Flotow, Friedrich von, baron *27 April 1812 Toitendorf (Mecklenburg), †24 January 1883 Darmstadt, German composer. From 1828 to 1830 he studied in Paris under A. Reicha (composition) and J.P. Pixis (piano). During the July Revolution of 1830 he returned to Germany, but from 1831 he was again in Paris, where he became part of the musical milieu and came into contact with, among others, Auber, Meyerbeer, Rossini, Halévy, and Gounod. It was also in Paris where private performances of Flotow’s first stage works took place. In 1835 his first opera, Pierre et Cathérine, was performed in Schwerin. His first success came in 1839 in Paris, where he co-authored (with A. Grisar and A. Pilati) the opera Le naufrage de la Méduse. In 1843 Flotow made his debut at the Opéra-Comique with L’esclave de Camoëns, which he later revised several times. Between 1843 and 1844 he worked on Alessandro Stradella, whose premiere in Hamburg in 1844 established his reputation in Germany. In 1847 the composer achieved his greatest success with the opera Martha, staged in Vienna. After the outbreak of the March Revolution in Vienna in 1848, he left for Mecklenburg, where he inherited a large estate from his father. From 1855 he held the position of court music director (Intendant) in Schwerin, where for many years he led the court orchestra and contributed to raising its artistic level. In later years he resided on his estates: from 1868 (63?) near Vienna, from 1873 in Toitendorf, and from 1880 in Darmstadt, frequently traveling to Vienna, Paris, and Italy, where his operas were staged.
Flotow’s operas are dominated by elements of early Romantic French opera in the tradition of Boieldieu and Auber, sometimes combined with influences from German opera (especially Nicolai and Lortzing) and slight elements of Italian bel canto. The prevailing type is comic opera with a strongly marked lyrical element. Flotow’s music is characterized by flowing melody, lively rhythms enriched with humorous or even burlesque accents, and skillful, colorful orchestration. Although much of Flotow’s output has fallen into obscurity, Martha remains popular to this day; Alessandro Stradella is also occasionally revived.
Literature: W. Neumann Friedrich von Flotow, Kassel 1855; R. Svoboda Friedrich von Flotows Leben; von seiner Witwe, Leipzig 1892; R. Stockhammer Friedrich von Flotows Beziehungen zu Wien, “Österreichische Musik-Zeitschrift” XVII, 1962; W. Huschke Zur Ahnenschaft des Opernkomponisten Friedrich von Flotow, “Genealogie” XIX, 1970.
Stage:
more than 30 operas and operettas, including:
Pierre et Cathérine, libretto Saint Georges, 1831, staged in Schwerin 1835
Alfred der Grosse, libretto Th. Körner 1833
Sérafine, libretto De Forges, staged in Royaumont 1836
Rob-Roy, libretto Duport and De Forges, staged in Paris 1837
La Duchesse de Guise, libretto de la Bouillerie, staged in Royaumont 1838
Le naufrage de la Méduse (‘The Wreck of the Medusa’), together with A. Grisar and A. Pilati, libretto Cogniard brothers, staged in Paris 1839, 2nd version entitled Die Matrosen, libretto F.W. Riese, staged in Hamburg 1845, Warsaw 1848
L’esclave de Camoëns, libretto Saint Georges, staged in Paris 1843, later staged as Griselda, 2nd version entitled Indra, staged in Vienna 1852, Poznań 1882, 3rd version entitled Alma, or with a French text as Zora or L’enchanteresse, staged in Paris 1878
Alessandro Stradella, libretto F.W. Riese, staged in Hamburg 1844, Warsaw 1846
L’âme en peine, libretto Saint Georges, staged in Paris 1846, title Páola Warsaw 1852
Martha oder Der Markt zu Richmond (‘Martha, or The Market at Richmond’), libretto F.W. Riese, staged in Vienna 1847, Warsaw 1850
Die Grossfürstin Sophia Katharina, libretto Birch-Pfeiffer, staged in Berlin 1850
Rübezahl, staged in Frankfurt am Main 1853
Pianella, libretto Pohl after La Serva padrona by C. Goldoni, staged in Schwerin 1857
La veuve Grapin, libretto De Forges, staged in Paris 1859
Naïda, libretto Saint Georges and L. Halévy, staged in St. Petersburg 1865
Zilda, libretto Saint Georges, Chivot and Duru, staged in Paris 1866
L’Ombre, libretto Saint Georges, staged in Paris 1870
La fleur de Harlem, libretto Saint Georges and de Leuven, staged in Turin 1876
ballets:
Lady Harriet, staged in Paris 1844 (partly reused later in the opera Martha)
Die Libelle, staged in Schwerin 1856
Der Tannkönig, staged in Schwerin 1861 and later
solo songs
Instrumental:
for orchestra:
2 overtures
Piano Concerto
chamber works (including String Quartet in C major), miniatures, including for piano and cello with J. Offenbach
