Hegner, Ludvig

Ludvig Hegner (1851-1923) studied theory and composition with Niels Gade and in 1884 became a member of the Danish Royal Theatre Orchestra, promoted two months later to the position of Principal Bass. Alongside his orchestral duties, Hegner also gave many solo performances, often playing his own works or those of his fellow bassist-composers such as Bottesini or Simandl, and after a solo performance in America, the New York Times compared Hegner to the great Dragonetti and Bottesini. Ludvig Hegner composed a number of works for double bass, which fall into the category of ‘characteristic’ or ‘salon’ music, and are typical of music being written and performed at the end of the 19th-century.