Suppé, Franz (von) (real name, Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo, Cavaliere Suppé-Demelli)

Suppé, Franz (von) (real name, Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo, Cavaliere Suppé-Demelli), famous Austrian composer; b. Spalato, Dalmatia (of Belgian descent), April 18, 1819; d. Vienna, May 21, 1895. At the age of 11 he played the flute, and at 13 wrote a Mass. He was then sent by his father to study law at Padua. On his father’s death, he went with his mother to Vienna in 1835, and continued serious study at the Cons, with Sechter and Seyfried. He conducted at theaters in Pressburg and Baden, then at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien (1845-62), Kaitheater (1862-65), and Carltheater (1865-82). All the while, he wrote light operas and other theater music of all degrees of levity, obtaining increasing success rivaling that of Offenbach. His music possesses the charm and gaiety of the Viennese genre, but also contains elements of more vigorous popular rhythms. His most celebrated single work is the overture to Dichter und Bauer, which still retains a firm place in the light repertoire. His total output comprises about 30 comic operas and operettas and 180 other stage pieces, most of which were brought out in Vienna; of these the following obtained considerable success: Dichter und Bauer (Aug. 24, 1846); Das Mädchen vom Lande (Aug. 7, 1847); Dame Valentine, oder Frauenräuber und Wanderbursche (Jan. 9, 1851); Paragraph 3 (Jan. 8, 1858); Das Pensionat (Nov. 24, 1860); Die Kartenaufschlägerin (April 26, 1862); Zehn Mädchen und kein Mann (Oct. 25, 1862); Die flotten Burschen (April 18, 1863); Das Corps der Rache (March 5, 1864); Franz Schubert (Sept. 10, 1864); Die schöne Galatea (Berlin, June 30, 1865); Die leichte Kavallerie (March 24, 1866); Die Tochter der Puszta (March 24, 1866); Die Freigeister (Oct. 23, 1866); Banditenstreiche (April 27, 1867); Die Frau Meisterin (Jan. 20, 1868); Tantalusqualen (Oct. 3, 1868); Isabella (Nov. 5, 1869); Cannebas (Nov. 2, 1872); Fatinitza (Jan. 5, 1876); Der Teufel auf Erden (Jan. 5, 1878); Boccaccio (Feb. 1, 1879); Donna Juanita (Feb. 21, 1880); Der Gascogner (March 21, 1881); Das Herzblättchen (Feb. 4, 1882); Die Afrikareise (March 17, 1883); Des Matrosen Heimkehr (Hamburg, May 4, 1885); Bellmann (Feb. 26, 1887); Die Jagd nach dem Glücke (Oct. 27, 1888); Das Modell (Oct. 4, 1895); Die Pariserin, oder Das heimlische Bild (Jan. 26, 1898). Other works include syms., overtures, a Requiem, 3 masses and other sacred works, choruses, dances, string quartets, and songs.

Bibliography

G. Sabalich, F S. e l’operetta (Zara, 1888); O. Keller, F V.S.: Der Schöpfer der deutschen Operette (Leipzig, 1905).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire