Concerning the requirements of posterity, the work of German court composer Johann Gottlieb Graun has spent much of its time trying to extract itself from the long shadow of the music of Graun's much better-known younger brother, Carl Heinrich Graun. In addition, this is the reverse from the usual modus operandi of historic valuation; Carl Heinrich Graun was primarily known as a composer of opera and vocal music, whereas Johann Gottlieb Graun concentrated on instrumental music, and led the band for the court King Frederick ...
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Concerning the requirements of posterity, the work of German court composer Johann Gottlieb Graun has spent much of its time trying to extract itself from the long shadow of the music of Graun's much better-known younger brother, Carl Heinrich Graun. In addition, this is the reverse from the usual modus operandi of historic valuation; Carl Heinrich Graun was primarily known as a composer of opera and vocal music, whereas Johann Gottlieb Graun concentrated on instrumental music, and led the band for the court King Frederick the Great in Berlin. This distinction does not help much in some cases, as both brothers belonged to the court of the Prussian King, and surviving manuscripts are often signed "Graun" without any additional distinction as to which of the two produced a given work in question. However, there are some clues -- Carl Heinrich Graun's instrumental music is precious, courtly, and reflects the influence of operatic melody, which was his strongest suit. By comparison, Johann Gottlieb Graun's...
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