Fruh, Armin Leberecht

1820-1894

Dramatic composer and inventor, who was born in Muhlhausen, Bavaria, and was a pupil of Dehn in Berlin, where he later became a teacher of vocal music. Früh invented in 1857 an apparatus called by him, Semeio-Melodicon, to facilitate elementary musical instruction, by introducing the notes to sight and hearing simultaneously. He received from Fetis, Moscheles, Heller, Auber, Halevy, Dreyschock and the Paris Conservatory approval of his invention, then settled in Dresden in 1858 to establish a factory, but the enterprise failed and he was obliged to abandon his plans. He wrote several operas, among them Die Bergknappen; Die Beiden Figaro; also a symphony and songs. He died at Nordhausen.