Wenzel Müller (26 September 1767 – 3 August 1835) was an Austrian composer and conductor. He is regarded as the most prolific opera composer of all time with his 166 operas.Towers, John. "Who composed the greatest number of operas?" The Musical Times, 1 August 1911, p. 527

Life and career Müller was born in Markt Türnau, in Moravia. He studied with Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf and performed as a theatre musician in his youth. In 1786 he became Kapellmeister at the Theater in der Leopoldstadt in Leopoldstadt, Vienna. After several years at the German theatre in Prague from 1807 until 1813, he returned to Leopoldstadt, where he worked until 1830. Under his leadership, the theatre became one of the most important venues in Viennese musical life. He died in Baden bei Wien.

He was a popular and prolific composer, producing more than 250 works. Although he wrote several popular stage works (mostly Singspiele), his art songs are his enduring legacy. Often possessing witty music and lyrics or expressing a great deal of tenderness, Müller's songs were immensely popular, and some of the works he wrote with Ferdinand Raimund remain in the Viennese repertory. His opera provided the theme for Beethoven's "Kakadu Variations" for piano trio, Opus 121a. He is said to have composed what has been falsely known as Mozart's Twelfth Mass, K. Anh. 232, the Missa in G major K. Anh. 232 (C1.04).

Müller was married three times; in 1787 he married singer Magdalena Reinigsthal (1770-1794). Their daughter Therese (1791–1876) had three children Caroline (1814–1868), Ottilia (1816–1817), Carl (born 1815) and Joseph (born 1816), all of whom became opera singers. Müller's second wife was the actress Anna Trautmann; they married in 1803, and she died in 1812. Having lived together since 1824, in 1830 he married the actress and singer Rosa Caroline Dillenthaler. On 3 August 1835, Müller died of natural causes in Baden bei Wien, Austria, at the age of 67.

Stage works TitleGenreSub­divisionsLibrettoPremière datePlace, theatreHarlekin auf dem Parade Beth oder Nach dem Schlimmen folgt das Gutegroße Pantomime Anton Baumann1784; 14 May 1790Brno; Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDas Sonnenfest der Braminenheroisch-komisches Singspiel2 actsKarl Friedrich HenslerVienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtSingspiel3 actsJoachim Perinet8 June 1791Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDas neue SonntagskindSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner10 October 1793Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDie Schwestern von PragSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner11 March 1794Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDas lustige BeylagerSingspiel2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner14 February 1797Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDie Teufels Mühle am WienerbergSchauspiel mit Gesang4 actsCarl Friedrich Hensler/Leopold Huber12 November 1799Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDie Belagerung von Ypsilon oder Evakathel und SchnudiKarikaturoperette2 actsJoachim Perinet, after Philipp Hafner4 May 1804Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtJavimaOper3 acts 21 May 1807 PragueVienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtSamsonMelodram3 actsJoseph Anton Schuster1808Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtSimon Plattkopf, der UnsichtbareSingspiel1 actKarl Ludwig Costenoble1809Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDie WunderlampeZauberoper4 actsJosef Alois Gleich1810PragueDer Fiaker al Marquiskomische Oper3 actsAdolf Bäuerle10 February 1816Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtAline oder Wien in einem andern WelttheilZauberoper3 actsAdolf Bäuerle9 October 1822Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDer Barometermacher auf der ZauberinselZauberposse2 actsFerdinand Raimund18 December 1823Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDer schwarze See oder Der Blasebalgmacher und der GeistZauberspiel2 actsLenz?4 February 1825Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtHerr Josef und Frau BaberlPosse3 actsGleich11 May 1826Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDie gefesselte PhantasieZauberspiel2 actsFerdinand Raimund8 January 1828Vienna, Theater in der LeopoldstadtDer Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeindromantisch-komisches Zauberspiel2 actsFerdinand Raimund17 October 1828Vienna, Theater in der Leopoldstadt

References

Sources Peter Branscombe. "Müller, Wenzel." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), and

External links Short biography at aieou Selected works