Emanuel Shikaneder German impresario, playwright Date of Birth: 01.09.1751 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Emanuel Schikaneder
2. Early Career and Marriage
3. Collaboration with Mozart
4. Theater an der Wien and Later Life

Biography of Emanuel Schikaneder

Emanuel Schikaneder was a German impresario, playwright, librettist, singer, and actor. He is best known for his work as the librettist of Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute".

Early Career and Marriage

Schikaneder made his debut as part of the Moser theater troupe in approximately 1773, which staged operas, farces, and singspiels. In 1777, he married actress Eleonore Art, who was a member of the same troupe. That same year, he successfully played the role of Hamlet in a production in Munich. In 1778, Schikaneder became the director of his own theater troupe.

Collaboration with Mozart

In 1780, during a tour in Salzburg, Schikaneder met Mozart. Starting in 1785, he performed at the Karntnertortheater in Vienna while also continuing to work in Salzburg when time allowed. In 1789, Schikaneder's troupe settled in the Theater auf der Wieden, a suburb of Vienna. The troupe's productions, including Mozart's opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio", were highly successful. Schikaneder also staged a series of operas based on fairy tales, often using complex technical solutions. The pinnacle of this series was "The Magic Flute" with music by Mozart. Schikaneder wrote the libretto, which incorporated both traditional elements and Masonic symbolism. Schikaneder himself played the role of Papageno in the premiere production.

Theater an der Wien and Later Life

The success of "The Magic Flute" allowed Schikaneder to establish a new theater, the Theater an der Wien, in 1801. The theater opened with the premiere of Franz Teyber's opera "Alexander" on a libretto by Schikaneder. Theater an der Wien was one of the largest and most technologically advanced theaters of its time. However, due to financial difficulties, Schikaneder was forced to sell it within a year, although he was invited back twice as artistic director. During this period, Schikaneder collaborated with Ludwig van Beethoven, who composed music for his libretto "Vestas Feuer". Beethoven never finished the work as he became distracted by the idea of his opera "Fidelio". Schikaneder resided in a room at the Theater an der Wien during this time.

In 1804, the theater was purchased by Baron Peter von Braun, who immediately dismissed Schikaneder, his old rival. Schikaneder left Vienna and traveled to Brno and then to Steyr. In 1811, he lost a significant portion of his fortune due to the devaluation caused by war. In 1812, during a trip to Budapest, Schikaneder was struck by insanity. He died in poverty on September 21, 1812, in Vienna. Throughout his career, Schikaneder wrote around 55 plays and 44 librettos.