Lebrun
The 250th anniversary of the birth of Lebrun, in May 2002, may not have been widely celebrated. But in his day Lebrun was hailed as Europe’s leading virtuoso oboist, and The AAM acknowledged his contribution with one of his oboe concertos, performed by Frank de Bruine, within a programme of works by his contemporaries, Mozart and Haydn.
Ludwig August Lebrun was born in Mannheim in 1752, the son of Jacob Alexander Lebrun, an oboist and repetiteur at the Mannheim court from 1747 until his death in 1771. Ludwig was taught the oboe by his father and joined the Mannheim orchestra as a ‘scholar’ in 1764 before being appointed to a full position three years later when he was just 15 years old. He soon became a member of the select group of chamber musicians and his high salary — recorded in court accounts of 1776 and 1778 — indicates that he was held in high regard by his patron, Elector Carl Theodor.
From 1772, Lebrun toured extensively around Europe gaining a formidable reputation for his virtuoso playing and composition. As C. F. D. Schubart, a commentator of the day, wrote: ‘Lebrun is a veritable wizard on the oboe, and his compositions are particularly sensitive and as sweet as drops of nectar. The ethereal radiance of his genius finds expression in everything that he composes and performs. He is worthy of all Europe’s admiration.’
By this time, the solo oboe repertoire was very limited so the majority of Lebrun’s compositions (14 oboe concertos) were vehicles for his own artistry although he also wrote duets for oboe and soprano which he performed with his wife, Franziska Danzi, whom he married in 1778. From that year, they were almost constantly on tour despite both still being in the service of the Mannheim court. Their travels took them to Milan (1778), Paris (1779), London (1779–81), Vienna and Prague (1785), Naples (1786–7) and finally Berlin (1789–90).
The couple’s unanimity in performance was noted by the historian Charles Burney:
Franziska Danzi and the excellent oboist Lebrun usually travel together, and it seems as though she has listened to nothing other than his instrument, for when they perform together in thirds and sixths one cannot hear which is the upper or the lower voice!
Sadly, both careers were cut off in their prime: Ludwig’s death at the age of 38 in 1790 was followed five months later by the death of Franziska, aged 35.