Story of the Flute
composition of the famous song, Partant pour la Syrie.
The German family of the Furstenaus produced no less than three generations of famous flautists. CasparTheFurstenaus Furstenau (1772-1819) was music master to the Duke of Oldenburg. Though a fair performer, he was quite eclipsed by his son, Anton Bernard Furstenau (1792-1852), born at Münster, who at the age of seven played a solo before the Duke, and was presented by him with a magnificent flute. The father and son made several musical tours together between 1803-18, and at their performances the remarkable finish of their execution excited quite a sensation. Anton, who was one of the finest flautists in Europe, was a great personal friend of Weber, in whose orchestra at Dresden he became first flute in 1820, and whom he accompanied to London in 1826. During this visit he played his own Concerto at the Philharmonic. Weber is supposed to have assisted him in some of his numerous compositions for the flute, and no doubt many of the fine flute passages in Weber's operas were written with a view to his flautist friend. Furstenau assisted Weber to undress on July 4th, 1826, the night before the composer died, for which service the latter thanked him, and said, "Now let me sleep"—his last words. Next morning, receiving no reply to his knock at Weber's door, Furstenau had it broken open, and found that his friend's spirit had departed from this world for ever. It was for A. B. Furstenau that Kuhlau wrote many of his compositions. Furstenau and Kuhlau used to play
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