Carl Gottlieb Reissiger was born  31 January 1798, Belzig and died on 7 November 1859, Dresden) was a German conductor and composer.

Reissiger attended the Thomas Schule zu Leipzig.  In 1821, he followed the example of the young Beethoven and went toVienna to study where he also studied theology at the University of Leipzig Reissiger continued his musical studies in France and Italy in 1824, under the sponsorship of the Prussian Ministry of Cultural Affairs.

After working for two years as the musical director of the Dresden Opera, he succeeded Carl Maria von Weber as the conductor of the Dresden Court in 1828 and held this office until his death in 1859.

A famous piece known as Weber's Last Waltz was actually written by Reissiger (one of his opus 26 Danses Brillantes) and is mentioned in Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) as one of Roderick Usher's favourite pieces of music; it is also the title of a 1912 film.

Reissiger left behind an extensive body of work that was distinguished above all by his vocal music, which included nine operas, one oratorio, nine Latin masses and another four in German, as well as sixty songs. 

Besides his own works, he also won fame for conducting the premiere of Wagner's opera Rienzi in 1842. Reissiger's most successful compositions were the operas which included Die Felsenmuhle (The Mill on the Cliff) which was first performed in 1830. His great masses, composed for Catholic services at Court, are known to have rich melodies and warm feeling. The same can be said of his hymns, motets, and songs, which have been included in many collections, as well as of his oratorio David.

In addition, Reissiger wrote and published various forms of orchestral and chamber music. While these works revealed his skill and inventiveness, they fell out of fashion after his death and he has sometimes been referred to as the forgotten composer.

In this week’s show we feature the overture from Die Felsenmuhle, which was arranged for brass bands by William Rimmer.