Fritz Arlberg

Fritz Georg Efraim Arlberg (21 March 1830 – 21 February 1896) was a Swedish baritone, teacher, composer, opera singer, translator of opera libretti and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Biography

Arlberg was born in Leksand in 1830, the son of Georg Arlberg and Margareta Lovisa Salmark. He became a student at Uppsala University in 1848 from where he graduated in 1852. He then worked for a time as an official, among others, in the Chamber College. He commenced writing musical compositions from early in his career and during his time at Uppsala he attracted attention through his singing voice. Arlberg studied singing with Julius Günther and the German tenor Wieser.

He was also active as a composer and writer. He translated and edited a number of operatic texts, including Rienzi and The Flying Dutchman. He also became one of the champions in Sweden for the works of Richard Wagner.

Arlberg was elected as member No. 420 of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music on 24 January 1868.

In 1868 he married the violinist Maria Neruda, sister of the cellist Franz Xaver Neruda and the violinist Wilma Neruda, and was the father of Hjalmar Arlberg. He also had a daughter, Judith, with the sculptor Ida Ericson-Molard. He died in Christiania, then in Sweden.

Theatre Selected roles Year Role Production Theatre 1867 Nélusko, a slave L'Africaine Giacomo Meyerbeer Royal Swedish Opera 1868 Jesper Swedberg Lejonet vaknar Frans Hedberg Royal Dramatic Theatre 1875 Count Almaviva The Marriage of Figaro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte Christiania Theatre Giorgio Germont, Alfredo's father La traviata Giuseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave Christiania Theatre William Tell William Tell Gioacchino Rossini, Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Louis Florent Bis Christiania Theatre 1878 Montlandry Le Petit Duc Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy Mindre teatern 1879 Gringoire Niniche Marius Boullard, Alfred Hennequin and Albert Millaud Djurgårdsteatern 1880 Montlandry Le Petit Duc Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy Nya teatern

Selected compositions In the Woods (symphonic poem) Solo Songs Offertorium Dreams (liederen)

Orchestral works in one movement: I skogen Tone Poem for Orchestra opus 10 Mixed choir a cappella Här har ljufva vännen vandrat ("Här den älskade har framgått") Tre svenska Folkvisor set for five-part choir

Voice and piano: Sten Sture, ballad for one voice and piano opus 7 Svärmeri, Träumen

Voice and orchestra Opus 2: Zwei Lieder vom Tode Opus 3: Tägliche Übungen für Frauenstimme Opus 5: Songs at the piano (1870) Opus 6: Songs at the piano Opus 7: Sten Sture, ballad for tenor, baritone and orchestra(1875) Opus 8: Songs at the piano (1875) Opus 9: Folkeviser with piano Opus 10: I skogen, symphonic poem for orchestra (1877) Opus 11: Songs at the piano Opus 13: Waltz-etude for alto and piano Opus 14: Vier Lieder (to a text by Heinrich Heine) Opus 15: Song at Luthersfesten (choir with organ or piano) (1885) Opus 16: Vocalises Opus 17: Selmas tankar i våren

Piano: Album Leaves, Feuille d'Album

Translation of libretti by: Hin ondes läros pand: an opera by Johan August Söderman (1856) I Marocko: an opera by Joseph Dente (1866) Riccardo: an opera by Johan Herman Berens (1869) Rienzi: an opera by Richard Wagner The Flying Dutchman: an opera by Richard Wagner