Friedrich Christian Bressand
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Christian Bressand (c. 1670, Durlach
– 11 April 1699, Wolfenbüttel
) was a Baroque German poet and opera
librettist
.
of Durlach's personal cook, but was forced to flee the town when it was destroyed by French troops in 1689. He found refuge through family connections at the court of Duke Anton Ulrich
of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a patron of opera who built an opera house in in 1690. The house stood until 1861.
The Duke himself wrote opera librettos and enlisted Bressand to assist him in the organization of theatrical events. They started with German arrangements of French and Italian operas and Bressand soon fashioned a significant number of his own librettos, which evidently became popular with composers, given the number of composers who set his texts. His texts were even performed at the richly-furnished Hamburg Opera alongside those of such poets as Christian Heinrich Postel (1658–1705). After ten years of productive work, he died suddenly at the age of 29.
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
– 11 April 1699, Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
) was a Baroque German poet and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
.
Life
Bressands too-short life was predominantly in the service of German courts. He was born the son of the MargraveMargrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
of Durlach's personal cook, but was forced to flee the town when it was destroyed by French troops in 1689. He found refuge through family connections at the court of Duke Anton Ulrich
Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Anthony Ulrich was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy from 1685 until 1702 jointly with his brother, and solely from 1704 until his death.-Life:Anthony Ulrich was the second son of Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg; he studied at the...
of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, a patron of opera who built an opera house in in 1690. The house stood until 1861.
The Duke himself wrote opera librettos and enlisted Bressand to assist him in the organization of theatrical events. They started with German arrangements of French and Italian operas and Bressand soon fashioned a significant number of his own librettos, which evidently became popular with composers, given the number of composers who set his texts. His texts were even performed at the richly-furnished Hamburg Opera alongside those of such poets as Christian Heinrich Postel (1658–1705). After ten years of productive work, he died suddenly at the age of 29.