Friedrich Curschmann, a native  of Berlin, was simultaneous as Norbert Burgmüller in
Kassel active, however was a some years elder musician, who first a study as lawyer had
begun, was already at the end of his training in 1826. He remained however still in Kassel, gave instruction and led there 1828 his opera in one act Abdul and  Erinnieh  with good success.
On 1829 returned Curschmann to Berlin and lived from now on, released from material concerns
and lucky married, devoted to his work. Burgmüller visited him there within that same year. The
very popular songs of this elegant composer fell with few exceptions soon after his early death
into oblivion. At lifetimes overrated, being ignored completely today does injustice. An CD
admission of a selection from his songs is in preparation. The following illustration presents Curschmann's handwriting in a letter to his Berlin publisher Trautwein.

 

Friedrich Curschmann:

Song "Erscheine noch einmal" op.26 No.1 

 
Hermann was schoolmate of Norbert Burgmüller under Spohr and Hauptmann. He developed into an outstanding violonist and a considerable conductor. He was some years actively in Sondershausen, unfolded however his main activity over decades as a director of music in Lübeck. His musical work met with little approval during lifetimes. Only after his death, his principal work, the Sinfonia patetica, was revived -  without being able to become generally accepted meanwhile. Only in our days there are again efforts to test the works of Gottfried Herrmann again.

Gottfried Herrmann:

Song "Du bist wie eine Blume"

Coming from Hamburg, Friedrich Pacius, the later Father of the Finnish music , com-
pletes the circle of the better known schoolmates of Norbert Burgmüller (to mention
still Georg Radelfahr and Franz Hartmann would be). By Spohr and Hauptmann to an
excellent violonist, conductor and paedagogue formed, Pacius determined still into the
epoch of Sibelius a leading position in Finnish music lives. He is the composer of the first Finnish national opera King Karl's Hunt  and furthermore wrote successful songs, also chamber music and orchestral works. Scientific study of his work still in Finland only
is at the beginning.
 

Frederik Pacius:

Song "Die Spinnerin" 

The artistically most important friendship for Burgmüller certainly has been the one with Felix
Mendelssohn, who reigned as director of music in Düsseldorf in the period 1833 to 1835. He
performed the works of Burgmüller and advised his younger colleague in musical and human
concerns. Upon the funeral of Burgmüller, Mendelssohn composed in deep sorrow his March
in a op.103, which was to be published by Rieter-Biedermann only from his legacy. This piece
within the later years of the 19th century appeared in several arrangements printed (for piano
two and four hands, for organ, for violin and piano; unpublished also for string orchestra).

Over the emergence of this march, it means in the memory sheets of the family Klotz:
When Burgmüller had died, Mendelssohn, like in former times so often came to the coffee into the Klotz' house. Naturally the maintenance turned exclusive around that  dead friend. Finally Mendelssohn jumped up, requested  note paper and the Capellmeisters writing desk he composed on a mourning march for the funeral of the friend (op.103, a). This was in the house Bastionstrasse No.21. That  manuscript dedicated Mendelssohn Klotz, who always held it in high honours. Later the family lost the manuscript. Today it is to be found at the Mendelssohn Archiv of the Berlin State Library.
Shortly before the first performance of his oratorio "Paulus" Mendelssohn composed a cavatina for tenor to the words "Sei getreu bis in den Tod"  which could be understood as
a further reference to Burgmüller and his death.
 

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy:

Cavatina from the Oratorio "Paulus" 

 

Carl Klotz was stationed as a military kapellmeister in Düsseldorf and was a, also of
Mendelssohn highly-estimated, clarinet virtuoso and conductor. He performed repeatedly works of Burgmüller in Düsseldorf, particularly the fragments from his opera Dionys.
Burgmüller took himself revenge in 1834 with the dedication of his duo for clarinet and piano
in E flat op.15, which only in 1865 was printed with Kistner and until now is the best known work of Burgmüller: an equal companion to the clarinet works of Weber, Schumann and Brahms.

The pianist and composer Wilhelm Steifensand was born in 1812 at Kaster in the Erftkreis.
Together with his older brother Xaver, a well-known artist, he came in 1832 to Düsseldorf, as a pupil of Burgmüller and later on also of Mendelssohn. He moved over in 1844 to Berlin, where he held successful soirees, married and published most of his works (predominant pieces for piano and songs in finished and not unoriginal style). 1856 he pulled himself tight in the private life on the property of his wife at Stolp in Pommern. Steifensand belonged to the closest circle of Burgmüller, received dedication of the rhapsody b op.13 and carried the corpse of his deceased friend in 1836 from Aachen, in order to make possible the funeral at Düsseldorf. At the commemoration concert for Burgmüller in April 1837 in Düsseldorf,
he played the piano concerto op.1 and accompanied the public premiere of several songs.
 

 

Wilhelm Steifensand:

Song "Du bist wie eine Blume" op. 4 No.1  

A citizen of Berlin, Julius Rietz was a youth friend of Mendelssohn's and became by him in  1835 as his deputy to Düsseldorf called. After the imminent way course Mendelssohns after
Leipzig, became Rietz until 1847 the city director of music, then conductor of the Gewand-
haus concerts and teacher at the Leipzig conservatory. He changed 1860 as conductor to
Dresden. 1836 Rietz directed  on the occasion of the office for dead for Burgmüller the c minor requiem of Cherubini and the concert in memory of Burgmüller in April 1837, when for
the first time ever, the two completed movements of the 2nd Symphony were performed. Besides his activity as a conductor, Rietz frequently appeared as a cello player, e.g. in recitals  with Wilhelm Steifensand. His fine and intimate compositional work has until today unfortunately still no appropriate consideration found.
 

 

Julius Rietz:

Song op.27 No.1 

Hubert Ferdinand Kufferath was a member of a from Mülheim an der Ruhr coming
musicians family. He was pupil of his elder brother Johann Hermann and came 1835 for
short time as a pupil of Mendelssohns to Düsseldorf. He must also with Burgmüller have
come into contact , even if today direct certifications are missing. Starting from 1842 was
Kufferath again with Mendelssohn as pupils, now in Leipzig. His teacher called him the
most important talent among his pupils until 1843. After some years in Cologne, found
Kufferath 1850 in Brussels his final sphere of activity and determined the music life
the city as pianist, conductor, paedagogue and composer. Among his pupils ranked Edgar
Tinel and Auguste de Boeck.
Already promptly Kufferath strove for the work of Norbert Burgmüller and collected his autographs and copies of his works. The in the gallery illustrated part copy  of the 4th string quartet of Burgmüller, comes from his deduction; in Washington two Burgmüller autographs from his collection are preserved. The slow movement of his piano quartet in F major op.12 quotes the Burgmüller song Fischerknabe. His music proves the hand of an original and masterful composer, but is fallen completely into oblivion.