Carl Wilhelm August Blum was a German singer, librettist, stage actor, director, guitarist and opera and song composer. Philip J. Bone wrote that Blum was "a universal genius, uniting in one person the poet, the dramatist, composer, singer and performer." He was composer to the Court of the King of Prussia. He has been confused with or named incorrectly in literature as Karl Ludwig Blum.
History and career
Blum studied guitar from age 15. He joined a group of traveling comedians in 1805, directed by Quandt, working as a singer and guitarist. After leaving the group for more musical study, he joined the Königsberger Theater in Berlin in 1810, working with C. von Weber. He became guitar instructor to the royal princesses and produced his first opera, Claudine de Villa Bella. In 1817, he went to Vienna and became a student to Antionio Salieri. Here he composed the opera Das Rosen-Hütchen, which was performed 39 times. In 1820, the King of Prussia appointed him composer to the court, after his success in Vienna. He visited Paris to study the styles of Boieldieu, Cherubini and Auber. After visiting London, he returned to Berlin in 1822, working there as the director of the royal theatre. In 1827, he directed the Königsstadt Theater. That same year he went to Italy and did no more theater work, but concentrated on composing. His opera The Orphan of Russia was performed in 1829. He introduced comic operas or vaudevilles to Germany, and his were preferred by Germans. Among his successful songs were compositions for the Austrian soprano Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann.
Books
Jucunde: Dramatisches Taschenbuch für 1836
Die Musik: Anleitung, sich die nöthigen Kenntnisse zu verschaffen, um über alle Gegenstände der Musik richtige Urtheile fällen zu können; Handbuch für Freunde und Liebhaber dieser Kunst; nach dem französischen Werke des Herrn Fetis "La musique mise à la portée de tout le monde"
Stage works
Original works
Karl der Zweite – Die Flucht nach Frankreich
arias and songs to Zoraide, oder Die Mauren in Granada. Lyric drama in 3 acts op. 65
Der Schiffskapitän, oder Die Unbefangenen
Fortunata
arias and songs to the comic magic operaDas Rosenhütchen, in 3 acts
Der Eremit von St. Avella
Gänserich und Gänschen. Vaudeville in 1 Act
arias and songs to the vaudeville Ein Stündchen vor dem Potsdammer Thore, in 1 act
Der Fischer und der Vogelsteller
Der Bramin, magic opera in 1 act
Aladin die Wunderlampe
Doctor Johannes Faust, der wundertätige Magus der Nordens
vocal numbers to Fra Diavolo, oder Das Gasthaus in Terracina, comic opera in 3 acts
Das laute Geheimniß, romantic comic play in 5 acts ; in: Theater, vol. 1
Vicomte von Létorières, comic play in 3 acts
Works for guitar
Exercises pour la guitare, three volumes
Marche, danse et marmotte des Savoyards. Divertissement pour la guitare
Divertissements progressifs pour la guitare, vol. 1 op. 16; vol. 2 op. 17
Studien für die Gitarre op. 44
Le Bouquet. Trois Nocturnes for flute, violin and guitar op. 64. Contains: 1. La Rose; 2. La Fleur de Lys; 3. La Violette
Grand potpourri brillant pour la guitare seule de l'opera 'La Muette' de Portici op. 98
Die Tänzerinnen. 3 Rondoletten for violin and flute with an accompaniment of the piano or the guitar op. 122. Also piublished as Le Ballerine. Contains: 1. La Villanella; 2. La Cittadina; 3. La Straniera
Sérénade pour flute et guitare
'Der Freischütz' von Carl Maria von Weber, mit Begleitung der Guitarre eingerichtet von Carl Blum
Der Schiffskapitän, oder Die Unbefangenen. Vaudeville von Carl Blum, arranged as a trio for flute, violin and guitar by I.H.C. Bornhardt
Other compositions
Gesaenge ernsten und launigen Inhalts für 2 Tenor und 2 Bassstimmen op. 22
