Wenzel Müller

Wenzel Müller (26 September 1767 – 3 August 1835) was an Austrian composer and conductor. Other than Rossini, Verdi, or Puccini, he is regarded as the most prolific opera composer of all time with his 166 operas.[1]

Wenzel Müller, lithograph by Georg Decker

Life and career

Müller was born in Markt Türnau, in Moravia.[2] He studied with Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf and performed as a theatre musician in his youth. In 1786 he became Kapellmeister at the Theater in der Leopoldstadt in Leopoldstadt, Vienna. After several years at the German theatre in Prague from 1807 until 1813, he returned to Leopoldstadt, where he worked until 1830. Under his leadership, the theatre became one of the most important venues in Viennese musical life. He died in Baden bei Wien.

He was a popular and prolific composer, producing more than 250 works. Although he wrote several popular stage works (mostly Singspiele), his art songs are his enduring legacy. Often possessing witty music and lyrics or expressing a great deal of tenderness, Müller's songs were immensely popular and some of the works he wrote with Ferdinand Raimund remain in the Viennese repertory. His opera Die Schwestern von Prag provided the theme for Beethoven's "Kakadu Variations" for piano trio, Opus 121a. He is said to have composed what has been falsely known as Mozart's Twelfth Mass, K. Anh. 232, the Missa in G major K. Anh. 232 (C1.04).[3]

Müller was married twice, and his second wife was Magdalena Valley Reining. He had children named Therese (1791–1876), Caroline (1814–1868), Ottilia (1816–1817), Carl (born 1815) and Joseph (born 1816), all of whom became opera singers.[4] On 3 August 1835, Müller died of natural causes in Baden bei Wien, Austria, at the age of 67.

Stage works
TitleGenreSub­divisionsLibrettoPremière datePlace, theatre
Harlekin auf dem Parade Beth oder Nach dem Schlimmen folgt das Gutegroße Pantomime Anton Baumann1784; 14 May 1790Brno; Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Das Sonnenfest der Braminenheroisch-komisches Singspiel2 actsKarl Friedrich Hensler9 September 1790Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Kaspar der Fagottist oder Die ZauberzitherSingspiel3 actsJoachim Perinet8 June 1791Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Das neue SonntagskindSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner10 October 1793Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Die Schwestern von PragSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner11 March 1794Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Das lustige BeylagerSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner14 February 1797Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Die Teufels Mühle am WienerbergSchauspiel mit Gesang4 actsCarl Friedrich Hensler/Leopold Huber12 November 1799Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Die Belagerung von Ypsilon oder Evakathel und SchnudiKarikaturoperette2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner4 May 1804Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
JavimaOper3 acts 21 May 1807 PragueVienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
SamsonMelodram3 actsJoseph Anton Schuster1808Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Simon Plattkopf, der UnsichtbareSingspiel1 actKarl Ludwig Costenoble1809Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Die WunderlampeZauberoper4 actsJosef Alois Gleich1810Prague
Der Fiaker al Marquiskomische Oper3 actsAdolf Bäuerle10 February 1816Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Aline oder Wien in einem andern WelttheilZauberoper3 actsAdolf Bäuerle9 October 1822Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Der Barometermacher auf der ZauberinselZauberposse2 actsFerdinand Raimund18 December 1823Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Der schwarze See oder Der Blasebalgmacher und der GeistZauberspiel2 actsLenz?4 February 1825Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Herr Josef und Frau BaberlPosse3 actsGleich11 May 1826Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Die gefesselte PhantasieZauberspiel2 actsFerdinand Raimund8 January 1828Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt
Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeindromantisch-komisches Zauberspiel2 actsFerdinand Raimund17 October 1828Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt

References
  1. Towers, John. "Who composed the greatest number of operas?" The Musical Times, 1 August 1911, p. 527 (subscription required)
  2. "Český hudební slovník". Ceskyhudebnislovnik.cz. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  3. Leeson, Daniel N. (2004). Opus Ultimum: The Story of the Mozart Requiem. Algora. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0-87586-329-0.
  4. "Grünbaum, Therese". Retrieved 29 February 2012.

Sources
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