Viktor Léon
Encyclopedia
Victor Léon, also Viktor Léon (born Victor Hirschfeld, ; 4 January 1858, Szenitz (Szenice)
, nearby Pozsony
– 3 February 1940, Vienna
) was a well-known Jewish Hungarian-Austria
n librettist
. He collaborated with Leo Stein
to produce the libretto of Franz Lehár
's romantic operetta
The Merry Widow
(Die lustige Witwe).
on 4 January 1858. He began a career as a journalist, and then branched out in the theatre under the pseudonym that was to become familiar - Viktor Léon. Between 1880 and 1884 he wrote one-act libretti for Vienna's Ronacher variety theatre, the Carl-Schultze Theatre in Hamburg
, and the German Theatre in Pest, collaborating with composers such as Max von Weinzierl, Rudolf Raimann
and Alfred Zamara
. Then came a three-act collaboration with Zamara, Der Doppelgänger
, produced at the Theater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich
in September 1886.
He then wrote a libretto for Johann Strauss
. Alas, Simplicius
, a story of the Thirty Years War, produced at the Theater an der Wien
on 17 December 1887, was scarcely a success, even after being revised twice. There followed a string of further creations with composers such as Zamara, Josef Hellmesberger, Alfons Czibulka, Rudolf Dellinger
, and even Franz von Suppé
(his last work, Das Modell), as well as German adaptations of foreign works that included Arthur Sullivan
's The Yeomen of the Guard
and Edward Jakobowski
's Erminie
.
Not until 1898 was Léon associated with a lasting success, when he collaborated with Heinrich von Waldberg and composer Richard Heuberger
on Der Opernball
('The Opera Ball'), produced at the Theater an der Wien
that January. Léon's profile was thereby significantly raised, and a string of further works in 1898 and 1899 included another enduring success in Wiener Blut ('Vienna Blood'), which Adolf Müller junior compiled for Vienna's Carltheater from published dance music by the ailing Waltz King, Johann Strauss
. This was the first collaboration of the successful partnership of Léon and Leo Stein. Léon also had success with Leo Fall
's Die geschiedene Frau which opened at the Carltheater in Vienna
on 23 December 1908.
On some of his later works, Victor Léon collaborated with his younger brother Leo, who wrote under the name of 'Leo Feld
'. Léon was also director of many of his operettas, and in 1910 his daughter Lizzi married the Theater an der Wien's leading man Hubert Marischka
. It was Lizzi who suggested the Chinese setting for Die gelbe Jacke, later revised as Das Land des Lächelns. Alas, Lizzi never saw her idea reach the stage, for she died at the age of thirty after giving birth to a son in 1918. Léon dedicated the book of Die gelbe Jacke to her memory. Léon himself long survived not only his daughter, but also his younger brother and his most celebrated literary collaborator. His last stage credit was for the revision of Lehár's Das Fürstenkind as Der Fürst der Berge in 1932.
Léon remained active well into the 20th century, providing the libretto for Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns (1930), among other works. Although not successful himself, his career brought him in contact with the biggest stars of Viennese opera during his time.
Senica
Senica is a city in Trnava Region, western Slovakia. It is located in the north-eastern part of the Záhorie lowland, close to the Little Carpathians.-History:...
, nearby Pozsony
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
– 3 February 1940, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) was a well-known Jewish Hungarian-Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n librettist
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
. He collaborated with Leo Stein
Leo Stein (writer)
Leo Stein, born Leo Rosenstein was a playwright and librettist of operettas in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, including works adapted for a number of Broadway productions....
to produce the libretto of Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
's romantic operetta
Operetta
Operetta 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.-Origins:...
The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
(Die lustige Witwe).
Biography
He was born Viktor Hirschfeld in Upper HungaryUpper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
on 4 January 1858. He began a career as a journalist, and then branched out in the theatre under the pseudonym that was to become familiar - Viktor Léon. Between 1880 and 1884 he wrote one-act libretti for Vienna's Ronacher variety theatre, the Carl-Schultze Theatre in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and the German Theatre in Pest, collaborating with composers such as Max von Weinzierl, Rudolf Raimann
Rudolf Raimann
Rudolf Raimann was a Hungarian composer. For many years he worked as the chief composer and music director to Prince Esterházy. He composed 15 operas and operettas for the court, of which Enoch Arden is considered his best work...
and Alfred Zamara
Alfred Zamara
Alfred Zamara was an Austrian composer and harpist.He was the son of Antonio Zamara and was born in Vienna. Like his father, became professor of harp at the Vienna Conservatory and solo harpist at the Vienna Hofoper. He and his sister, Theresa, were both taught the harp by their father...
. Then came a three-act collaboration with Zamara, Der Doppelgänger
Der Doppelgänger
Der Doppelgänger is one of the six songs from Franz Schubert's Schwanengesang that sets words by Heinrich Heine for piano and tenor voice. It was written in 1828, the year of Schubert's death.- Text :...
, produced at the Theater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in September 1886.
He then wrote a libretto for Johann Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
. Alas, Simplicius
Simplicius (operetta)
Simplicius is an operetta by Johann Strauss II. It was conceived from the work of HJC von Grimmelhausen titled Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus or simply Adventurous Simplicissimus, which was opined by many to be the 17th century's greatest German novel...
, a story of the Thirty Years War, produced at the Theater an der Wien
Theater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...
on 17 December 1887, was scarcely a success, even after being revised twice. There followed a string of further creations with composers such as Zamara, Josef Hellmesberger, Alfons Czibulka, Rudolf Dellinger
Rudolf Dellinger
Rudolf Dellinger was a Bohemian German composer and Kapellmeister. He almost exclusively composed operettas and was considered to be among the most outstanding composers of his time....
, and even Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé or Francesco Suppé Demelli was an Austrian composer of light operas who was born in what is now Croatia during the time his father was working in this outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
(his last work, Das Modell), as well as German adaptations of foreign works that included Arthur Sullivan
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan MVO was an English composer of Irish and Italian ancestry. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado...
's The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
and Edward Jakobowski
Edward Jakobowski
Edward Jakobowski was an English composer best known for writing the comic opera Erminie. Jakobowski was a significant figure on the London musical stage during the last two decades of the 19th Century. He did not challenge Sullivan, nor quite equal Fred Clay or Alfred Cellier but his gift of...
's Erminie
Erminie
Erminie is a comic opera in two acts composed by Edward Jakobowski with a libretto by Claxson Bellamy and Harry Paulton, based loosely on Charles Selby's 1834 Robert Macaire...
.
Not until 1898 was Léon associated with a lasting success, when he collaborated with Heinrich von Waldberg and composer Richard Heuberger
Richard Heuberger
Richard Franz Joseph Heuberger was an Austrian composer of operas and operettas, a music critic, and teacher....
on Der Opernball
Der Opernball (operetta)
Der Opernball is an operetta in three acts with music by Richard Heuberger, and libretto by Victor Léon and Heinrich von Waldberg, based on the 1876 comedy Die Rosa-Dominos by Alfred Charlemagne Delacour and Alfred Hennequin. Alexander von Zemlinsky assisted Heuberger with the orchestration...
('The Opera Ball'), produced at the Theater an der Wien
Theater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...
that January. Léon's profile was thereby significantly raised, and a string of further works in 1898 and 1899 included another enduring success in Wiener Blut ('Vienna Blood'), which Adolf Müller junior compiled for Vienna's Carltheater from published dance music by the ailing Waltz King, Johann Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
. This was the first collaboration of the successful partnership of Léon and Leo Stein. Léon also had success with Leo Fall
Leo Fall
Leo Fall was an Austrian composer of operettas.-Life:Born in Olmütz , Leo Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall , a bandmaster and composer, who settled in Berlin. The younger Fall studied at the Vienna Conservatory before rejoining his father in Berlin...
's Die geschiedene Frau which opened at the Carltheater in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 23 December 1908.
On some of his later works, Victor Léon collaborated with his younger brother Leo, who wrote under the name of 'Leo Feld
Leo Feld
Leo Feld was an Austrian librettist, dramaturge, stage director, and writer. He also worked as a translator for publishing companies, and was notably responsible for translating many of Charles Dickens' English language works for their first German language publications.Born with the name Leo...
'. Léon was also director of many of his operettas, and in 1910 his daughter Lizzi married the Theater an der Wien's leading man Hubert Marischka
Hubert Marischka
Hubert Marischka , brother of Ernst Marischka, was an Austrian operetta tenor, actor, film director and screenwriter.- Career :...
. It was Lizzi who suggested the Chinese setting for Die gelbe Jacke, later revised as Das Land des Lächelns. Alas, Lizzi never saw her idea reach the stage, for she died at the age of thirty after giving birth to a son in 1918. Léon dedicated the book of Die gelbe Jacke to her memory. Léon himself long survived not only his daughter, but also his younger brother and his most celebrated literary collaborator. His last stage credit was for the revision of Lehár's Das Fürstenkind as Der Fürst der Berge in 1932.
Léon remained active well into the 20th century, providing the libretto for Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns (1930), among other works. Although not successful himself, his career brought him in contact with the biggest stars of Viennese opera during his time.
Libretti
- Der DoppelgängerDer DoppelgängerDer Doppelgänger is one of the six songs from Franz Schubert's Schwanengesang that sets words by Heinrich Heine for piano and tenor voice. It was written in 1828, the year of Schubert's death.- Text :...
, 1886 (Music: Alfred Zamara) - SimpliciusSimpliciusSimplicius may refer to:* Pope Simplicius * Simplicius of Cilicia , philosopher* Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus , Roman martyrs and saints* Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix , Roman martyrs and saints...
, 1887 (Music: Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
) - Der Strike der Schmiede, 1897 (Music: Max Josef Beer)
- Der Opernball, 1898 (Music: Richard Heuberger)
- Wiener BlutWiener BlutWiener Blut may refer to:*Wiener Blut , a waltz by Johann Strauss II*Wiener Blut , an operetta by Johann Strauss II*Wiener Blut , an album by Falco*Wiener Blut , a song by Rammstein...
, 1899 (Music: Johann Strauss II) - Der Rastelbinder, 1902 (Music: Franz LehárFranz LehárFranz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
) - Die Schönen von Fogaras, 1903 (Music: Alfred GrünfeldAlfred GrünfeldAlfred Grünfeld was an Austrian pianist and composer.He studied under Höger, under Josef Krejčí at the Prague Conservatory, and under Theodor Kullak at the Neue Akademie der Tonkunst, Berlin. In 1873 he settled at Vienna, where he received the title of "Kammervirtuose"...
) - Barfüßele, 1904, (Music: Richard Heuberger)
- Die lustige Witwe, 1905 (Music: Franz Lehár)
- Der fidele Bauer, 1908 (Music: Leo FallLeo FallLeo Fall was an Austrian composer of operettas.-Life:Born in Olmütz , Leo Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall , a bandmaster and composer, who settled in Berlin. The younger Fall studied at the Vienna Conservatory before rejoining his father in Berlin...
) - Die geschiedene Frau, 1908 (Music: Leo Fall)
- Gold gab ich für Eisen, 1914 (Music: Emmerich KálmánEmmerich KalmanEmmerich Kálmán was a Hungarian-born composer of operettas.- Biography :Kálmán was born Imre Koppstein in Siófok, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary in a Jewish family.Kálmán initially intended to become a concert pianist, but because of early-onset arthritis, he focused on composition...
) - Wiener Volkssänger, 1919 (Music: Robert Mahler)
- Das Land des LächelnsThe Land of SmilesThe Land of Smiles is a romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner. The performance time is about 100 minutes....
, 1923 (Music: Franz Lehár)