| Friedrich Heinrich Himmel (1765 - 1814)  Germany Friedrich Heinrich Himmel (November 20, 1765 ?
June 8, 1814), German composer, was born at
Treuenbrietzen in Brandenburg, Prussia, and
originally studied theology at Halle before
turning to music.
During a temporary stay at Potsdam he had an
opportunity of showing his self-acquired skill as
a pianist before King Frederick William II, who
thereupon made him a yearly allowance to enable
him to complete his musical studies. This he did
under Johann Gottlieb Naumann, a German composer
of the Italian school, and the style of that
school Himmel himself adopted in his serious
operas.
The first of these, a pastoral opera, Il primo
navigatore, was produced at Venice in 1794 with
great success. In 1792 he went to Berlin, where
his oratorio Isaaco was produced, in consequence
of which he was made court Kapellmeister to the
king of Prussia, and in that capacity wrote a
great deal of official music, including cantatas,
and a coronation Te Deum.
His Italian operas, successively composed for
Stockholm, St Petersburg and Berlin, were all
received with great favor in their day. Of greater
importance than these is a Singspiel to words by
Kotzebue, called Fanchon. Himmel's gift of writing
genuine simple melody is also observable in his
Lieder, including An Alexis send ich dich (To
Alexis). He died in Berlin.
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