| Robert Stolz was a very famous Austrian composer of operettas and songs. He was born on August 25, 1880 in Graz (Austria) and died on June 27, 1975 in Berlin (Germany). He wrote ca 60 operettas, many songs (e.g. "Zwei Herzen im Dreivierteltakt", "Im Prater blueh'n wieder die Baeume", etc. - songs of a genre generally known as "Wiener Lieder" ("Vienese Songs") but also songs in other styles) and piano solos. His total output comprises over 1000 titles. His widow is still alive and promotes his music world wide. He was one of the very last operetta composers (other Austrian operetta composers were e.g. Johann Strauss (the famous waltz composer, 1825-1899), Nico Dostal (1895-?), Edmund Eysler (1874-1949), Richard Heuberger (1850-1914), Karl Milloecker (1842-1899), Oscar Straus (1870-1954), Carl Zeller (1842-1898), Carl Michael Zieher (1843-1922), Leo Ascher (1880-1942), etc.). During the Nazi-era Robert Stolz left Austria and lived in the USA, where he also wrote film music (and promptly received two Oscars for his scores). He returned to Austria in 1946. One of his last operettas was composed in 1969 - at age 89. |