author
W. Friedrich
d. 1879
Best known as the librettist behind the hit opera Martha, this 19th-century German stage writer helped shape popular musical theater of his day. He wrote with a strong feel for comedy, drama, and the practical needs of the stage.
1 Audiobook
Haapaniemen hanhenpoika: Huvi-näytelmä yhdessä näytöksessä
by W. Friedrich, Jean-François-Alfred Bayard, Gustave Lemoine
About the author
Friedrich Wilhelm Riese, who also published under the name Wilhelm Friedrich, was a German writer, dramatist, translator, and librettist born in Berlin in 1807. He died in Naples in 1879, and modern library and biographical records identify him as the author behind the abbreviated name "W. Friedrich."
He was an important theater writer of the 19th century, especially remembered for his librettos and stage works. Sources on his career note that he wrote extensively for the Thalia Theater in Hamburg and produced a large body of work, including comedies and adaptations from French, English, and Italian material.
Today he is most often linked with Friedrich von Flotow's opera Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond, whose libretto brought his name lasting recognition. While many details of his life remain lightly documented in easily available sources, his work clearly left a mark on German-language musical theater.