Ignaz Schnitzer (also Ignatz or Ignác Schnitzer; 4 December 1839 – 18 June 1921) was an Austrian famous writer, journalist, translator, librettist and newspaper founder of Hungarian origin.

Life

Schnitzer was born in Ratzersdorf (then

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, today a district of

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...

, Slovakia). He began studying philosophy in

Pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

, but soon worked as a journalist. From 1857 he lived in Vienna and wrote for various newspapers, such as the ''

Pester Lloyd ''Pester Lloyd'' is a German-language online daily newspaper from Budapest, Hungary with a focus "on Hungary and Eastern Europe". History during the Austrian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire Its first stint of existence was from 1854 to ...

'' and the ', and as an editor for the newspaper ''Der Fortschritt''. In 1867 he returned to Budapest and was first a member of the editorial board of ''Bécsi Debatte''. In 1869 he founded together with

Zsigmond Bródy Sigmund Brody, or Bródy Zsigmond (November 15, 1840, Miskolc - January 6, 1906, Budapest ) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian journalist, and member of the Upper House of the Hungarian Parliament. Life He attended the Gymnasium (school), gymnasiu ...

(1840-1906) the daily newspaper ''Neues Pester Journal'', which he headed as editor-in-chief for a decade. Besides he worked on Hungarian plays for German theatres; in 1879 he translated Ede Zsigligeti's ''Rauschgold'' for the Viennese

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (literally:"Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater"), originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in Vi ...

and Mór Jókais ''Held Pálffy'' for the '' Carltheater''. After the sale of his share in the ''Neue Pester Journal'' he moved back to Vienna in 1881 and worked mainly as a librettist and translator. Schnitzer was particularly acclaimed for his translations and poems of the works of Sándor Petőfi into German. His friendship with

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

led him to the libretto of his '' Zigeunerbaron'' and the cultural-historical and partly biographical work ''Bunte Geschichten aus der Johann-Strauß-Zeit''. As co-owner of the amusement park

Venice in Vienna The Prater () is a large public park in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria. The Wurstelprater, an amusement park that is often simply called "Prater", lies in one corner of the Wiener Prater and includes the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel. Name The n ...

founded by Gabor Steiner, he organized the financing and operated the construction of new sights, such as the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel. In 1894 he had the idea of commissioning a circular painting entitled "Kaiser Franz Joseph und seine Zeit" (Emperor Franz Joseph and his Time) for the fiftieth anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1898. It was executed by the history painter Philipp Fleischer, and exhibited at the Ausstellungsstraße 143 in a circular building specially designed for this purpose by

Oskar Marmorek Oskar Adolf Marmorek ( he, אוסקר מרמורק; 9 April 1863 – 7 April 1909) was a Galician-born Austro-Hungarian architect and Zionist. Early life and training Oskar Marmorek was born in Pieskowa Skała, which in the mid-nineteenth ce ...

Ignaz Schnitzer (1839–1921) Todesanzeige

Schnitzer was married to the daughter of a doctor, Gabriele, née Laszky (10 April 1846 in Gyöngyös - 28 September 1913 in Vienna). His grave is at the Kerepesi Cemetery in Budapest.

Awards

Honorary memberships in the literary societies of Hungary, namely the Petőfi- and the Kisfaludy Society, and the Vienna Hungarian Society.

Works

Compiled according to the catalogues of the Austrian National Library and the Wienbibliothek im Rathaus (as of January 2013).

Libretti

* ''Joggeli''. Opera in three acts. Music by Wilhelm Taubert. 1853. * ''Muzzedin''. Romantic comic opera in 2 acts. Music by Siegmund Bachrich. 1883. * ''The Gold Man''. Play in 5 acts by Mór Jókai freely edited by Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by

Joseph Hellmesberger Jr. Joseph Heinrich Georg Hellmesberger Jr. (9 April 1855 – 26 April 1907), also known as Pepi Hellmesberger, was an Austrian composer, violinist and Conducting, conductor. Biography Hellmesberger was born in Vienna and was the son of violinis ...

1885. * The gypsy baron. Operetta in 3 acts after a story by Mór Jókai. Music by Johann Strauss (son). 1885. * ''Rafaela''. Comic opera in 3 acts by Adolph Schirmer and Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by

Max Wolf Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf (21 June 1863 – 3 October 1932) was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography. He was the chairman of astronomy at the University of Heidelberg and director of the Heidelberg-K� ...

. 1886. * ''The Oracle''. Operetta in 3 acts. With free use of a motif by Gregor Csiky. Music by Josef Hellmesberger junior. 1889 * "The Royal Bride. Romantic comic opera in 3 acts. Music by

Robert Fuchs Robert Fuchs (15 February 1847 – 19 February 1927) was an Austrian composer and music teacher. As Professor of music theory at the Vienna Conservatory, Fuchs taught many notable composers, while he was himself a highly regarded composer in hi ...

. 1889. * ''Paris in Vienna''. Decorative posse in 3 pictures. Text by

F. Zell Camillo Walzel (11 February 1829 –17 March 1895) was a German librettist and theatre director, who wrote under the pseudonym F Zell. Life and work Walzel was born in Magdeburg. In his early years, he worked in his father's lithographic factory, ...

. Singing texts by Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by

Josef Bayer Josef Bayer (6 March 1852 – 12 March 1913) was an Austrian composer and the director of the Austrian Court Ballet from 1883 until his death. He was born and died in Vienna. Biography He studied at the Vienna Conservatory under the elder J ...

. 1890. * ''The Salzburg Bells''. A Mozart piece in 4 pictures by Ignaz Schnitzer and Sigmund Schlesinger. Not set to music. Around 1890. * ''Hussar blood''. (also: ''The village judge''). Operetta in 3 acts. Music by

Hugo Felix Hugo Victor Felix (19 November 1866 – 25 August 1934), born Felix Hugo Hayman, was an Austrian composer of operettas and musicals born in Budapest, Austrian Empire. Gänzl, Kurt"Felix the composer" ''Kurt of Gerolstein'', 19 December 2018 Fel ...

. 1894. * ''The Venus of Murán''. Opera in three acts by Ignaz Schnitzer and Georg Verö. Not set to music. Around 1900. * ''Kaspar'' (thus ''The beautiful Kaspar''). Comic operetta in 3 acts. Text by F. Zell and Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by Josef Bayer. 1902. * ''

Bruder Straubinger ''Bruder Straubinger'' (Brother Straubinger) is an operetta in three acts composed by Edmund Eysler to a German-language libretto by Moritz West and Ignaz Schnitzer. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 20 February 1903 with Alexa ...

''. Operetta in 3 acts by

Moritz West Moritz is the German equivalent of the name Maurice. It may refer to: People Given name * Saint Maurice, also called Saint Moritz, the leader of the legendary Roman Theban Legion in the 3rd century * Prince Moritz of Hesse (2007), the son of ...

and Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by

Edmund Eysler Edmund Samuel Eysler (12 March 1874 – 4 October 1949), was an Austrian composer. Biography Edmund Eysler was born in Vienna to a merchant family. He was supposed to enter the engineering profession, but his acquaintance with Leo Fall led ...

. 1903. * ''Pufferl''. Operetta in 3 acts by Sigmund Schlesinger and Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by Edmund Eysler. 1905. * ''The electrician''. Operetta in 3 acts by Sigmund Schlesinger and Ignaz Schnitzer. Music by Carl Josef Fromm. 1906. * ''Tip Top''. Operetta in 3 acts by Ignaz Schnitzer and Sigmund Schlesinger. Music by Josef Stritzko. 1907. * ''Creole blood''. Operetta in 3 acts by Ignaz Schnitzer and Emerich von Gatti. Music by Heinrich Berté. 1910.

Lieder texts

* ''Seltsame Geschichte''. Chanson. Text after Samdo Petöfi. Music by Béla Laszky. * ''Vater

Radetzky Johann Josef Wenzel Anton Franz Karl, Graf Radetzky von Radetz ( en, John Joseph Wenceslaus Anthony Francis Charles, Count Radetzky of Radetz; cz, Jan Josef Václav Antonín František Karel hrabě Radecký z Radče; sl, Janez Jožef Vencelj ...

ruft!'' Soldatenlied. Music by Franz Lehár. 1914.

Translations

* Eduard Szigligeti: ''Rauschgold''. A comedy in three acts. After the Hungarian language. Hungaria, Budapest 1879. * Gergely Csiky: ''Die Großmama''. A comedy in three acts. After the Hungarian language. Entsch, Berlin 1892. * Stephen Phillips: ''Herodes''. Tragedy in three acts. German adaptation. Fischer, Vienna 1901. * Sándor Petőfi: ''Poetische Werke in sechs Bänden.'' German adaptation. Halm & Goldmann, Vienna 1910.

Book publications

* '' Franz Joseph I. und seine Zeit. Cultur-historischer Rückblick auf die francisco-josephinische Epoche.'' Lechner, Vienna 1898. * ''Meister Johann. Bunte Geschichten aus der Johann Strauß-Zeit.'' 2 volumes. Halm, Vienna 1920.

References

External links

* * *
Der Zigeunerbaron
With complete libretto. (Retrieved on 14 December 2019) : Contemporary press articles * To the seventieth birthday: * * * Obituary by Heinrich Glücksmann: {{DEFAULTSORT:Schnitzer, Ignaz Translators from Hungarian Translators to German Austro-Hungarian writers Austro-Hungarian journalists German librettists 19th-century German journalists 19th-century German male writers 20th-century German journalists 1839 births 1921 deaths Writers from Bratislava