Friedrich Ludwig Christian, commonly known as Louis Ferdinand (November 18, 1772 - Saalfeld, October 10, 1806), was a prince of Prussia and a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars. Louis Ferdinand was born in Schloß Friedrichsfelde near Berlin. He was a son of Prince August Ferdinand of Prussia and a nephew of King Frederick the Great. He morganatically married the Catholic countess Marie Adelaide de la Grange. He had a son from the marriage, Theodor Friedrich Klitsche de la Grange. Ludwig von Wildenbruch was an illegitimate son of Louis Ferdinand.
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Military career
Louis Ferdinand was one of the most gifted Prussian soldiers of the post-Frederican era. He was wounded during the siege of Mainz. His military potential was not fulfilled because of his early death in action at the Battle of Saalfeld. He was in command of 8,300 men against Jean Lannes' V Corps as the French left-hand column strove to break out from the Thuringian Forest passes early in the campaign of 1806. He was killed by Guindet, quartermaster of the 10th French Hussars. As a prominent leader of the Prussian court war-party, his death was grievously felt.
Musical activities
Apart from being a great soldier, Louis Ferdinand was also a gifted musician and composer. Johann Friedrich Reichardt considered him a great pianist. Early on he also started to compose music but he was not recognized for his compositional activities until later. His early pieces were performed by the orchestra of Prince Henry, the brother of Fredrick the Great. Later on, Prince Louis Ferdinand joined several salons in Berlin where he frequently improvized on the piano. Among his circle of acquaintances were figures such as Schlegel, Wackenroder, and Tieck, all of them were highly interested in music as well. Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his third Piano Concerto to him, a sign of high esteem for his piano playing.[1]
Musical works
Modern editions of his works: H. Kretzschmar: Louis Ferdinand, Prinz von Preussen: Musikalische Werke. Leipzig, 1910.
- Piano Quintet, c minor, op. 1. Paris, 1803.
- Piano Trio, A-flat major, op. 2. 1806.
- Piano Trio, E-flat major, op. 3, 1806.
- Andante with variations, B-flat major, op. 4, 1806. For violin, vila, violoncello, and pianoforte.
- Piano Quartet, E major, op.5, 1806.
- Piano Quartet, f minor, op.6, 1806.
- Fugue, g minor, 1807. For pianoforte.
- Nocturne, F major, op.8, 1808. For flute, violin, viola, violoncello, pianoforte, 2 horns.
- Rondo, B major, op.9, 1808. For pianoforte and orchestra.
- Piano Trio, E major, op. 10. Berlin, 1806.
- Larghetto with variations, G major, op. 11. Berlin, 1806. For violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, pianoforte.
- Octet, f minor, op.12, 1808. For clarinet, 2 horns, 2 violins, 2 violoncellos, pianoforte.
- Rondo, E major, op.13, 1823. For pianoforte and orchestra.
References
- ^ See Barbara H. McMurtry: Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia. Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2 August, 2007), <http://www.grovemusic.com>.
Bibliography
- B. Nadolny: Louis Ferdinand. Düsseldorf, 1967
- E. Klessmann: Louis Ferdinand von Preussen, 1772–1806. Munich, 1972
- B.H. McMurtry: The Music of Prince Louis Ferdinand. diss., University of Illinois, 1972
- N. Miller: "Ein höchst poetische Natur...": Prinz Louis Ferdinand und der Klassizismus in der preussischen Musik, Mendelssohn-Studien, v (1982): 79–98
External links
- Prince Louis of Prussia Ferdinand was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
- Genealogy of the Royal Family of Prussia
- http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/riley/787/Napoleon/Prussia/Commanders/Princelouis.html
