Friedrich-August Belcke (1795-1874)

Biography

Friedrich-August Belcke (1795-1874), trombonist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra (1815-16), then the Berlin Court Orchestra (1816-58), divided his activities between his permanent posts and his touring engagements, for which he was often the organizer.

This took him not only around Germany and the territories of the Austrian Empire, but also to Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, not forgetting France where he performed the Ferdinand David Concertino, accompanied by the orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire (January 1844). He often performed in the combination trombone and organ, not a common approach at that time, it seems. One of the foremost interpreters of the concertos of his day (David, Meyer, Müller, Neidhardt), he expanded his instrument’s repertoire with numerous compositions of his own, including a Concertino, opus 40 (with orchestra), a Fantasia, opus 58 (with orchestra or organ), and various collections of studies and duets. The catalogue of his compositions contains pieces for piano, too, an instrument he also taught during his time in Berlin.