Composer Franz Lehar

Hungarian-born Austrian famous for Operetta Die Lustige Witwe

Oct 25, 2007 Tel Asiado

Brief biography of Franz Lehár, leading composer of light operettas, extremely famous for The Merry Widow. His waltz 'Gold and Silver' is also often recorded.

Austrian composer and conductor Franz Lehár was a leading operetta composer of the 20th-century famous worldwide for his sensational light operetta Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow). Although Hungarian-born, Lehár's music tuned into the traditional Viennese spirit of charm and elegance, of love and romance like Johann Strauss, II. He was Viennese in every respect.

Lehár's Early Years

Born in Komáron on April 30, 1870, 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.

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.

Lehár's Musical Career and Influence

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

After unsuccessful attempts at dances and maraches, 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 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 international currency transactions.

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

The Merry Widow was not only successful at its Vienna premiere in 1903, but extremely popular all over the world ever since. Lehár's last major work, Giuditta, was first performed in Vienna State Opera. He also wrote for Austrian tenor Richard Tauber.

Lehár's other works

• Sonatas
• Symphonic poems
• Violin concerti
• Marches
• Songs
• Waltzes
• Dances, including the popular concert-waltz Gold und Silver (Gold and Silver), 1902

Lehár was married to Sopie Meth. His villa in Bad Ischl, where he died in October 24, 1948, is now a museum where an annual Lehar Festival is held in the spa.

Consulted Sources

The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, edited by Stanley Sadie, Macmillan (1994)

Dictionary of composers and their Music by Eric Gilder, Sphere Reference (1987)

The Oxford Companion Music, edited by Alison Latham, Oxford (2002)

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Franz Lehar