Emmerich Kálmán (October 24, 1882October 30, 1953), known in his native Hungarian as
Kálmán Imre, was a
Hungarian-bornHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
of
operettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Operetta in French:...
s.
Kálmán was born
Imre Koppstein in
SiófokSiófok is a town in Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton in Somogy County. The town is a popular holiday destination with several beaches and good climate. Siófok is one of the richest municipalities of Hungary due to tourism...
, on the southern shore of
Lake BalatonLake Balaton, in the Transdanubian region of Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
(formerly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in a Jewish family.
Kálmán initially intended to become a concert
pianistThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, but because of early-onset
arthritisArthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body....
, he focused on composition instead.
Emmerich Kálmán (October 24, 1882October 30, 1953), known in his native Hungarian as
Kálmán Imre, was a
Hungarian-bornHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
of
operettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Operetta in French:...
s.
Biography
Kálmán was born
Imre Koppstein in
SiófokSiófok is a town in Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton in Somogy County. The town is a popular holiday destination with several beaches and good climate. Siófok is one of the richest municipalities of Hungary due to tourism...
, on the southern shore of
Lake BalatonLake Balaton, in the Transdanubian region of Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea"...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
(formerly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in a Jewish family.
Kálmán initially intended to become a concert
pianistThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, but because of early-onset
arthritisArthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body....
, he focused on composition instead. He studied
music theoryMusic theory is the field of study that deals with how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It identifies patterns that govern composers' techniques. In a grand sense, music theory distills and analyzes the parameters or elements of music – rhythm, harmony , melody,...
and
compositionMusical composition is:* an original piece of music* the structure of a musical piece* the process of creating a new piece of music- Musical compositions :...
at the
National Hungarian Royal Academy of MusicThe Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
(then the Budapest Academy of Music), where he was a fellow student of
Béla BartókBéla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist, considered to be one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and regarded, along with Liszt, as his country's greatest composer...
and
Zoltán KodályZoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist, and philosopher.-Life:...
under
Hans KösslerHans von Koessler was a German composer, conductor and music teacher. In Hungary, where he worked for 26 years, he was known as János Koessler....
. His early symphonic poems were well-received, although he failed to achieve publication.
However, the popularity of his humorous cabaret songs led him towards the composition of
operettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Operetta in French:...
s. His first great success was
Tatárjárás (the German title is
Ein Herbstmanöver ('Autumn Maneuver'), while the English name is
The Gay HussarsThe Gay Hussars is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán. The piece was Kalman's first operetta and a hit throughout Europe and America. The first version, in Hungarian, Tatárjárás, with libretto by Karl von Bakonyi and A. Gabor, premiered at the Lustspieltheater in Budapest on 22 February,...
) first staged at the Lustspieltheater in
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s...
, on February 22, 1908. Thereafter he moved to
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
where he achieved worldwide fame by composing his operettas
Der ZigeunerprimasDer Zigeunerprimas is a three act operetta, which was composed by Emmerich Kálmán. The libretto was written by Julius Wilhelm and Fritz Grünbaum...
,
Die CsárdásfürstinDie Csárdásfürstin or A Csárdáskirálynő is an operetta in 3 acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman, libretto by Leo Stein and B. Jenbach. It premiered in Vienna at the Johann Strauss Theater, 17 November, 1915. Numerous film versions and recordings have been made...
,
Gräfin Mariza, and
Die ZirkusprinzessinDie Zirkusprinzessin is an operetta in three acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán to a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 26 March, 1926 and went on to 344 performances there.The plot revolves around a romantic intrigue...
.
Kálmán and
Franz Lehár----Franz Lehár , known in Hungarian as Lehár Ferenc, was a Hungarian composer, mainly known for his operettas.- Biography :...
were the leading composers of what has been called the "Silver Age" of Viennese operetta during the first quarter of the 20th century. He became well-known for his fusion of Viennese
waltzThe waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
with Hungarian
csárdásCsárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from csárda . It originated in Hungary and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Carpathian Ruthenia, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the...
. Even so, polyphonically and melodically, Kálmán was a devoted follower of
Giacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
, while in his orchestration methods he employed principles characteristic of
TchaikovskyPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
[The subject's names are also transliterated Piotr, Petr, or Peter; Ilitsch, Ilich, Il'ich or Illyich; and Tschaikowski, Tschaikowsky, Chajkovskij and Chaikovsky...]
's music.
Despite his Jewish origins he was one of
Adolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party...
's favorite composers. After the
AnschlussThe ' , also known as the ', was the 1938 de facto annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi regime....
, he rejected Hitler's offer to become an 'honorary Aryan' and was forced to move first to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, then to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settling in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
in 1940. Following his emigration, performances of his works were prohibited in Nazi Germany. He emigrated back to
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
from
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1949 before moving in 1951 to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he died.
Operettas with place and date of first production
- Tatárjárás
Tatárjárás is a Hungarian word, meaning literally "Passing of the Tatars".It may refer to:*The Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241-42 .*An operetta by Emmerich Kálmán, titled in English "The Gay Hussars" or "Autumn Manoeuvres"....
— Budapest — 1908
- Ein Herbstmanöver — Vienna — 1909 (German version of Tatárjárás)
- The Gay Hussars
The Gay Hussars is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán. The piece was Kalman's first operetta and a hit throughout Europe and America. The first version, in Hungarian, Tatárjárás, with libretto by Karl von Bakonyi and A. Gabor, premiered at the Lustspieltheater in Budapest on 22 February,...
— New York — 1909 (American version of Tatárjárás)
- Autumn Manoeuvres — London — 1912 (English version of Tatárjárás)
- Az obsitos — Budapest — 1910
- Der gute Kamerad — Vienna — 1911 (German revision of Az Obsitos)
- Gold gab ich für Eisen — Vienna — 1914 (revision of Der gute Kamerad)
- Her Soldier Boy — New York — 1916
- Soldier Boy — London — 1918
- A Soldier's Promise — Wooster, Ohio — 2005
- Der Zigeunerprimas
Der Zigeunerprimas is a three act operetta, which was composed by Emmerich Kálmán. The libretto was written by Julius Wilhelm and Fritz Grünbaum...
— Vienna — 1912
- The Blue House — London — 1912
- Der kleine König — Vienna — 1912
- Zsuzsi kisasszony — Budapest — 1915
- Miss Springtime — New York — 1916
- Die Faschingsfee — Vienna — 1917 (German revision of Zsuzsi kisasszony)
- Die Csárdásfürstin
Die Csárdásfürstin or A Csárdáskirálynő is an operetta in 3 acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman, libretto by Leo Stein and B. Jenbach. It premiered in Vienna at the Johann Strauss Theater, 17 November, 1915. Numerous film versions and recordings have been made...
— Vienna — 1915
- The Riviera Girl — New York — 1917
- The Gipsy Princess — London — 1921
- Das Hollandweibchen — Vienna — 1920
- A Little Dutch Girl — London — 1920
- The Dutch Girl — U.S. — 1925
- Die Bajadere
Die Bajadere is an operetta in 3 acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman. The libretto was written by J. Brammer and A. Grunwald. The work premiered in Vienna on 23 December, 1921...
— Vienna — 1921
- Gräfin Mariza — Vienna — 1924
- Countess Maritza — New York — 1926
- Maritza — London — 1938
- Die Zirkusprinzessin
Die Zirkusprinzessin is an operetta in three acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán to a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 26 March, 1926 and went on to 344 performances there.The plot revolves around a romantic intrigue...
— Vienna — 1926
- Golden Dawn — New York — 1927
- Die Herzogin von Chicago
Die Herzogin von Chicago is an operetta in two acts, a prologue, and an epilogue. The music was composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien, on April 5 1928 and played for 372 performances...
— Vienna — 1928
- The Duchess of Chicago — U.S. — 1929
- Das Veilchen vom Montmartre
Das Veilchen vom Montmartre is an operetta in 3 acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán. The libretto was written by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna at the Johann Strauss Theater on 21 March, 1930 and was extremely popular in the Soviet Union.-Roles:-References:*...
— Vienna — 1930
- Paris in Spring — U.S. — 1930
- A Kiss in Spring — London — 1932
- Der Teufelsreiter — Vienna — 1932
- Kaiserin Josephine
Kaiserin Josephine is an operetta in 8 scenes by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman. The German libretto was by Paul Knepler and Géza Herczeg. It premiered in Zurich, at the Stadt Theater, on 18 January 1936. -Roles:...
— Zurich — 1936
- Miss Underground — written 1942, unproduced
- Marinka
Marinka is an operetta by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán with book by George Marion, Jr. and Karl Farkas, and lyrics by George Marion, Jr. The operetta is a retelling of the story of the Mayerling incident, but with a happy ending replacing the infamous 1889 double suicide of Austrian Crown...
— New York — 1945
- Arizona Lady
Arizona Lady is an operetta in two acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán. The libretto was written by Alfred Grünwald and Gustav Beer. It premiered, as a broadcast in Munich on 1 January, 1954, and on stage in Berne, at the Stadttheater, on 14 February, 1954. Left unfinished at the time of...
— Bern — 1954
Further reading
Nagibin, YuriYuryj Markovich Nagibin was a Russian writer, screenwriter and novelist.He best is known for the variety of screenplays he has written, but he also has written many short stories which are often included in short story collections.He was best known hor his short stories.The themes he explores is...
. Вечная музыка. Russia, ACT, 2004.(hardcover, ISBN 5-17-021655-6) (pp. 201–345)
External links