Besides the parents and the elder brother Friedrich was, after everything which admits, the
Düsseldorf musician Joseph Kreutzer the most important teacher to young Burgmüller. Kreutzer
was professional violonist and for years concert master of the Düsseldorf orchestra. He made
himself also as a composer a name and published works for Guitar and for Strings. In addition to
his concerns for chamber music, he seems  to have written also large-scale works, among them a Symphony. In later years somewhat curious, Kreutzer warped on  the revolt of the Düsseldorf musicians against the Director of Music Mendelssohn. His guitar works are in selection in reprint to appear. Since from Kreutzer until now no portrait admits, it is on the basis of one Autograph of his song Lebewohl, as well as title page of an instructive Duo for 2 Violins, that Joseph Kreutzer is represented.

Probably on the occasion of the Düsseldorf music celebration 1826, with Spohr conducting his Oratorio The Last Things contacts were attached, it specified Norbert Burgmüller made possible
to study starting from autumn 1826 in Kassel with Spohr. Spohr already was at that time a European celebrity as one of the prominent composers, as most important German violonist, as innovative conductor and a famous paedagogue. Spohr informed his pupils always free of charge, whereby it himself always more around the final touch with the young, nearly finished trained musicians acted.
He provided for intensive theory instruction with his own pupil Moritz Hauptmann and transferred his favorites tasks in more practical music as soloists, correpetitiors, conductors and teachers. Usually a handful became taken up by promising apprentices to the Kassel school, their training until two years lasted, before others stepped to their place. Burgmüller remained nearly four years in Kassel and had probably only to ca. the beginning of 1828 regular instruction, before he tried up to stand own feet. Spohr conducted the premiere of the Piano Concert of Burgmüller on 14 January 1830. Although Burgmüller as the most important productive talent under Spohrs pupils applied and probably was very much promoted, he seems to have lost in 1830  the protection and the sympathetic consideration of Spohr's. The exact reasons are unknown. The planned dedication of his first Symphony to Spohr did not come off. It is here still another musical album sheet of Louis Spohr from the year 1845, as his most important pupil already nearly one decade was dead, shown.

 

 
 

Louis Spohr:

Larghetto from Double Quartet d minor op.65 

Norbert Burgmüller played at the first performance of the cantata Vaterunser  by
Spohr at a concert of the Kassel Cäcilienvereins on 22nd november 1829
the whole orchestral part on the piano, Spohr conducted:

"Vaterunser", Cantata (Excerpt)   

Burgmüllers other teacher besides Spohr, was a most important  theorist in 19th Century. He was violonist in the Kasseler Hofkapelle under Spohr. As a composer it could only with songs and choir works admits itself make, but his important call, also as fighter of the Bach Renaissance, provided
him the posts as Leipziger Thomaskantor and as theory teachers at the Leipzig Conservatory.
In a letter to his friend of many years, the singer and paedagogue Franz Hauser, remembered
Hauptmann his pupil Norbert Burgmüller: He was long a time bridegroom  to Roland; she took
herself however then another. He died 1836 in Aachen, was at all much ill. It had however every-
thing attention for him. Mendelssohn played his Concert from the Manuscript in Düsseldorf. On
this Concert, which he wrote still in Kassel, he probably worked one year, because the most
time he could not do anything, - and it sounds like made in a seat.

 

 
 

Moritz Hauptmann:

Spring Song for Chorus op.32 No.3 

2 Goethe Songs