fanfare

                     6. Trab-Marsch (Was kommt dort von der Höh')

3. Lieferung: 7. Altdeutscher Rundgang

                     8. Aus dem Kriegslager, Aufzug (Mantellied)

                     9. Trab-Marsch

4. Lieferung: 10. Armee-Marsch Nr.1 (Krause)

                     11. Pappenheimer-Marsch

                     12. Stecho-Marsch

5. Lieferung: 13. Kaiser Wilhelm Aufzug mit dem Lied: Deutschlands Kaiser, groß und mächtig

                     14. Husarenlied "Was reiten die husaren so fröhlich hinaus"

6. Lieferung: 15. Gebet "Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe" von Dimitri Bortnianski

                     16. Abendruhe (Retraite)

7. Lieferung: 17. Im Lager Kaiser Barbarossas-

                           Feldstück der heroisch ritterlichen Trompeter-und Paukerkunst

8. Lieferung: 18. Langsamer Marsch von Mangner

                     19. Einholungs-Marsch von J.H.Krause

                     20. Alter Reiter-Marsch

9. Lieferung: 21. Auf der Wartburg (Trompeter in der Christnacht)

                     22. Burgunf-Fanfare

10.Lieferung: 23. Zieten aus dem Busch Feldstück für mittelalterliche Trompeten und Pauken

II. Abtheilung: Historische Armee-und Parademärsche, neu instrumentiert mit besonderer Berücksichtigung derTrompeten und Pauken nach älterem Gebrauch

1. Lieferung:    1. Marsch Friedrich der Große

                        2. Torgauer Marsch

                        3. Coburger Marsch

2. Lieferung:    4. Kesselsdorfer Marsch

                        5. Marsch der russischen Kaisergarde Regiment Preobrajenski

                        6. Altpreußischer Parade-Marsch Nr.2

3. Lieferung:    7. Altpreußischer Parade-Marsch Nr.3

                        8. Rheinströmer Marsch

                        9. Marche des Chevaliers de L'Ordre des Seraphins en Suede

4. Lieferung:   10. Altpreußischer Parade-Marsch Nr.4

5. Lieferung:   11. Marsch von Beethoven

6. Lieferung:   12. Alonzo e Cora Marcia von Simon Meir (1763)

7. Lieferung:   13. Hohenzollern-Triumph-Marsch

8. Lieferung:   14. Altpreußischer Parade-Marsch Nr.1 Arr. von Meinharrdt

                       15. Geschwind-Marsch von Baron E. von Korff

9. Lieferung:   16. Altpreußischer Parade-Marsch Nr.5

10.Lieferung:  17. Marsch der Oliopol'schen Husaren

                       18. Marsch aus der Zeit Friedrich des Großen

11. Lieferung: 19 Alter Marsch genannt der "Zorndorfer"

                       20 Der Hohenfriedberger-Marsch

CD: ‘auf Kosleck’schen Spuren. rediscovering the music of Julius Kosleck’ Helen Barsby

III. Abtheilung: Instrumentalsätze aus alter Zeit

1. Lieferung:  1. Canzona von Florentina Maschera 1593

2. Lieferung:  2. Canzona Nr.2 von Florentina Maschera 1593

3. Lieferung:  3. Sonata von Giovanni Gabrieli 1597

4. Lieferung:  4. Quatricinia von Gottfried Reiche 1690

5. Lieferung:  5. Volkshymne Heil dir im Siegerkranz

                      6. Choral "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott"

                      7. Choral "Nun danket alle Gott"

6. Lieferung:  8. "Hoch thut euch auf" Chor von Gluck

7. Lieferung:  9. Reigen seeliger Geister von Gluck

                     10. Seht er kommt mit Preis gekrönt- Chor von Händel aus Judas Maccabäus

8. Lieferung:  11.Welche Schönheit, welche Majestät Chor aus der Oper "Iphigenie in Aulis" von Gluck

                      12. Gebet fürs Vaterland- Chor von Henri Mehul 1763

9. Lieferung:  13. Gebet für den Kaiser

                      14. "Lieblich hat es sich gesellet" Altdeutsches Lied.

Other editions that are not in the collection are

Remembrance of Perderhof Geschwind March

German imperial anthem (text by Prof, F.A.Maerker)

From ‘Festfanfaren für mittelalterliche Trompeten und Pauken’ (published between 1890 and 1893:

Festive Fanfare

Moderato from the time of Friedrich dem Großen

Julius Kosleck has now come full circle; from military musician to cornet soloist, from orchestral and chamber musician and Bach specialist to patriotic brass band, with which he was able to realise his idea of the knightly art of the trumpet.

‘There has hardly been a more ardent patriot and loyal Christian than Kosleck.

His art was in the service of God, his emperor and his fatherland.’

From: Max Chop "Julius Kosleck: Persönliche Erinnerungen" in Neue Militärmusikzeitung 29.03.1906

Let us quote Bruno Garlepp again at the end, according to his own statement “faithful friend” of Julius Kosleck:

“Kosleck lived to an old age, for he only died on November 5, 1905, without a difficult battle. His emperor had him buried with high honors like a great man of art. The grateful brass society erected a beautiful monument with a medallion portrait at his master's grave, and the writer of these lines called out to his faithful friend over the grave:”

Sources

Mit klingendem Spiel (Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Militärmusik e.V.

East Meets West The Russian Trumpet Tradition Edward H.Tarr (HBS)

Das Ventilblasinstrument Herbert Heyde ( Breitkopf & Härtel)

Friedel Keim Das große Buch der Trompete

Valve Brass Music 200 Jahre Ventilblasinstrumente (nicolai)

Herbert Heyde Musikinstrumentenbau in Preussen (Hans Schneider)

Münchener DigitalisierungsZentrum Digitale Bibliothek

Bruno Garlepp Die Geschichte der Trompete nebst einer Biographie Julius Koslecks

Julius Kosleck has now come full circle; from military musician to cornet soloist, from orchestral and chamber musician and Bach specialist to patriotic brass band, with which he was able to realize his idea of the knightly art of the trumpeter.

"Einen glühenderen Patrioten und treueren Christen als Kosleck hat es kaum gegeben. Seine Kunst stand im Dienste Gottes, seines Kaisers und seines Vaterlandes."

From Max Chop “Julius Kosleck: Personal Memories” in Neue Militärmusikzeitung 29.03.1906

Let us quote Bruno Garlepp again at the end, according to his own statement

“faithful friend” of Julius Kosleck: