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Franz Lehár

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Franz Lehár (30 April 1870 - 24 October 1948) was a Hungarian composer, mainly known for his operettas.

Lehár was born in Komárno (Slovakia) as the eldest son of a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army. He studied violin and composition but was told by Antonin Dvorak that he had better give up playing and focus on writing music. After 1899 he lived in Vienna. He was also wrote a number of waltzes, the most popular being Gold und Silber as well as waltzes drawn from some of his famous operettas. The era in which his music thrived came to be known as the Silver Age.

He died in Bad Ischl.

Operettas

Individual songs from some of these have become standards, notably "Vilja" from The Merry Widow and "You Are My Heart's Delight" ("Dein ist mein ganzes Herz") from The Land of Smiles.

Music from Die lustige Witwe ("The Merry Widow") was also used in The Merry Widow ballet, which was created and staged by
Sir Robert Helpmann, and choreographed by Ronald Hynd, after Sir Robert Helpmann received permission from the Franz Lehár
Estate to stage the ballet.

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