Fritz Brun

Fritz Brun (18 August 1878 – 29 November 1959) was a Swiss conductor and composer of classical music.

Brun was born in Lucerne. He was a student of Franz Wüllner at the conservatory at Cologne, and studied piano and theory there until 1902. The following year he became a piano teacher at the music school in Bern. From 1909 until 1943, he led the symphony concerts of the Bernischen Musikgesellschaft, and was conductor of the choral society and lieder group there. From 1926 to 1940, additionally, he was the vice-president of the Swiss music society Tonkünstlerverein. In June 1941 Brun retired, except for occasional returns to conducting. He dedicated his first violin sonata to violinist Adele Bloesch-Stöcker.

In 1912 Brun married Hanna Rosenmund; they had three children. Brun died in Grosshöchstetten.

His compositions include ten symphonies, which are now available, as of 2019, in a release by Brilliant Classics. The box consists of individual recordings that were originally released by the Guild Music label:

• No. 1 in B minor (1901) (premiered 1 June 1908 conducted by the composer)[1][2]
• No. 2 in B♭ (1911) (premiered 14 February 1911 conducted by Volkmar Andreae)[1][2]
• No. 3 in D minor (1919) (premiered 3 March 1920, conducted by the composer)[1][2]
• No. 4 in E (1925) (premiered 2 February 1926 conducted by Volkmar Andreae)[2])
• No. 5 in E♭ (1929) (Chaconne/Gehetzt, phantastisch/Langsam (slow)/Rasch und wütend) (premiered 14 January 1930 conducted by Volkmar Andreae)[2][3]
• No. 6 in C (1932–1933) (premiered 29 October 1933 conducted by Hermann Scherchen)[1][2]
• No. 7 in D (1937) (premiered 10 November 1937 conducted by Hermann Scherchen)[1][2]
• No. 8 in A (1938/1942?)[1] (premiered 11 November 1942 conducted by Hermann Scherchen)[2])
• No. 9 in F (symphony/suite; five movements) (1949–50)[1][4] (premiered 12 December 1960, conducted by Volkmar Andreae)[2]
• No. 10 in B♭ (1953, premiered 7 November 1955 conducted by Luc Balmer)[2][3]

Also there is a piano concerto in A (1946), a cello concerto in D minor (1947),[1][2] a Symphonic Prolog for Orchestra (1942), four string quartets (E♭ major, 1898; G major, 1921; F major, 1943; D major, 1949),[2] a piano quintet (1902),[2] and three piano and string sonatas – two for piano with violin (D minor, 1906 and D major, 1951),[2] one with cello (1920, 1951, 1952), and other works for various ensembles.[5]