Victor Bruns

Little Suite Nr. 2

Victor Bruns was born unto German parents the 15th August 1904 in the little place Ollila in south-east-Finland. In St. Peters- burg he went to school and had piano-lessons; later on he took up the bassoon in order to be able to play in a students orchestra. After three years of conservatory he was employed at the State opera and ballet of the town, by now named Leningrad, and studied composition until 1931. In 1938 he moved to Berlin and joined the orchestra of the Volksoper. After war and captivity Bruns joined 1946 the famous Berliner Staatskapelle and remained there until he retired in 1969. Further studies in composition followed, now with Boris Blacher. The majority of his works were composed during the almost fifty years between 1946 and his severe illness in 1994: 6 symphonies, a great number of concertos, chamber music for winds and strings, the ballets Das Recht des Herren op.27, Das Edelfräulein als Bäuerin op.31 and Neue Odyssee op.33 as well as the 'Kammeroper' Minna von Barnhelm op.39. Victor Bruns died the 6th of December 1996.