Lortzing, Gustav Albert [key], 1801–51, German opera composer. Lortzing's first opera was written in 1824. Among his best-known works are the comic operas Zar und Zimmerman [the Czar and the carpenter] (1837), about Peter the Great, and Der Wildschütz [the poacher] (1842). He also wrote a romantic opera, Undine (1845), as well as an oratorio, songs, and incidental music. His works are rarely heard outside Germany. Lortzing had 11 children and was in financial difficulty for much of his life.
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