Franz von Suppe Program Notes and Sheet Music

Franz von Suppé (April 18, 1819 – May 21, 1895) was an Austrian composer of light operas and other theatre music. He came from the Kingdom of Dalmatia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now part of Croatia). A composer and conductor of the Romantic period, he is notable for his four dozen operettas.

Suppé was born in Split, Dalmatia, to an Austrian father and a Belgian mother. He showed an early aptitude for music, and at the age of 13 he composed his first mass. In 1835, he moved to Vienna to study music at the University of Music and Performing Arts. After graduating, he worked as a conductor and composer for several theaters in Vienna.

In 1846, Suppé's first operetta, Die schöne Galathee, was premiered in Vienna. The operetta was a success, and it launched Suppé's career as a composer of light opera. Over the next 40 years, Suppé wrote over 40 operettas, including Light Cavalry Overture, Poet and Peasant, and Boccaccio. His operettas were popular throughout Europe, and they helped to establish the genre of light opera.

Suppé was also a talented conductor, and he led several orchestras in Vienna. He was a popular figure in Vienna's musical circles, and he was known for his wit and his sense of humor. Suppé died in Vienna in 1895. He is buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery.

Suppé's operettas are still performed today, and they continue to be enjoyed by audiences around the world. His music is characterized by its catchy melodies, its witty lyrics, and its light and playful style. Suppé is considered one of the most important composers of light opera, and his work has had a lasting influence on the genre.

His operettas are full of catchy melodies, witty lyrics, and light and playful style. Suppé is considered one of the most important composers of light opera.