Carl Blum

Carl Wilhelm August Blum (1786 – 2 July 1844) was a German singer, librettist, stage actor, director, guitarist and opera and song composer. Philip J. Bone wrote that Blum was "a universal genius, uniting in one person the poet, the dramatist, composer, singer and performer." He was composer to the Court of the King of Prussia.

He has been confused with or named incorrectly in literature as Karl Ludwig Blum.

Blum studied guitar from age 15. He joined a group of traveling comedians in 1805, directed by Quandt, working as a singer and guitarist. After leaving the group for more musical study, he joined the Königsberger Theater in Berlin in 1810, working with C. von Weber. He became guitar instructor to the royal princesses and produced his first opera, Claudine de Villa Bella. In 1817, he went to Vienna and became a student to Antionio Salieri. Here he composed the opera Das Rosen-Hütchen (The Little Hat of Roses), which was performed 39 times.

In 1820, the King of Prussia appointed him composer to the court, after his success in Vienna.

He visited Paris to study the styles of Boieldieu, Cherubini and Auber. After visiting London, he returned to Berlin in 1822, working there as the director of the royal theatre. In 1827, he directed the Königsstadt Theater. That same year he went to Italy and did no more theater work, but concentrated on composing. His opera The Orphan of Russia was performed in 1829.

He introduced comic operas or vaudevilles to Germany, and his were preferred by Germans.

Among his successful songs were compositions for the Austrian soprano Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann.

(mostly to his own libretto)