Frederik Christian Funck (30 August 1783 – 2 December 1866) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

cellist and composer. He was the brother of

Peter Ferdinand Funck Peter Ferdinand Funck (1788 – 7 January 1859) was a Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Cu ...

and nephew of

Claus Claus (sometimes Clas) is both a given name and a German, Danish, and Dutch surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (1907–1944), a German officer who, along with others, attempted to assassina ...

and Peder Schall, all also musicians. From the age of 10, Funck was taught by his maternal uncle Peder Schall, himself an accomplished cellist. On 20 January 1798, at the age of 14, he performed at a concert organised by the

Danish Golden Age The Danish Golden Age ( da, Den danske guldalder) covers a period of exceptional creative production in Denmark, especially during the first half of the 19th century.Kulturnet DanmarkGuide to the Danish Golden Age Although Copenhagen had suffered ...

composer

Christoph Ernst Friedrich Weyse Christoph(er) Ernst Friedrich Weyse (5 March 1774 – 8 October 1842) was a Danish composer during the Danish Golden Age. Biography Weyse was born at Altona in Holstein, which was in a personal union with Denmark. He gained much interest ...

. The following year he joined the

Royal Danish Orchestra The Royal Danish Orchestra (''Det Kongelige Kapel'') is a Danish orchestra based in Copenhagen. The Danish name for the orchestra indicates its original function as an ensemble geared to supplying the music for court events. The Royal Danish Orch ...

, which lays claim to being the world's oldest orchestra, having been in existence in some form since 1448. In 1815 he went on a concert tour of Russia, Finland and Sweden. In 1817, after his return to Denmark, he regularly performed in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. The critics praised his virtuosity, beautiful clear tone and masterful playing; an 1821 review stated that "he has claimed his reputation as an excellent solo player both here in Sweden and in Russia, and even the Master

Bernhard Romberg Bernhard Heinrich Romberg (November 13, 1767 – August 13, 1841) was a German cellist and composer. Life Romberg was born in Dinklage. His father, Anton Romberg, played the bassoon and cello and gave Bernhard his first cello lessons. He ...

acknowledged him as such". In 1822 he was given a royal

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...

, and for the next 2 years and he performed as a soloist in places such as Berlin, Vienna, Munich and Paris. At his concert in Vienna in 1823, he performed one of his few compositions: Variationer for Violoncel med Kvartetakkompagnement. In 1831 he visited Norway and in 1849 he celebrated his 50th year as a member of the

. He remained a member until 1857, when he left at the age of 74, after 58 years. His final performance as a soloist was in 1852 at the

Musikforeningen Musikforeningen (The Music Society) in Copenhagen was Denmark's most important concert venue in the 19th century. It operated from 1838 to 1931 but it was especially under the leadership of Niels Gade (1850–90) that it became a meeting place for ...

in Copenhagen, as it was coming into its prime as the leading concert venue in Denmark.

References

*''This article was initially translated from the Danish Wikipedia.'' Danish classical cellists Danish composers Danish male composers 1783 births 1866 deaths 19th-century male musicians {{Denmark-composer-stub

See also

References