Kücken, Friedrich Wilhelm

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Kücken, Friedrich Wilhelm

Kücken, Friedrich Wilhelm, German conductor and composer; b. Bleckede, Nov. 16, 1810; d. Schwerin, April 3, 1882. He studied thoroughbass with his brother-in-law, the organist Friedrich Lührss, and piano with Aron and Rettberg in Schwerin; in 1832, went to Berlin, where he studied counterpoint with Birnbach; from 1841 to 1843, studied with Sechter in Vienna, and later took courses in orchestration with Halévy and composition with Bordogni. He was Kapellmeister in Stuttgart (1851–61). He wrote the operas Die Flucht nach der Schweiz (Berlin, Feb. 26, 1839) and Der Prätendent (Stuttgart, April 21, 1847) as well as sonatas for violin and for cello, etc. However, he is most noted for his songs, which include Ach, wie war’s möglich dann, Das Sternelein, O weine nicht, Trab, trab, Das Mädchen von Juda, and The Swallows.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire