German composer Heinrich August Marschner (1795-1861) originally intended a legal career but meeting Beethoven inspired him to follow a musical path. His operas became his greatest claim to fame, from Der Vampyr onward and Hans Heiling was, perhaps, the highlight of his career. He also wrote in a number of other genres, leaving behind some 400 songs, 120 choruses for male voices, and a host of other works.