Christian Hermann Weisse

(b Annaberg, 28 Jan 1726; d Leipzig, 16 Dec 1804). German poet. He wrote Singspiel librettos for a company in Leipzig. The earliest, including Der Teufel ist los (set by J. Standfuss, 1752), were based on English ballad operas, but from the 1760s he took opéra comique as his model and introduced more opportunities for songs; Hiller's settings were highly successful. His lyric poetry was set by Mozart, among others.

Weisse, Christian Felix, (Annaberg, Saxony, 1726-1804, Leipzig), a headmaster's son, studied at Leipzig, where he met the men of letters of the day, including Lessing, Gottsched, and Gellert. After a period as a private tutor Weiße became a tax-collector in Leipzig, where he spent the rest of his life as a comfortably situated and well-respected citizen.

A facile writer, Weiße began with Anacreontic poetry and comedies in the French manner, of which the literary satire Die Poeten nach der Mode (1751) is the best known. His early poetry was published in 1758 as Scherzhafte Lieder. This was followed by a volume of patriotic poetry, Amazonenlieder (1760). In 1759 he edited for F. Nicolai the periodical Allgemeine Deutsche Bibliothek. About the same time he began to write tragedies in prose, including Eduard III (1758), Richard III (1759), Krispus (1764), and Rosemunde (1761), and later switched to verse (Die Befreiung von Theben, 1764, Atreus und Thyest, 1767). Romeo und Julie (1767) is an ‘improved’ Shakespearian tragedy, pruned and tidied, and Die Flucht (1770) exploits the theme of hostile brothers. The tragedy Jean Calas (1774) borrows elements from the technique of Götz von Berlichingen mit der eisernen Hand. His principal successes were as a writer of Singspiele, of which Der Teufel ist los (1752, revised 1766), Lottchen am Hofe (1767), and Die Jagd (1770), all with music by J. A. Hiller, are the best known; he also made a reputation as a writer for children. From 1775 to 1782 he produced a widely read periodical Der Kinderfreund, and this was followed by Briefwechsel des Kinderfreundes (1784-92). His Selbstbio-graphie was published in 1806.

Weiße's Komische Opern (2 vols.) appeared in 1768, Kleine lyrische Gedichte (3 vols.) in 1772, Trauerspiele (5 vols.) 1776-80, and Lustspiele (3 vols.) in 1783. A selection, ed. J. Minor, was published in 1883.

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