Kuntzen, Friedrich Ludwig Aemilius

1761-1817

Writer of Danish operas. Was a son of Adolph Karl Kuntzen. He was born at Lubeck, and like his father, made his debut as a child in London, where he played the clavier with a sister about his own age. He began to study law at Kiel University, but gave it up on the advice of Professor K. F. Cramer, and took a position in the Opera at Copenhagen. There he successfully brought out his first opera, Holger Danske, in 1789. He then went into musical journalism with Reichardt at Berlin. He later conducted an orchestra in the Frankfort and Prague Theatres and then became Grand Opera director at Copenhagen in 1795. In the same year he produced another opera, Das Fest der Winzer, also successful. He became a royal professor and member of the Stockholm Academy, and was decorated with the Order of Danebrog. He remained at Copenhagen the rest of his life, and composed many Danish operas with piano scores, most of them appearing there.