Marschner - Overture: Der Vampyr (The Vampire)

Overture to the 1828 opera "Der Vampyr" (The Vampire) by German composer Heinrich August Marschner (1795-1861), an pivotal figure in German Romantic opera. The opera is based on John Polidori's short story "The Vampyre." Helmuth Froschauer conducts the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln.

Heinrich Marschner

Heinrich Marschner, was born in Zittau/Saxony on August 16, 1795 and passed away in Hanover on December 14, 1861.


He studied law in Leipzig and Vienna - then music. In Vienna he met Ludwig van Beethoven. Being a privat music instructor in Pressburg, he composed his first operas.


1822, Marschner moved to Dresden and became orchestra-master. Two operas made him famous: "Der Vampyr" (1828) and "Der Templer und die Juedin" (1829) - following Scott's "Ivanhoe".


1831, Marschner became Royal Orchestra Master in Hanover. His master piece "Hans Heiling" has been publised in 1833.


Marschner's operas are deeply romantic with nightly horror-elements and demonic gestures, while his chamber music compositions didn't carry through.