Conradin Kreutzer

Who was Conradin Kreutzer?

Conradin Kreutzer or Kreuzer was a German composer and conductor. His works include the opera for which he is remembered, Das Nachtlager in Granada, and Der Verschwender, both produced in 1834 in Vienna.

Kreutzer abandoned his studies in the law and went to Vienna about 1804, where he met Haydn and may have studied with Albrechtsberger, while he tried his hand unsuccessfully at singspielen. He spent 1811-12 in Stuttgart, where at least three of his operas were staged and he was awarded the post of Hofkapellmeister. He was from 1812 to 1816 Kapellmeister to the king of Württemberg. Once he was successful, he became a prolific composer, and wrote a number of operas for the Theater am Kärntnertor, Theater in der Josefstadt and Theater an der Wien Vienna, which have disappeared from the stage and are not likely to be revived.

In 1840 he became conductor of the opera at Cologne. His daughters, Cecilia and Marie Kreutzer, have been sopranos of some renown.

Kreutzer owes his fame almost exclusively to Das Nachtlager in Granada, which kept the stage for half a century in spite of changes in musical taste.