Robert Stolz

Robert Elisabeth Stolz ( born August 25, 1880 in Graz, † June 27, 1975 in Berlin) was an Austrian composer and conductor.

Life

Robert Stolz was the twelfth child of the composer and music director Jacob Stolz and his wife Ida pride, born Bondy, a pianist and music teacher. He studied music in Graz, Berlin and Vienna. In 1896 he graduated from the State Examination for music. In 1897 he was Opernkorrepetitor at the Municipal Theater Graz, then Kapellmeister in Maribor and 1902 at the Stadttheater in Salzburg.

There he made ​​his debut on March 3, 1903 the operetta Beautifully Lorchen as a composer. After an engagement at the Deutsches Theater in Brno he was musical director from 1905 to 1917 at the Theater an der Wien. As such, he brought, among others, on December 30, 1905 Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow premiered. 1914 to 1918 he performed military service, including as Kapellmeister at the Kuk Infantry Regiment high and German Champion No. 4

After his attempt to become self with its own theater, failed because of the enormous cost to governmental restrictions, he went in 1924 to Berlin. In 1925, here in the cabaret comedian his operetta fairy tale in the snow to the performance. In the Anna Gasse (St. Annahof (Vienna) ) in 1924 opened the short-lived Robert Pride stage. From 1926 Robert Stolz lived in Vienna again. He wrote more than 60 operettas as well as numerous film scores, pop, among others and regarded as the last master of the Viennese operetta. Many pieces from his works are still known and popular, for example in the Prater bloom again the trees, Salome, On the heath bloom the last roses in front of my father's house stands a linden tree, the whole world is sky blue, My love song should be a waltz, Adieu, my little guardsman, Vienna is beautiful only at night etc. his trips to the e- music remained the one-act opera the Rose of Madonna and his song cycle 20 flower songs (Op. 500).

After coming to power of the Nazis in 1933, he brought on 21 trips several Jews and political refugees, hidden in the back of his large sedan, secretly to Austria. 1938, after the annexation of Austria to Germany, he left his home because of his negative attitude towards National Socialism. He came over Zurich to Paris, where he after him his fourth wife Lilli had left, taking with his documents and all valuables, was picked up by a police patrol on the road and, as he could not identify themselves and no French language, as an "enemy foreigners " was held. After his release, which enabled his future wife " Unique Designs " by their relationships and a large sum of money, he emigrated to New York, where he spent the war years. Thanks to its continued unabated job as composer Robert Stolz was nominated in the U.S. during the time of his emigration also for a film music Oscar for It Happened Tomorrow ( 1944); composed for the for Spring Parade ( 1941) song Waltzing in the clouds was pride in the category " Best Song " nomination. On August 28, 1941, the deprivation of the German Reich and confiscation of his property after he had turned down all offers of the German Empire, " in honor " of returning to Germany.

In 1946, Robert Stolz returned to Vienna and continued his activities as a composer and conductor continued. In 1952, he began to provide the music for the legendary Vienna Ice Revue. With The Eternal Eve (an allusion to the Vienna European Figure Skating Champion Eva Pawlik ), he created the first of 19 ice operettas. 1960 he composed and conducted the Austrian contribution to the Grand Prix Euro Vision Song Contest, sung by Horst Winter song " You got me so fascinated " ( Stay ) in London.

Robert Stolz was married five times, first with the singers Grete Holm and Franzi Ressel, with Josephine Zernitz, with his fourth wife Lilli and finally in the fifth marriage with Yvonne Louise Ulrich, called " Unique Designs " (1912-2004), also called the manager to occurred to his death. She had a daughter from her first marriage.

He was born on July 4, 1975 with participation of tens of thousands of mourners in a grave of honor in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 32 C, number 24), very close to the President tomb, buried. At his side, resting his last wife " Einzi ", who died on 18 January 2004 in Vienna.

Works

Stage Works

Songs

• " Servus Du " (December 29, 1911) - Text: Benno Vigny
• " Vienna is just beautiful at night " - Text: Wilhelm Sterk
• " In the Prater bloom again the Trees" - Text: Kurt Robitschek
• "This is the Springtime in Vienna " - Text: Arthur Rebner
• "You must be the emperor of my soul. " (1916 ) text: Fritz Grünbaum and Wilhelm Sterk
• " Hi, you sweet Klingelfee " (1919 ) - Text: Arthur Rebner
• " Salome, most beautiful flower of the Orient " (1920 ) ( Oriental Foxtrot ) - Text: Arthur Rebner
• "Then I go out into the Vienna Woods ... " (1920 ) ( Waltz ) - Text: Alfred Grünwald and Robert Blum
• "I want to be your mate " - Text: Walter Reisch
• "The whole world is sky blue " - Text: Robert Gilbert
• " My love song should be a waltz " - Text: Robert Gilbert
• " Two hearts in three-quarter time " - Text: Walter Reisch
• "The song is off ( do not ask why I go ) " (1930 ) Text: Walter Reisch
• " Viennese cafe waltz "
• " Adieu, my little guardsman " - Text: Walter Reisch
• "I love you "
• " On the heath bloom the last roses " - Text: Bruno Balz
• "Before my father's house stands a linden " - Text: Bruno Hardt- Warden
• "Whether blonde or brown, I love all the men " - Text: Ernst Marischka

Film Music

• In Prater bloom again the trees, an Austrian Romance by Hans Wolff of 1958

Awards

Honors

Many streets and squares bear his name. So ( 1st district) was named the Robert - Stolz-Platz after him in 1978 in Vienna Inner City.

In Austria there is a Robert Stolz Society, as Robert Stolz Associations in the UK, France, Belgium, Australia, Japan, Uruguay and South Africa were established.

During the lifetime of Robert Stolz began the American writer Aram Bakhsian Jr., the memoirs of Robert and " Einzi " record pride. During his numerous visits to Vienna, he held talks with the couple pride and used them together with tape recordings for his Robert Stolz Biography "Hello, You " (English title "The Barbed Wire Waltz" ), also in paperback under the title " The whole world is blue sky appeared. "

Robert Stolz was honored on numerous stamps and special postmarks during his lifetime. Stamps with the portrait of Robert Stolz published in Austria, Germany ( German Federal Post Office Berlin ), San Marino, Paraguay, Uruguay, Hungary and even in North Korea. The number of dedicated to him special postmark is barely manageable and has become independent to a private collection theme, the " Robert Stolz Philately ". For many years the " Robert Stolz Trophy for Music Philately " was awarded in England.

In 1970 a commemorative Robert Stolz - The Sound of Austria was issued.

The Styrian Brass Music Association awards the Robert Pride 's Prize for brass bands that meet certain conditions.