Karl Lindau Explained

Karl Lindau
Birth Name:Karl Gemperle
Birth Date:26 November 1853
Birth Place:Vienna
Death Place:Vienna
Other Names:Carl Lindau
Occupation:
  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Librettist
Organization:Theater an der Wien

Karl Lindau (also Carl Lindau, born Karl Gemperle; 26 November 1853 – 15 January 1934) was an Austrian actor and writer. He excelled in comic roles at the Theater an der Wien, and wrote several plays, librettos for operettas and songs.

Career

Karl Gemperle was born in Vienna, the son of Anton Gemperle, a coffee substitute manufacturer. His grandfather, the Swiss Johann Baptist Gemperle, had founded the first Viennese surrogate coffee factory. After a technical school education Lindau turned to theatre and made his debut on 20 October 1870 in Graz in the title role of Schiller's Don Carlos. Engagements followed at the Deutsches Theater in Pest, in Frankfurt am Main and in Dresden, in 1879 again in Graz and in 1880 briefly in Olmütz. During this time, Lindau slowly turned from classical roles to comic roles. In 1880, he toured successfully through the United States and Canada with Josefine Gallmeyer, Wilhelm Knaack and Franz Tewele. In 1881, he was finally engaged by director Franz Steiner as a comedian at the Theater an der Wien and was a member of the ensemble until 1901. His roles in operettes and Wiener Possen made him a darling of the audience. He played Süffle in the premiere of Zeller's Der Vogelhändler on 10 January 1891.

From 1876, Lindau was also active as a writer for the stage. In total he wrote more than 100 full-length plays, including s, farces and libretti for operettas, some of which became very popular. Together with Leopold Krenn (1850–1930), he wrote farces () such as Heißes Blut (Hot Blood, 1892), Ein armes Mädel (A Poor Girl, 1893) and Der Nazi (1895). In their operettas, Krenn and Lindau provided parade roles for Alexander Girardi, such as Korporal Kratz in Der Fremdenführer, with music by Carl Michael Ziehrer. Lindau also translated French comedies into German.

Lindau died in Vienna.

Works

Lindau wrote several librettos for operettas:

Filmography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gänzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre, Volume 2. Schirmer Books. 1994. 1276.

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