Gallenberg, Wenzel Robert, Graf von

1783-1839

Ballet composer; born in Vienna, studied under Albrechtsberger, and married in 1803 the Countess Julietta Guicciardi, formerly loved by Beethoven. He composed festival music for Joseph Bonaparte in Naples, 1805, and a year or two afterward was selected to direct the music in the Court Theatre, where he introduced the best German music, thus raising the standard and extending the range of music in Naples. From 1821 to 1823 he was assistant manager to Barbaja, then director of the Court Theatre, Vienna. Gallenberg undertook the sole management in 1829, but failed for lack of funds, and returned to Naples, where he again worked with Barbaja as ballet composer and director. Gallenberg was a prolific composer, but his works were soon forgotten. He composed a sonata, fantasias, marches and other pieces for piano, also several overtures, and forty or fifty ballets, some of those best known in his day being Samson; Arsinoe und Telemaco; Amleto; Alfred der Grosse; Jeanne d'Arc; Ismann's Graab; La Caravana del Cairo; Caesar in Egypten; Theodosia; Agnes und Fitz Henri; and Latona's Rache.