Photo: Émile Desmaisons · Public domain · credits
Tier 2 · legacy legend
Friedrich von Flotow
Person · male · Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin · Sanitz · born 1812 · died 1883 · recording since 1907
German composer (1812–1883)
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Also known as Flotow · フロトー · 弗里德里希·冯·弗洛托
Timeline
7 events▣ Album 4◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1810s
1880s
1900s
· Debut release
Debut release: Martha: L'ultima rosa d'estate
First documented Single in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1990s
Biography
English biography362 words · 3 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1351352642
Biography
Friedrich Adolf Ferdinand, Freiherr von Flotow (German: [ˈfʁiːdʁɪç fɔn ˈfloːto]; 27 April 1812 – 24 January 1883) was a German composer. He is chiefly remembered for his opera Martha, which was popular in the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.
Life
Born in Teutendorf, in Mecklenburg, into an aristocratic family, Flotow was French-trained. Although he was intended for a diplomatic career, his father acceded to his wishes and he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under Anton Reicha. During this time came under the influence of Auber, Bellini, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Donizetti, Halévy, and later Gounod and Offenbach. These influences are reflected in his operas, where a distinctive French opéra comique flavour exists.
During the 1830 revolution he returned home, writing chamber music and operetta until it was safe to return to Paris. He completed his first opera in 1835, Pierre et Cathérine, but his breakthrough came with Le naufrage de la Méduse (1839), based on the wreck of the warship Méduse. The three-act romantic opera Alessandro Stradella of 1844 is recognized as one of Flotow's finer works. Martha was first staged in Vienna at the Theater am Kärntnertor on 25 November 1847, and soon became one of the best-loved of all his operas.
In 1848 revolution again drove Flotow home. Between 1856 and 1863 he served as Intendant of the court theatre at Schwerin. From 1863 he lived in either Paris or Vienna, and he had the satisfaction of seeing his operas mounted as far away as Saint Petersburg and Turin. He died in Darmstadt.
Operas
In all, Flotow wrote about 30 operas. Many of these works were performed in different versions and under different titles, in German, French and sometimes other languages. Some survive, some are lost. All but Martha have fallen into obscurity, and even Martha is not nearly as often performed now as it was a century ago, though it is still sometimes staged, and there have been a number of attempts to revive other Flotow works (including Alessandro Stradella) during recent years.
The best-known single piece by Flotow is probably "Ach! so fromm, ach! so traut". It has been much recorded in its Italian version, "M'apparì tutt'amor".
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 30 | 90.4th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 7 | 80.4th |
| Studio albums | 5 | 84.6th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -24 | 7.9th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (7 release groups · 5 studio albums)
Albums · 5
1974 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:41:35
Disc 1A1Martha: Ouvertüre8:17A2Martha: 1. Akt, Szene 1-316:16B1Martha: 1. Akt, Szene 4-819:16B2Martha: 2. Akt, Szene 18:54Disc 2A1Martha: 2. Akt, Szene 2-414:28A2Martha: 3. Akt, Szene 1-49:36B1Martha: 3. Akt, Szene 5-87:30B2Martha: 4. Akt, Szene 4-717:181990 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 49:46
1Martha: Akt I. „Der Markt beginnt! Die Glocke schallt!“3:142Martha: Akt I. „Wie das schnattert, wie das plappert“5:103Martha: Akt I. „Sieh nur, wie sie uns betrachten“3:384Martha: Akt II. „Nancy! Julia! So bleib’ doch“ – „Letzte Rose“8:595Martha: Akt II. „Warte nur! Das sollst du büßen!“ – „Mitternacht!“4:216Martha: Akt III. „Laßt mich euch fragen“2:457Martha: Akt III. „Jägerin, schlau im Sinn“ – „Auch wir Frau’n, wir kennen traun!“1:328Martha: Akt III. „Hier in stillen Schattengründen“ – „Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben“8:379Martha: Akt III. „Ach so fromm“2:4610Martha: Akt IV. „Ja, was nun?“5:1211Martha: Akt IV. „Jetzt, ihr Freunde jung und alt“3:321995 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 2:04:34
Disc 11Ouvertüre8:312Darf mit mächtig düstren Träumen3:303Teure Lady / Von den edlen Kavalieren4:574Gnaden Tristan Mickleford / Schöne Lady und Cousine8:365Mädchen, brav und treu / Wohlgemut, junges Blut3:406Wie das schnattert, wie das plappert / Ja! Seit früher Kindheit Tagen5:367Der Markt beginnt / Ich kann nähen / Vorwärts, Bob / Sieh nur, wie sie uns betrachten! / Nun fürwahr,das lass ich gelten13:248Nur näher, blöde Mädchen / Mädels, dort ist eure Kammer / Was soll ich dazu sagen?10:279Nancy! / Julia! Verweile! / Blickt sein Auge doch so ehrlich / Letzte Rose, wie magst du so einsam hier blühn?9:25Disc 21Warte nur! Das sollst du büssen / Mitternacht / Na, schlaf wohl! Und mag dich reuen4:232Nancy! Lady! Was nun weiter? Fort von hinnen lasst uns eilen / Na, was soll das lange Schwärmen / Was bedeutet das Geläute?4:313Lasst mich euch fragen3:044Horch, die Jagdfanfaren tönen / Jägerin, schlau im Sinn / Ach so fromm, ach so traut8:525Die Herrin rastet dort / Hier in den stillen Schattengründen / Welch ein Lärmen / Mag der Himmel euch vergeben / Es tönt der Ruf zur Königin! / Keck und munter10:206Zum treuen Freunde geh / Den Teuren zu versöhnen5:407Lady! Mylady! Treuer Freund! / Der Lenz ist gekommen / Diese Hand, die sich gewendet7:328Fasst euch, Lady! / Ja, was nun?6:009Hier die Buden, dort die Schenke / Nun, ihr Freunde!6:061997 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 2:10:35
Disc 11Martha: Ouvertüre8:562Martha: Erster aufzug. Darf mit nächtig düstren Träumen3:443Martha: Erster aufzug. Teure Lady! - Von den edlen Kavalieren5:064Martha: Erster aufzug. Gnaden Tristan Mickleford! - Schöne Lady und Cousine4:225Martha: Erster aufzug. Wohlgemut, junges Blut5:086Martha: Erster aufzug. Mädchen, brav und treu2:197Martha: Erster aufzug. Wie das schnattert, wie das plappert5:378Martha: Erster aufzug. Der Markt beginnt, die Glocke schallt! - Ich kann nähen - Vorwärts Bob, muß man euch ziehen? - Sieh nur, wie sie uns betrachten! - Nun fürwahr, das laß ich gelten13:449Martha: Zweiter aufzug. Nur näher, schöne Mädchen - Mädels, dort ist eure Kammer - Was soll ich dazu sagen?10:26Disc 21Martha: Zweiter aufzug. Nancy! Julia! Verweile!3:532Martha: Zweiter aufzug. Letzte Rose - Martha! - Sie lacht zu meinen Leiden5:533Martha: Zweiter aufzug. Warte nur! Das sollst du büßen - Schlafe wohl! Und mag dich reuen4:434Martha: Zweiter aufzug. Nancy! Lady! Was nun weiter? Fort von hinnen, laßt uns eilen5:095Martha: Dritter aufzug. Laßt mich euch fragen2:406Martha: Dritter aufzug. Horch, die Kagdfanfaren tönen - Auch wir Frau'n, wir kennen traun1:197Martha: Dritter aufzug. Jägerin, schlau im Sinn5:138Martha: Dritter aufzug. Ach, so fromm, ach, so traut3:199Martha: Dritter aufzug. Die Herrin rastet dort - Hier in stillen Schattengründen - Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben12:1210Martha: Vierter aufzug. Zum treuen Freunden geh - Den Teuren zu versöhnen6:1911Martha: Vierter aufzug. Lady! Mylady! - Treuer Freund! - Der Lenz ist gekommen8:0512Martha: Vierter aufzug. Faßt euch, Lady! - Ja was nun?6:2213Martha: Vierter aufzug. Hier die Buden, dort die Schenke6:06— · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 48:58
1Sinfonia7:482Tu piu vaga d'una stella3:023Mesta ognor?4:574Sir Tristan di Mikleford4:235Accorrete, giovinette4:236Quante voci! Quante grida!2:567Suonate è l'ora, è mezzodi.5:108Nancy, guarda che occhi ardenti12:029Siam giunti, o giovinette4:17
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Martha: L'ultima rosa d'estateSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Martha: L'ultima rosa d'estate | November 1907 |
Album · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | MarthaSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 20 tracks · 1:45:24Disc 1 1Martha: Act I. Overture6:25 2Martha: Act I. Chorus2:58 3Martha: Act I . Recitative and Duet5:05 4Martha: Act I. Terceto5:58 5Martha: Act I. Ballet6:47 6Martha: Act I. Chorus (Farmers Chorus). Chorus (Maids Chorus)1:47 7Martha: Act I. Duet4:45 8Martha: Act I. Finale. Chorus. Recitative and Duet12:11 Disc 21Martha: Act II. Interval and Quartettino. Recitative and Quartet7:22 2Martha: Act II. Duet7:11 3Martha: Act II. Traditional Song4:30 4Martha: Act II. Recitative and Terzettino2:56 5Martha: Act III. Interval and "Porter-Lied"2:44 6Martha: Act III. Chorus and Song3:43 7Martha: Act III. Aria3:16 8Martha: Act III. Finale. Song. Quintet with Chorus8:46 9Martha: Act III. Interval and Aria5:13 10Martha: Act III. Recitative and Duet4:04 11Martha: Act III. Recitative and Duet2:47 12Martha: Finale. Chorus6:56 | Live | 2006 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Friedrich von Flotow head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 30 | 90.4th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 7 | 80.4th |
| Studio albums | 5 | 84.6th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 7 | 82.6th |
| Recording span (years) | -24 | 7.9th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Friedrich_von_Flotow_1866.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a57fd35e-1932-4253-8629-532560e7effediscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a57fd35e-1932-4253-8629-532560e7effecore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155425genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155425seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_von_Flotowbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_von_Flotow
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: historic figure (30 language versions, career ended)
Image: Émile Desmaisons · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q155425 · MusicBrainz: a57fd35e-1932-4253-8629-532560e7effe
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