Franz Lehár

Classical Music / Composers Datebook: April 30

 

Brief biography of Franz Lehár, Hungarian-born Austrian composer, leading composer of light operettas, famous for Die lustige Witwe ("The Merry Widow"). His waltz "Gold and Silver" is often included in  recordings for short musical pieces.

   

 

Austrian composer and conductor Franz Lehár (April 30, 1870 – October 24, 1948), was a leading operetta composer of the 20th-century. He was famous worldwide for his sensational light operetta Die lustige Witwe ("The Merry Widow"), his music tuned into the traditional Viennese spirit of charm and elegance, of love and romance like Johann Strauss. Lehár was Hungarian born but Viennese in every respect.

Lehár's Early Years

Born in Komáron, he was the son of a Hungarian military bandmaster and composer. The continual move of his father compelled him to study and do his best as much as he could. At 12 years old, Lehár won a scholarship to the Music Academy in Prague, studied with Josef Bohuslav Foerster (theory), Zdenek Fibich and Antonin Bennewitz (violin), stayed there for six years, becoming a proficient theatre violinist. 

 

Career in the Army

Despite his musical training and education, he still followed his father in an army career. In 1889 he joined the Austrian army becoming the youngest ever military bandmaster. He was just 20. He resigned in 1902 to work in Vienna as a conductor and composer, and made Vienna his adopted home. 

 

Musical Career and Influence

It was Antonin Dvorak who advised him to concentrate on composition.

After unsuccessful attempts at dances and marches, including songs and an opera Kukuschka, his Gold und Silver (Gold and Silver) waltz was well-received in Vienna. Lehár began a career in operetta with Wiener Frauen. He achieved international success overnight from his light operetta Die Lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow). He composed some other operas but were not as successful, for one thing, those were the years of World War I, which restricted normalcy of activities.   

 

Franz Lehár's Operettas

Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow), 1905

Der Graf von Luxemburg (The Count of Luxembourg), 1909

Zigeunerliebe (Gypsy Love), 1910

Friderike (Frederica), 1928

Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles), 1929

Lehár also wrote the full-scale opera and his last major work, Giuditta (1934), was first performed in Vienna State Opera. His other works include: Sonatas, Symphonic poems, Violin concerto, Marches, Songs, Waltzes, and Dances, including the popular concert-waltz Gold und Silver ("Gold and Silver"), 1902

 

TRIVIA:

The Merry Widow was not only successful at its Vienna premiere in 1903, but extremely popular all over the world ever since.

In 1924 he married Sophie Meth. He was 54 years old.

His villa in Bad Ischl, where he died, is now a museum where an annual Lehar Festival is held in the spa.

Lehár was associated with the operatic tenor Richard Tauber, who sang in many of his operettas.

 

Photo Credit:

Franz Lehar. Wikipedia Commons / Public Domain.  Lehár, likely sometime between 1915 and 1920

 

Resources:

• Chambers Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern (2002)
  
• Latham, Alison, Ed. (2002) The Oxford companion to Music. Oxford OUP.
• Sadie, Stanley, Ed. (1994). The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. London: Macmillan Publishers.
  

 

(c) April 2008. Updated April 30, 2024. Tel Asiado. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.