Carl Friedrich Zelter (11 December 1758 – 15 May 1832)[1] was a German composer, conductor and teacher of music. Working in his father'sbricklaying business, Zelter attainedmastership in that profession, and was a musicalautodidact.
Zelter was born and died inBerlin. He became friendly withJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, and his works include settings of Goethe's poems. During his career, he composed about two hundredlieder, as well ascantatas, aviola concerto (performed as early as 1779)[2] andpiano music.
Amongst Zelter's pupils (at different times) wereFelix Mendelssohn,[3][4]Fanny Mendelssohn,[5]Giacomo Meyerbeer,Eduard Grell,Otto Nicolai,Johann Friedrich Naue, andHeinrich Dorn.[6] Felix Mendelssohn was perhaps Zelter's favorite pupil and Zelter wrote to Goethe boasting of the 12-year old's abilities. Zelter communicated his strong love of the music ofJ. S. Bach to Mendelssohn, one consequence of which was Mendelssohn's 1829 revival of Bach'sSt Matthew Passion at theSing-Akademie under Zelter's auspices. This epochal event sparked a general re-evaluation and revival of Bach's works, which were then largely forgotten and regarded as old-fashioned and beyond resuscitation. Mendelssohn had hoped to succeed Zelter on the latter's death as leader of the Singakademie, but the post went instead toCarl Friedrich Rungenhagen.
Zelter was married to Julie Pappritz in 1796, one year after his first wife, Sophie Eleonora Flöricke, née Kappel, had died. Pappritz was a well-known singer at the Berlin Opera. Zelter is buried at theSophienkirche in Berlin. The violinistDaniel Hope (born 1973) is a direct descendant of Zelter.[1]
Zelter was the author of a biography ofCarl Friedrich Christian Fasch, first published in 1801 by J.F. Unger in Berlin.[citation needed] The novelistElizabeth Sara Sheppard portrayed Zelter as the character Aronach in her 1853 novelCharles Auchester.[7]
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