Constanze Geiger

Constanze Geiger
Freifrau von Ruttenstein
Portrait of Constanze Geiger as a girl in 1849 by Gabriel Decker.
Born	(1835-10-16)16 October 1835 Vienna
Died	24 August 1890(1890-08-24) (aged 54) Dieppe
Burial	Montmartre Cemetery, Paris
Spouse	Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Issue	Franz, Baron of Ruttenstein
Names Constanze Therese Adelaide
House	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry (by marriage)
Father	Joseph Geiger
Mother	Theresia Rziha

Constanze Therese Adelaide Geiger, Freifrau von Ruttenstein (16 October 1835 – 24 August 1890) was an Austrian pianist, theatrical actress, composer and singer.

Life

Geiger, the daughter of the composer Joseph Geiger and the court modist Theresia Geiger, born Ržiha (1804–1865), had inherited the musical talent of her father, which is already noticeable at an early stage. After she and J.W. Tomaschek and Simon Sechter piano lessons, she already tried successfully as a concert pianist at the age of six. At 13, she entered the stage in 1848. She never accepted a firm commitment, but only completed shorter or longer guest appearances.

On 23 April 1862, she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and was raised with this morganatic marriage to the Freiherrenstand. With the wedding, she withdrew from the stage entirely and lived with her family at Castle Radmeric. Their compositions for chamber music and church music, however, were still performed. After the death of her husband, she moved to Paris.

Constanze Geiger was buried in Montmartre Cemetery.

References

• Eisenberg, Ludwig (1903). "Geiger, Constanze". Großes biographisches Lexikon der Deutschen Bühne im XIX. Jahrhundert (in German). Leipzig: Paul List. p. 310.
• Constanze Geiger bei certosaverlag.de
• Geiger, Constanze, in: Lexikon "Europäische Instrumentalistinnen des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts", hrsg. von Freia Hoffmann, 2010/2022.