Schlummerlied

Christian Rummel (also Chrétien Rummel), music educator, pianist, clarinettist, violinist and composer, was born in Gollachostheim, Franconia (Germany). He received his musical education in Mannheim. Rummel first worked as a military band director. Following his military career, he moved to Wiesbaden as he was offered a position as a music teacher there. Later he directed the court orchestra in Biebrich and following its dissolution, he directed the Wiesbaden theatre orchestra. On the occasion of a visit to Vienna, the publishers Schott recommended him to Ludwig van Beethoven (letter of 19th April 1824), with the request for ‘friendship and good will‘. He is said to have had an ‘urge for perfection through studying composition‘. This Schlummerlied is dedicated to Baron Breidbach-Bürresheim. The melody comes from the opera ‘La muette de Portici“ (The mute girl of Portici) by the composer Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (1782–1871), which was first performed at the Paris Opera House in 1828. The setting is a fishing village near Naples. The plot revolves around love, marriage, revolt against the Spanish occupying forces and, as if that were not enough, the volcano Vesuvius erupts at the end. The piece was published by Schott in 1832 (plate number 3733)