Freundschaft oder Liebe & Das Körbchen for Voice, Horn and Piano
Joseph Rudolf Lewy was born on 2 April 1802 in Nancy, France. He grew up with his older brother Eduard Constantin in the household of their father, who was a cellist in the chapel of the Duke of Zweibrücken. Both brothers studied at the Paris Conservatoire in the horn class of Frédéric Duvernoy.
Eduard brought Joseph Rudolf to Basel as a violist and horn player. From there, on the recommendation of Peter Joseph von Lindpaintner, Joseph Rudolf moved to the royal chapel in Stuttgart as a hornist. In 1826, his brother prompted him to move once more, this time to the imperial court opera orchestra in Vienna.
From the 1830s onward, Joseph Rudolf gave up his permanent position and toured Europe. In 1837 he was called to Dresden, where he played as principal hornist in the royal chapel.
In 1851, Lewy retired and settled in Oberlößnitz, today a district of Radebeul.
Both songs were composed during Lewy's time in Vienna around 1830 and were first published by the Diabelli publishing house as Opus 7.
