Leipzig was the city where Albert Lortzing (1801-1851) spent the longest period of his life. From November 1833 until May 1844, and again in 1849-50 he was active here as versatile actor and singer at the city theatre, and briefly as a conductor. And it was the city theatre to which, as both composer and librettist (sometimes in collaboration with Robert Blum) he submitted most of his full-length comic and romantic operas.

The aim of the conference was to illuminate this chapter of music hist...