Camillo Walzel

Camillo Walzel (1893), by "R. Weber" from Der Floh, issue #53

Camillo Walzel (11 February 1829 –17 March 1895) was a German librettist and theatre director, who wrote under the pseudonym F Zell.

Life and work

Walzel was born in Magdeburg. In his early years, he worked in his father's lithographic factory, then studied at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, before joining the army. He later became an editor for a newspaper, then an employee of the Danube Steamship Company in 1856.

He became an operetta librettist in the 1860s and eventually, from 1884 to 1889, artistic director of the Theater an der Wien. One of his best-known works was the libretto for Karl Millöcker's operetta Der Bettelstudent, which he co-wrote with his long-term collaborator Richard Genée). His other libretti with Genée included Cagliostro in Wien (1875), Der lustige Krieg (1881) and Eine Nacht in Venedig (1883), all with music by Johann Strauss II.

He died in Vienna.

References

• Lamb Andrew (1992), 'Zell, F (Walzel, Camillo)' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7