Carl Zeller
Encyclopedia
Carl Adam Johann Nepomuk Zeller (19 June 1842 – 17 August 1898) was an Austria
n composer of operetta
s.
Zeller was born in Sankt Peter in der Au
, the only child of physician Johann Zeller and Maria Anna Elizabeth. Zeller's father died before his first birthday, after which his mother remarried Ernest Friedinger. In 1875, Zeller married Anna Maria Schwetz.
Zeller had a fine sorprano voice, and sang in the Vienna Boys' Choir
before studying and composition in the University of Vienna
. He worked as a civil servant at the Imperial Ministry of Education while composing songs (God Greets You All and Give Yourself Roses in Tyrol), choral works, and a number of operettas, the best-known of which is Der Vogelhändler
. All of his librettos were written (or co-written) by Moritz West, often together with Ludwig Held.
Legal troubles, including a perjury
conviction, ended Zeller's career at the ministry and led to prison and public disgrace in the mid 1890s (although his prison sentence was later repealed). After an injury in 1895 from falling on the ice, he spent his last years physically and then mentally ill. Zeller died of pneumonia in Baden bei Wien
at the age of 56.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n composer of operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
s.
Zeller was born in Sankt Peter in der Au
Sankt Peter in der Au
Sankt Peter in der Au is a town in the district of Amstetten in Lower Austria in Austria.-References:...
, the only child of physician Johann Zeller and Maria Anna Elizabeth. Zeller's father died before his first birthday, after which his mother remarried Ernest Friedinger. In 1875, Zeller married Anna Maria Schwetz.
Zeller had a fine sorprano voice, and sang in the Vienna Boys' Choir
Vienna Boys' Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir is a choir of trebles and altos based in Vienna. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countries....
before studying and composition in the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He worked as a civil servant at the Imperial Ministry of Education while composing songs (God Greets You All and Give Yourself Roses in Tyrol), choral works, and a number of operettas, the best-known of which is Der Vogelhändler
Der Vogelhändler
Der Vogelhändler is an operetta in three acts by Carl Zeller with a libretto by Moritz West and Ludwig Held based on Varin and Biéville's Ce que deviennent les roses....
. All of his librettos were written (or co-written) by Moritz West, often together with Ludwig Held.
Legal troubles, including a perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
conviction, ended Zeller's career at the ministry and led to prison and public disgrace in the mid 1890s (although his prison sentence was later repealed). After an injury in 1895 from falling on the ice, he spent his last years physically and then mentally ill. Zeller died of pneumonia in Baden bei Wien
Baden bei Wien
-Points of interest:The town offers several parks and a picturesque surrounding, of which the most frequented is the Helenental valley. Not far from Baden, the valley is crossed by a widespread aqueduct of the Vienna waterworks...
at the age of 56.
Operettas
- Joconde (1876)
- Die Fornarina (1878)
- Capitän Nicoll, oder Die Carbonari (1880)
- Der Vagabund (1886)
- Der VogelhändlerDer VogelhändlerDer Vogelhändler is an operetta in three acts by Carl Zeller with a libretto by Moritz West and Ludwig Held based on Varin and Biéville's Ce que deviennent les roses....
(The Bird Seller) (1891) - Der Obersteiger (The Foreman) (1894)
- Der Kellermeister (1901; completed by Johannes Brandt)