Franz Doppler

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Albert Franz Doppler (October 16, 1821, Lemberg, Poland – July 27, 1883, Baden bei Wien, Austria) was primarily a flute virtuoso and a composer best known for his music for flute. He also wrote one German and several Hungarian operas, all produced with great success. His ballet music was popular during his lifetime.

From 1828 to 1831, Doppler received flute lessons from his father (Joseph Doppler) who was an oboist, and made his debut as a flautist at the age of 13. He formed a flute duet with his brother Karl, four years younger, who mainly wrote songs and incidental music, and as a duo they caused quite a sensation throughout Europe. They toured and both became members of the orchestra of the German Theater in 1838 and both moved to the Hungarian National Theater in 1841. There, five of Franz's operas were staged with success. Franz and Karl continued to make regular tours of Europe and helped found the Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra in 1853. At the age of 18 Franz was the first flautist at the opera in Budapest, and he went on to be the first flautist and stand-in conductor, and eventually chief conductor, of the Vienna Opera Ballet of the Court, as well as acquiring a position of Professor of Flute at the Vienna Conservatoire from 1864-67.

Doppler composed chiefly for the flute, as well as opera (a style that is prominent even in his showpieces for flute), composing many pieces including concertos, showpieces, and many flute duets, to be played by him and his brother Karl. His music contains aspects of Russian and Hungarian music. His operas included "Judith" (his only German opera), and a Russian work entitled "Benyovsky". He wrote 7 operas and 15 ballets in total (which were quite popular in their time) and was a brilliant orchestrator.

He is best known for his orchestral versions of six of Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies. Liszt was just learning to orchestrate at the time, and he assisted Doppler in these orchestrations. Doppler's transcriptions of some of the rhapsodies for flute are also quite well known.