Constanze Therese Adelaide Geiger,
Freifrau von Ruttenstein (16 October 1835 – 24 August 1890) was an Austrian pianist, theatrical actress, composer and singer.
Biography
Geiger was the daughter of the composer and the court hat-maker/modist Theresia Geiger (née Ržiha, 1804–1865). Her parents nurtured her musical talents, and her father was her first piano teacher. She continued piano lessons with
Johann Wenzel Tomaschek as well as
Simon Sechter
Simon Sechter (11 October 1788 – 10 September 1867) was an Austrian music theorist, composer, conductor, and organist. He is best known as a strict music teacher, whose many students included Anton Bruckner, Sigismond Thalberg, and Henri ...
.
Sechter gave her lessons in composition and counterpoint as well.
Geiger made her public debut as a concert pianist at age six. She played her own compositions in public first at age eight.
In April 1845, the first public performance by other musicians besides herself of one of her compositions, ''Preghiera für Militärmusik'', took place at the Pfarrkirche
Rennweg am Katschberg
Rennweg am Katschberg is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau District, Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia (state), Carinthia, Austria.
Geography
Rennweg is located in the Katsch Valley (''Katschtal'') between the Hohe Tauern ran ...
.
She made her theatrical stage debut in 1852 at the
Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtische Theater,
where in addition to acting, she was the pianist for her own compositions.
Geiger began a relationship with
Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Prince Leopold Franz Julius of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (31 January 1824 – 20 May 1884) was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry.
Early life
Born ''Prince Leopold Franz Julius of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duke in Saxony'' on ...
, after the two met at the ''Zum Goldenen Lamm'' inn.
On 12 October 1860, she gave birth to her only child, Franz Assis Leopold Joseph (12 October 1860 - 29 August 1899). On 23 April 1862, she and Prince Leopold married, which resulted in her elevation to the ''Freiherrenstand'' as a result of this
morganatic marriage
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spou ...
, although their son Franz was barred from the Saxe-Coburg line of succession in parallel. Following her marriage, Geiger withdrew from the stage entirely settled and lived with her family at Castle Radmeric. Her compositions for chamber music and church music, however, were still performed. After the death of her husband in 1884, she moved to Paris. Geiger died on 24 August 1890 in
Dieppe
Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...
, Normandy. She was buried in
Montmartre Cemetery
The Cemetery of Montmartre () is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France, that dates to the early 19th century. Officially known as the Cimetière du Nord, it is the third largest necropolis in Paris, after the Père Lachaise Cemet ...
, Paris.
Raimund Lissy has written a biography of Geiger, ''„Es liegt ein eigener Zauber in diesem Wunderkinde!“ Constanze Geiger – Komponistin, Pianistin, Schauspielerin aus Wien'', published in 2024. In December 2024, the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...
programmed Geiger's ''Fernandus-Walzer'' for its annual ''Voraufführung Neujahrskonzert'' and ''Silvesterkonzert'' performances, as part of their
Vienna New Year's Concert
The Vienna New Year's Concert () is an annual concert of classical music performed by the Vienna Philharmonic on the morning of New Year's Day in Vienna, Austria. The concert occurs at the Musikverein at 11:15. The orchestra performs the same co ...
performance series, culminating in the 1 January 2025 concert.
Geiger is the first female composer ever to be featured in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra's ''Neujahrskonzert''.
Selected compositions
Source:
* 4 Valses, op. 3 (1845)
* ''Preghiera''
* ''Ave Maria'' (1846)
* ''Duettino'' (for tenor and bass)
* ''Frühlings-Träume Walzer'', op. 8 (1847)
* ''Abschieds-Walzer, op. 9 (1848)
* ''Ferdinandus-Walzer'' (1848)
* ''Das Fuchslied als Trauermarsch'' (1849)
* ''Radetzky Marsch'', op. 14, no. 1
* ''Sehnsucht'' (Romanze), op. 15 (1850)
* ''Carlsklänge'' (Walzer)
* ''Franz Joseph-Marsch'', op. 19 (1852)
* ''Ein Volkswalzer'', op. 22a
* ''Nandl-Polka'', op. 22b (1852)
* ''Elisabethen-Vermählungsmarsch'' (1854)
* ''Lanckoronsky-Marsch'', op. 24
* ''Chinesen-Polka'', op. 26
* ''Unbefriedigte Sehnsucht'' (Nocturne), op. 27 (1856)
* ''Herzklopfer-Walzer'', op. 29 (1856)
* 'Kennst du meine Leiden?' (Nocturne), op. 30 (1856)
* 3 Nocturnes (1859)
* ''Kaiser-Einzugs-Marsch'' (1862)
* ''Offertorium'' (1873)
References
Sources
*
Constanze Geigerbei certosaverlag.de
External links
Hollitzer Wissenschaftsverlag publisher page on „Es liegt ein eigener Zauber in diesem Wunderkinde!“ by Raimund Lissy (German-language page)"Constanze Geiger", Planet Vienna blog, 11 November 2024Lara Kusztrich, Raimund Lissy, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Nandl-Polka, op. 22 (b)". YouTube, 14 December 2024Raimund Lissy, Lara Kusztrich, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Herzklopfer, Walzer op. 29". YouTube, 14 December 2024Raimund Lissy, Lara Kusztrich, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Radetzky Marsch op. 14 Nr. 1". YouTube, 27 December 2024Lara Kusztrich, Raimund Lissy, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Ein Volkswalzer op. 22 (a)". YouTube, 27 December 2024Judith Valerie Engel, "Constanze Geiger, 'Un instant de bonheur!'" YouTube, 30 December 2024Raimund Lissy, Lara Kusztrich, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Lanckoronsky-Marsch op. 24". YouTube, 31 December 2024Lara Kusztrich, Raimund Lissy, Christoph Hammer, Raphael Flieder, "Constanze Geiger: Chinesen-Polka op. 26". YouTube, 31 December 2024
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geiger, Constanze
1835 births
1890 deaths
Morganatic spouses of German royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry
Actresses from Austria-Hungary
Pianists from Austria-Hungary
Austrian women pianists
Hungarian women pianists
Actresses from the Austrian Empire
Sopranos from Austria-Hungary
Composers from Austria-Hungary
Actresses from Vienna
Musicians from Vienna
19th-century women pianists