Carl Zeller - His Music and His Life

The Austrian Carl Zeller was born on June 19, 1842 in St. Peter in der Au. He became a Viennese vocalist boy and later a jurist. Since 1873, Zeller was art consultant of the Austrian Department of Education. Music remained just as a hobby during that time.

Then suddenly, Carl Zeller started composing mall chorals, a comique opera and begun with operettas sometime in 1890. 1891, Zeller succeeded his "Der Vogelhaendler" ("The Birdseller"), followed by "Der Obersteiger" ("The Upper Foreman", in 1894). Those operettas became musical universal history because of enticing traditionalism.

In some compositions Zeller showed a terrible sentimental Austrian mawkishness. He passed away in Baden nearby Vienna on August 17, 1898.

Der Vogelhändler (Medley); Carl Zeller (1842-1898)

Paul Lincke - His Music and Life

Born on November 7, 1866 in Berlin, the German Paul Lincke has become a popular composer.

Lincke's father was a known and successful municipal authorities civil servant. In Wittenberg's Piper College in Eastern Germany, Paul Lincke studied violin and bassoon play.

Then, Linncke became the Director General of the Berlin Apollo Theater.

1897 marked Lincke's first big stage success with a during those times so called "equipment revue" entitled "Venus on Earth". National traditions mixed with a unique and real "Berlinian operetta sound" has been the reasons of Lincke's entire success: "Frau Luna" (Madame Luna, 1899), "Lysistrata" (1902, with the evergreen "The glimmering glow-warm", one of my late grandmother's favourites), or "Casanova" (1914, badly on stage, because World War I just started).

"Berliner Luft" (Air from Berlin) remained as unofficial anthem of Berlin till today.

Paul Lincke passed away in Clausthal-Zellerfeld on September 3, 1946.

"Gasparone" by Carl Millöcker - Introduction and Erminio's Song - Sung b...

Emmerich Kalman - His Music and Life

Born on October 24, 1882 in Siofok/Hungary, Emmerich Kalman passed away in Paris/France on October 30, 1953.

Kalman wanted to become a pianist, but unfortunately a hand's muscle paralysis let htis dream never become true.

Kalman decided to study law - and later music. He became a music reviewer and critic and wrote for several publications.

In 1907, Kalman received the trophy of Budapest for outstanding serious classical compositions. In 1908, his operetta "Autumn Manuever" (Herstmanoever) had its glorious premiere. Several operetta highlights followed: "The Csardas Princess" (1905), "The Dutch Little Woman" (1920), "Countess Marissa" (1924) and "The Circus Princess" (1926).

Kalman's Hungarian operettas remained as his greatest success. Hungarian ideology and identify glittered, shined and have been reflected in his compositions. The rhythmical melodies gave "terrible fresh blood" to the at that time tiring European operetta scene.