Meyer Lutz

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Wilhelm Meyer Lutz (c.1828 – 31 January 1903) was a composer and conductor who is best known for light music, musical theatre and burlesques of well known works.

Contents

[edit] Life and career

Sheet music to a dance from Faust up to date
Sheet music to a dance from Faust up to date

Lutz was born in Männerstadt, Bavaria, Germany and moved to England at the age of 19. From 1851 to 1855, he conducted at the Surrey Theatre and later the Royalty Theatre. For many years he played the organ at St. George's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Lutz was also a Grand Organist in Freemasonry.[1]

In 1869 he was appointed resident musical director and conductor at the Gaiety Theatre. In this capacity, he conducted Thespis, the first Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, in 1871. Lutz's popular Gaiety burlesques in this period included The Bohemian G-yurl and the Unapproachable Pole (1877), Robbing Roy (1879), a version of The Forty Thieves (1880, libretto by Robert Reece; Lutz had conducted an 1878 version of the same story), Aladdin (1881), Don Yuan, Blue Beard (1882), Galatea, or Pygmalion Reversed (1883, with a libretto by Henry Pottinger Stephens), Ariel (1883, libretto by F. C. Burnand), Mazeppa (1884), Little Jack Sheppard (1885, libretto by Stephens), Miss Esmeralda, or The Maid and the Monkey (1887), Faust up to date (1888, libretto by G. R. Sims and Henry Pettitt), Ruy Blas and the Blasé Roué (1889, libretto by Frederick Hobson Leslie and Herbert F. Clark), Carmen up to Data (1890, libretto by Sims and Pettitt),[2] and Cinder Ellen up too Late (1891, libretto by Leslie).

Lutz also wrote a string quartet and ballads such as "Thy Silv'ry Tones", "Enchant Mine Ear" and "Sail on Silver Cloud." Later in the 19th century, Lutz conducted a band playing Summer seasons at the spa in Scarborough. He continued to compose songs into the 20th century, including music for Hidenseek (1901) and a few additional numbers for Ivan Caryll and Cecil Cook's The Girl from Kays (1902).[3]

In printed works, such as scores and theatre programs, Lutz was usually referred to simply as Meyer Lutz. A character called Herr Toots in the 1912 novel Bella, by Edward Booth, is based on Lutz.[4] Some of Lutz's music was arranged for military band by J. A. Kappey in Reminiscences of The Gaiety. Boosey's military Journal (1891) ASIN: B0000CZ6RL.

On 3 May 1886, the Gaiety Theatre hosted a selection of scenes played for Lutz's benefit, including scenes from Lutz's grand opera Faust and Marguerite, his burlesque Little Jack Sheppard and the operetta Karl and several recitations and solo pieces. The performers included Nellie Farren (who had sung under him in Thespis), Marion Hood, Durward Lely, Richard Temple and many others.[5]

Lutz was married to Elizabeth Cook and later to her sister Emily Cook.[6] He died in London.

[edit] Selected Works

Robert Reece and Lutz's The Forty Thieves, 1880
Robert Reece and Lutz's The Forty Thieves, 1880

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Obituary in The Musical Times, Vol. 44, No. 721. (Mar. 1, 1903), p. 177
  2. ^ Program for Carmen up to Data
  3. ^ Profile of Lutz at NationMaster Encyclopedia (2003)
  4. ^ Article on Lutz by Philip L. Scowcroft
  5. ^ Page includes information about Lutz's benefit performance
  6. ^ Lamb, Andrew. "Comic Opera Goes Latin-American, 1890-92: Part 2" in The Gaiety, Winter 2006, p. 29

[edit] References

  • Profile of Lutz
  • Obituary: Meyer Lutz, The Musical Times, Vol. 44, No. 721 (Mar. 1, 1903), p. 177
  • Gänzl, Kurt, "Lutz, (Wilhelm) Meyer (1829–1903)" in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
  • Listing of Lutz shows

[edit] External links