Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis

Jean (John)-Chrysostome Brauneis (b Johann Chrysostomus). Bandmaster, teacher, composer, baptized Herrnsheim, near Worms 29 Mar 1785, d Quebec City 15 Sep 1832. He moved to Quebec City about 1813, as a musician with the 70th Foot Regiment British army band. After a few years of service in Upper Canada he left the band in 1818 to teach piano and other instruments in Quebec. Five years later he obtained a shop licence and advertised instruments and other musical merchandise for sale. In 1831 he became director of the Régiment d'artillerie band in Quebec and was also associated with an artillery battalion band. He died a victim of the 1832 cholera epidemic. On 27 Feb 1819 the band of the 60th regiment played Brauneis' Grand Overture of Quebec as the Duke of Richmond, the governor-in-chief, entered Government House in Quebec City. The work was dedicated to the duke's daughter, Lady Mary Lennox. Brauneis advertised copies of this piece and also, in September 1819, of one in memory of the duke, who had died in August. The speed of production suggests that these are early instances of Canadian sheet music printing, but no copies have yet been located and they may have been copied to order by hand.

See also Jean (John)-Chrysostome Brauneis II (his son).

Author Helmut Kallmann

Bibliography

Brassard, T.-L. and Massicotte, E.-Z. 'Les deux musiciens Braunies' (sic), BRH, vol 41, Nov 1935

DCB, vol 6