By: Bernd Rachold (Korngold Society)

Bernd Rachold (Korngold Society) — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 10:50:20 +0000

The show did not “flopp”! In fact it was performed by at least 20 stages in 1932 und 1933 (Hamburg, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Salzburg, Stuttgart, others), interrupted by the Nazis in March 1933.

In Berlin it premiered on Dec. 23, 1931 and performed en-suite up to March 31, 1931, then it moved to the Plaza-Theater with Hans Peyser conducting and a new cast.

The show was broadcasted on Jan. 10, 1932 by a lot of European radio-stations.

And I may mention that more schellacks are existing conducted by Korngold himself, with Anny Ahlers and an anonymous “Jazz-Orchester”.

Not so bad!

Other operetta-composers would be happy to have such a success.

By the way, Korngold’s father, the famous music-critic, wrote to his son on Jan. 2, 1932:”Ich wünsche Dir & zugleich mir einen ‘Weg’ aus dem Operettensumpf & einen guten Operntext!” (“I wish – for you and also for me – a way out of the operetta morass and a good opera text!”)

By: brendan Carroll

brendan Carroll — Wed, 02 Jan 2019 11:32:28 +0000

Thankyou for such a detailed review. Some points for correction which I hope you won’t mind: Walzer aus Wien (which became The Great Waltz) was actually written before Das Lied der Liebe and premiered October 1930. The Silent Serenade was composed in 1945-6, not the 1950s. As for “Du bist Mein traum” this was a much bigger hit than you imply and not just for Tauber. Many of the great tenors of the era recorded and sang it as an encore in recitals including Wittrisch Rosawaenge, Groh, Kullmann, Pataky, Joseph Schmidt, and even soprano Marta Eggerth! It also had great success in English translation in the USA as “You Haunt My Heart” and was a very nice little earner for Korngold. He could certainly write a “hit” believe me!

Comments on: Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “Das Lied der Liebe” From Leipzig

By: Bernd Rachold (Korngold Society)

By: brendan Carroll