Franz von Suppe

Franz von Suppé , 1819-95, Austrian composer, b. Spalato, Dalmatia. His operettas, including The Light Cavalry (1866), were among the best by Viennese composers and rivaled Offenbach's in popularity. He also wrote comedies with songs, of which Poet and Peasant (1846) is the best known, farces with music, opera, church music, and instrumental music.

Suppé, Franz von (b Split (Spalato), 1819; d Vienna, 1895). Austrian composer and conductor, born in Dalmatia, of Belg. descent. Name is Ger. form of Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo, Cavaliere Suppé-Demelli. Relative of Donizetti, who helped him. Became cond. at Josephstadt Th., Vienna, 1841, later in Pressburg and Baden. Sang in opera, making début at Ödenburg 1842 (Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore). Cond. in Vienna at Theater an der Wien 1845–62, and at Carltheater (formerly Leopoldstadt Th.) 1865–82. Comp. serious works, incl. Requiem (1855), but fame rests on series of tuneful operettas (about 30 in number). These incl. Pique Dame (Die Kartenschlägerin) (1862); Die schöne Galatea (The Beautiful Galathea) (1865), Leichte Cavallerie (Light Cavalry) (1866), Banditenstreiche (The Jolly Robbers) (1867), and Boccaccio (1879). The famous Poet and Peasant ov. (1846) is part of the incidental mus. to Elmar's play Dichter und Bauer.