Carl Heinrich Graun

Carl Heinrich Graun (1703/4  - 8 August 1759) was a German composer and tenor singer.

Life
Graun was born in Wahrenbrück. His father was a tax collector. He had two brothers, Johann Gottlieb Graun and August Friedrich Graun. Carl was the youngest son. He went to school in Dresden. He sang in the choir of the Kreuzkirche. He studied in the University of Leipzig from 1718-19. He studied singing with J.Z. Grundig and composition with Christian Petzold and Johann Christoph Schmidt.

In 1724 he moved to Brunswick. He sang in the opera house in Brunswick. He wrote operas, cantatas, funeral music, and Passion cantatas in Brunswick. He was unhappy in Brunswick. In 1731 he moved to Prussia to work for crown prince Frederick. His brother, Johann Gottlieb was already working for Prince Frederick. Graun did not stop writing music for Brunswick.

Frederick became king in 1740. He sent Graun to Italy to hire singers for the court opera. Graun returned to Berlin in March 1741. He was promoted to Kapellmeister. He was in charge of the music in the Berlin court. His job was writing stage music. In 1755, he wrote Der Tod Jesu (The Death of Jesus), a Passion cantata. The cantata was performed every year in Germany ever since.

He died on August 8, 1759 in Berlin.

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References

Category:1704 births
Category:1759 deaths
Category:18th-century German composers
Category:German singers