Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Emanuel Schikaneder

Role / Field:

Pioneering German impresario, dramatist, and librettist, famed for Die Zauberflöte.

Born:

1751-09-01

Died:

1812-09-21

Century / Era:

1751s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Emanuel Schikaneder (born Johann Joseph Schickeneder; 1 September 1751 – 21 September 1812) was a German impresario, dramatist, actor, singer, and composer. He wrote the libretto of Mozart's opera Die Zauberflöte and was the builder of the Theater an der Wien. Peter Branscombe called him "one of the most talented theatre men of his era". Aside from Mozart, he knew and worked with Salieri, Haydn and Beethoven.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Schikaneder was born in Straubing in the Electorate of Bavaria in the Holy Roman Empire to Joseph Schickeneder and Juliana Schiessl. Both of his parents worked as domestic servants and were extremely poor. They had a total of four children: Urban (born 1746), Johann Joseph (died at age two), Emanuel (born 1751 and also originally named Johann Joseph), and Maria (born 1753). Schikaneder's father died shortly after Maria's birth, at which time his mother returned to Regensburg, making a living selling religious articles from a wooden shed adjacent to the local cathedral. Schikaneder received his education at a Jesuit school in Regensburg as well as training in the local cathedral as a singer.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As a young adult, he began to pursue his career in the theater, appearing...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Emanuel Schikaneder