Carl Gottlieb Reissiger

Carl Gottlieb Reißiger (also Karl Reissiger, Carl Reissiger, Karl Reißiger) (31 January 1798 – 7 November 1859) was a German Kapellmeister and composer. Biography Born in Belzig, Reissiger attended the Thomasschule zu Leipzig and was the pupil of Johann Gottfried Schicht and Peter von Winter. In 1821, he followed the example of the young Beethoven and went to Vienna to study with Antonio Salieri and also studied theology at the University of Leipzig. Reissiger continued his musical studies in France and Italy in 1824, under the sponsorship of the Prussian Ministry of Cultural Affairs. After working for two years as the musical director of the Dresden Opera, he succeeded Carl Maria von Weber as the Kapellmeister of the Dresden Court in 1828, and would hold this office until his death in 1859. A famous piece known as Weber’s Last Waltz was actually written by Reissiger (one of his Danses brillantes, op. 26) and is mentioned in Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) as one of Roderick Usher’s favorite pieces of music; it is also the title of a 1912 film. Reissiger left behind an extensive oeuvre that was distinguished above all by his vocal music, which included nine