Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Germany

Birth

:

April 27, 1812 in Teutendorf, Germany

Death

:

January 24, 1883 in Darmstadt, Germany

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Opera

 

Friedrich von Flotow was a German composer of the Romantic era, known for his operas and vocal music. He was born on April 27, 1812, in Teutendorf, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, to a family of musicians. His father, August von Flotow, was a composer and conductor, and his mother, Sophie von Flotow, was a singer. Flotow showed an early interest in music and began his musical education at the age of six. He studied piano, violin, and composition with his father and later with Carl Loewe in Stettin. In 1831, he moved to Paris to study with Anton Reicha and Jean-Francois Lesueur. He also attended the Paris Conservatory, where he studied composition with Luigi Cherubini. Flotow's first opera, Pierre et Cathérine, was produced in Paris in 1839, but it was not successful. He then turned to writing operettas, which were popular in France at the time. His first successful operetta was Le naufrage de la Méduse, which premiered in Paris in 1839. It was followed by several other successful operettas, including L'âme en peine, La duchesse de Guise, and La belle Gabrielle. In 1846, Flotow returned to Germany and wrote his first German opera, Alessandro Stradella, which premiered in Hamburg in 1844. The opera was a success and established Flotow as a composer of serious opera. He followed it with Martha, which premiered in Vienna in 1847 and became his most famous work. Martha is a romantic comedy about two young nobles who disguise themselves as peasants and fall in love. The opera is known for its beautiful melodies, including the famous aria "The Last Rose of Summer." Martha was a huge success and was performed all over Europe and the United States. It remains Flotow's most popular work and is still performed today. Flotow continued to write operas throughout his career, including L'ombre, which premiered in Paris in 1869, and Die Grossherzogin von Gerolstein, which premiered in Vienna in 1877. He also wrote several works for the stage, including the ballet Die drei Wünsche, which premiered in Berlin in 1858. Flotow's music is characterized by its lyricism and elegance. He was a master of melody and wrote music that was both beautiful and accessible. His operas and operettas were popular in their time and remain popular today. Flotow died on January 24, 1883, in Darmstadt, Germany, at the age of 70. He left behind a legacy of beautiful music that continues to be enjoyed by audiences around the world.

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