Kreutzer, Conradin (1780-1849)

German conductor and composer. He held the post of Kapellmeister in Stuttgart, Donaueschingen, Vienna, and Cologne. His most successful composition was the opera Der Verschwender (1834).

He first learnt music as a choirboy, then went to Freiburg im Breisgau to study law, but gave it up for music. He travelled in Switzerland as a pianist and singer and in 1804 went to Vienna to study composition with Johann Albrechtsberger. After conducting at the courts of Stuttgart and Donaueschingen, he returned to Vienna and became conductor at the Kärntnertortheater for three periods between 1822 and 1840 and of the Josefstadttheater 1833-40. Later he worked in Cologne and Paris, and again in Vienna.

Works Stage operas Conradin von Schwaben (1812), Die Alpenhütte (1815), Libussa (libretto by Grillparzer, 1822), Melusine (libretto ditto, 1833), Das Nachtlager von Granada (1834), Cordelia, and about 25 others; incidental music to plays including Raimund's Der Verschwender (1834).

Sacred oratorio Sending Moses (1814); church music.

Other chamber music; piano works; male-voice part songs and songs.