Carl Heinrich Graun
Biography
Carl Heinrich Graun (1704-1759) was from a prominent German family of musicians and made his mark composing Italian operas for the German court. Graun learned his trade at the Dresden Opera and was working for the opera house in Brunswick when Frederick the Great summoned him to Berlin in 1735. For the Berlin Opera Graun composed Rodelinda (1741), Cesare e Cleopatra (1742), and Montezuma (1755), among others; in some instances Frederick himself contributed the libretto or other suggestions for these productions. Graun is also remembered for his fine oratorio Der Tod Jesu (1755), which remained popular well after his death.