Carl Grimm – Potpourri for Horn and String Quartet
The horn player Carl Grimm was born on 17 March 1791 in Hildburghausen. His father, Christoph Grimm, was valet and horn player to Duchess Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Together with his brothers Christian and Heinrich, he learned to play the horn from his father. Carl and Christian were admitted to the Hildburghausen court orchestra (Hofkapelle), and in 1816 Carl was appointed court musician. Concert tours from this period are documented, on which the brothers appeared as soloists, both together and alongside their father. Under the name “Frères Grimm” they published horn duos and quartets in print.
Around 1822 the two brothers left Hildburghausen for Wiesbaden, where they became members of the ducal Nassau court orchestra in Biebrich. Carl Grimm retired in 1854 and died in Wiesbaden on 18 November 1855.
This Potpourri was published in 1824/25 by Schott in Mainz. If Carl Grimm played the work himself, he must have been an exceptional horn player.
