Leopold Wenzel

{{Short description|Italian conductor and composer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Leopold Wenzel | image = Léopold Wenzel (1847–1923).png | alt = | caption = In ''The Sketch'' in 1904 | birth_date = 23 January 1847 | birth_place = Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies | death_date = 21 August 1923 | death_place = Asnières, France | burial_place = | occupation = Conductor, composer | awards = | spouse = | children = }} '''Léopold de Wenzel''' (23 January 1847 – 21 August 1923), also known as '''Leopold Wenzel''', was an Italian-born conductor and composer, known for his ballets and contributions to Edwardian musical comedies, who spent most of his career in Britain.

==Biography== [[File:Maîtres_de_l%27affiche_V_1_-_Pl_35_-_Pal.jpg|thumb|Poster for the ballet ''Brighton'' in the Olympia]] Born in Naples, Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Wenzel spent most of his career working in London, with the exception of some years spent in Paris.<ref>[http://opera.stanford.edu/composers/W.html Opera Glass]</ref> Wenzel was appointed as musical director, music arranger and ballet composer at the Empire Theatre of Varieties in London in 1889, where he wrote and arranged numerous ballets. Later, he conducted at the Gaiety Theatre in London until 1913.<ref>"Retirement of Gaiety Conductor", ''The Observer'', 23 February 1913, p. 10</ref> In addition to ballets, his many works include art songs, orchestral works, and operas in the late Victorian era and early Edwardian period. Some of his songs were incorporated into Edwardian musical comedies.<ref>Richards, Jeffrey.[https://books.google.com/books?id=zSJ7zXkBc3MC&dq=%22Leopold+Wenzel%22+Empire&pg=PA258 ''Imperialism and Music: Britain 1876–1953''], pp. 258–60 (2002) Manchester University Press {{ISBN|0-7190-4506-1}}</ref> He died in Asnières, near Paris, on 21 August 1923.<ref>[http://www.italianopera.org/compositori/W/c221203E.htm Profile of Wenzel]</ref>

==Selected works== '''Ballets with choreographer Katti Lanner at the Empire''':<ref name=AppendixA>[https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23305717 Guest, "Appendix A: Ballets Produced at the Empire Theatre, 1884-1915"]</ref> *''A Dream of Wealth'' (1889) *''Cécile'' (1890) *''Dolly'' (1890) *''Orfeo'' (1891)<ref name=AppendixC>[https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23305717 Guest, "Appendix C: Some Empire Ballets: Selected Scenarios"]</ref> *''By the Sea'' (1891) *''Nisita'' (1891) *''Versailles'' (1892)<ref name=AppendixC/> *''Round the Town'' (1892) *''Katrina'' (1893) *''The Girl I Left Behind Me'' (1893) *''Brighton'' (Paris Olympia music hall)<ref>[http://irononstation.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOS&Product_Code=art13 Poster from "Grand Ballet: ''Brighton''" at the Olympia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070420062507/http://irononstation.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IOS&Product_Code=art13 |date=2007-04-20 }}</ref> *''Monte Cristo'' (1896)<ref name=AppendixC/> *''Under One Flag'' (1897) *''The Press'' (1898) *''Alaska'' (1898) *''Round the Town Again'' (1899) *''Sea-Side'' (1900) *''Les Papillons'' (1901) *''Old China'' (1901) *''Our Crown'' (1902) *''The Milliner Duchess'' (1903) *''Vineland'' (1903) *''High Jinks'' (1904)

;Operas *''Le Chevalier Mignon'' (1884, Paris) *''L'Élève du Conservatoire'' (1894, Paris)

;Other works *''Cinder Ellen up too late'' (1891), a burlesque on the fairy tale ''Cinderella'' (additional numbers)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lib.rochester.edu/CAMELOT/cinder/cin8.htm |title=List of cast and crew for ''Cinder Ellen'' and other ''Cinderella'' adaptations |access-date=23 May 2008 |archive-date=26 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110226084623/http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cinder/cin8.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> *''An Artist's Model'', an Edwardian musical comedy (1895) (additional numbers)<ref>Johnson, Colin, M. [http://www.gsarchive.net/british/artist/index.html Links to Midi files for songs in ''An Artist's Model'', including the songs composed by Wenzel], The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive, accessed 31 March 2018</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== *Guest, Ivor. ''The Empire Ballet'' (1962) London:Society for Theatre Research

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wenzel, Leopold}} Category:1847 births Category:1923 deaths Category:Italian opera composers Category:Italian male opera composers Category:Italian classical composers Category:19th-century Italian musicians Category:19th-century Italian male musicians Category:Italian expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Italian expatriates in France