Feuerhalle Simmering - Urnenhain - Alfred Willner

Alfred Maria Willner (11 July 1859 – 27 October 1929) was an Austrian writer, philosopher,

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, 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 litu ...

Biography

Alfred Maria Willner was born and died in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. He began composing mostly music for the piano and eventually made a career writing librettos for

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s and

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

s. One of his early operettas was

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

’s ''Die Göttin der Vernunft'', a commission that Strauss regretted. Strauss was forced to complete the commission only by the threat of a lawsuit and declined to attend a performance. Later the libretto and score were legally separated, and Willner revised the libretto for

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

as ''

Der Graf von Luxemburg ''Der Graf von Luxemburg'' (''The Count of Luxembourg'') is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to a German libretto by Alfred Maria Willner, Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein. A Viennese take on Bohemianism, ...

''. Willner's first big success was his libretto for

Leo Fall Leopold Fall (2 February 187316 September 1925) was an Austrian Kapellmeister and composer of operettas. Life Born in Olmütz (Olomouc), Leo (or Leopold) Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall (1848–1922), a bandmaster and composer, who sett ...

’s ''

Die Dollarprinzessin ' is an operetta by Leo Fall. The German libretto was by Alfred Maria Willner and Fritz Grünbaum. Performance history It was first performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 2 November 1907, conducted by the composer and starring Mizz ...

'', after which he became a much sought-after operetta librettist. He wrote several successful librettos for Lehár operettas, particularly in collaboration with . The two also collaborated on highly successful adaptations of music by

Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...

(such as ''

Das Dreimäderlhaus ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'' (''House of the Three Girls''), adapted into English-language versions as ''Blossom Time'' and ''Lilac Time'', is a Viennese pastiche operetta with music by Franz Schubert, rearranged by Heinrich Berté (1857–1924), ...

'') and by Johann Strauss father and son (such as ''Walzer aus Wien''). In addition, Willner and Reichert were the contracted librettists for

Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long lin ...

's opera ''

La rondine ''La rondine'' (''The Swallow'') is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and . It was first performed at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo (or the Théâtr ...

'' which was later adapted by

Giuseppe Adami Giuseppe Adami (4 February 187812 October 1946) was an Italian librettist, playwright and music critic, he was best known for his collaboration with Giacomo Puccini on the operas ''La rondine'' (1917), ''Il tabarro'' (1918) and ''Turandot'' (1926 ...

. Alfred Maria Willner was cremated at

Feuerhalle Simmering Feuerhalle Simmering is a crematorium with attached urn burial ground in the Simmering (Vienna), Simmering district of Vienna, Austria. It lies at the end of an alley, directly opposite Vienna Central Cemetery's main gate. Description Opened on ...

in Vienna, where also his ashes are buried.

Librettos

*''Das Heimchen am Herd'' (

), music by

Karl Goldmark Karl Goldmark (born Károly Goldmark, Keszthely, 18 May 1830 – Vienna, 2 January 1915) was a Hungarian-born Viennese composer.Peter Revers, Michael Cherlin, Halina Filipowicz, Richard L. Rudolph The Great Tradition and Its Legacy 2004; , p. ...

, 1896 *''Die Schneeflocke'' (opera), music by

Heinrich Berté Heinrich Berté (), born Heinrich Bettelheim (8 May 1858 – 23 August 1924) was an Austria-Hungarian composer of operas and operettas. Life Heinrich Berté was born in Galgócz, Hungary (now Hlohovec, Slovakia) in a Jewish family. At the b ...

, 1896 *''Der Schmetterling'' (

, with Bernhard Buchbinder), music by , 1896 *''Die Göttin der Vernunft'' (operetta, with Buchbinder), music by

, 1897 *''Fräulein Hexe'' (operetta, with Buchbinder), music by

Josef Bayer Josef Bayer (6 March 1852 – 12 March 1913) was an Austrian composer and the director of the Austrian Court Ballet from 1883 until his death. He was born and died in Vienna. Biography He studied at the Vienna Conservatory under the elder J ...

, 1898 *''Die Debutantin'' (operetta, with Heinrich von Waldberg), music by Alfred Zamara, 1901 *''Das Baby'' (operetta, with Waldberg), music by Richard Heuberger, 1902 *''Die Millionenbraut'' (operetta, with E. Limé), music by Berté, 1904 *''Der schöne Gardist'' (operetta, with A. Landesberg), music by Berté, 1907 *''Der kleine Chevalier'', (operetta), music by Berté, 1907 *''

'' (operetta, with Fritz Grünbaum), music by

, 1907 *''Ein Wintermärchen'' (Opera), music by Goldmark, 1908 *''

Baron Trenck ''Baron Trenck'' is a comic opera in three acts loosely based on the life of Baron Franz von der Trenck. The original German-language work was composed by Felix Albini to a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Robert Bodanzky and premiered at t ...

'' (operetta, with

Robert Bodanzky Robert Bodanzky, also known as Danton (born Isidor Bodanskie, 8 March 1879 – 2 November 1923), was an Austrian journalist, playwright, poet and artist. While he became famous for his apolitical poems before World War I, he turned an anarchist ...

), music by Felix Albini, 1908 *''Ein Mädchen für Alles'' (operetta, with Waldberg), music by

Heinrich Reinhardt Enrique Alfredo Kurt (born Heinrich Alfred Kurt) Reinhardt (29 March 1903, Stettin,Zabelsdorf, according tPassengers of the Piriápolis/ref> German Empire – 14 June 1990, Ciudad Jardín Lomas del Palomar, Argentina) was a German–Argentine ches ...

, 1908 *''Die Paradiesvögel'' (operetta, with ), music by Philipp Silber, 1908 *''Die Glücksnarr'' (operetta, with Landesberg), music by Berté, 1908 *''Die Sprudelfee'' (operetta, with Wilhelm), music by Reinhardt, 1909 *''

'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by

, 1909 *''Zigeunerliebe'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Lehár, 1910 *''Schneeglöckchen'' (operetta, with Wilhelm), music by G. Kerker, 1910 *''Das Puppenmädel'' (operetta, with

Leo Stein Leo Stein (May 11, 1872 – July 29, 1947) was an American art collector and critic. He was born in Allegheny City (now in Pittsburgh), the older brother of Gertrude Stein. He became an influential promoter of 20th-century paintings. Education ...

), music by Leo Fall, 1910 *''Die schöne Risette'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Leo Fall, 1910 *''Die Sirene'' (operetta, with Leo Stein), music by Leo Fall, 1911 *''Der Eisenhammer'' (Opera), music by

Blagoje Bersa Blagoje Bersa (born as Benito Bersa, 21 December 1873 – 1 January 1934) was a Croatian musical composer of substantial influence.

, 1911 (as ''Oganj'') *''Der flotte Bob'' (operetta, with ), music by K. Stigler, 1911 *''Die kleine Freundin'' (operetta, with Leo Stein), music by Oscar Straus, 1911 *''Eva as Fabriksmädel' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Lehár, 1911 *''Casimirs Himmelfahrt'' (burleske Operette, with Bodanzky), music by

Bruno Granichstaedten Bruno Bernhard Granichstaedten (September 1, 1879, Vienna – May 30, 1944, New York City) was an Austrian composer and librettist. He composed sixteen operettas and music for various films. He contributed the song "Zuschau'n kann i net" to the ...

, 1911 *''Prinzess Gretl'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Reinhardt, 1913 *''Endlich allein'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Lehár, 1914 *''Der Schuster von Delft'' (Opera, with Wilhelm), music by Bersa, 1914 (as ''Postolar iz Delfta'') *''Der Märchenprinz'' (operetta, with Sterk), music by Berté, 1914 *''Der Durchgang der Venus'' (operetta, with Rudolf Österreicher), music by

Edmund Eysler Edmund Samuel Eysler (12 March 1874 – 4 October 1949), was an Austrian composer. Biography Edmund Eysler was born in Vienna to a merchant family. He was supposed to enter the engineering profession, but his acquaintance with Leo Fall led ...

, 1914 *''Der künstliche Mensch'' (operetta, with Österreicher), music by Leo Fall, 1915 *''Die erste Frau'' (operetta, with Österreicher), music by Reinhardt, 1915 *''Wenn zwei sich lieben'' (operetta, with Bodanzky), music by Eysler, 1915 *''

'' (Singspiel, with , after R. H. Bartsch: ''Schwammerl''), music by Berté, 1916 *''Die Faschingsfee'' (operetta, with Österreicher), music by Kálmán, 1917 (based on '' Zsuzsi kisasszony'') *''Die schöne Saskia'' (operetta, with Reichert), music by

Oskar Nedbal Oskar Nedbal (26 March 1874 – 24 December 1930) was a Czech violist, composer, and conductor of classical music. Early life Nedbal was born in Tábor, in southern Bohemia. He studied the violin at the Prague Conservatory under Antonín Benne ...

, 1917 *''

'' (opera), music by

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...

, 1917 *''Hannerl'' 'Dreimäderlhaus'', part 2(Singspiel, with Reichert), music by K. Lafite, 1918 *'' Wo die Lerche singt'' (operetta, with Reichert), music by Lehár, 1918 *''Johann Nestroy'' (Singspiel, with Österreicher), music by E. Reiterer, 1918 *''Nimm mich mit'' (operetta, with Waldberg), music by H. Dostal, 1919 *''Der heilige Ambrosius'' (comedy, with A. Rebner), music by Leo Fall, 1921 *''Nixchen'' (operetta, with Österreicher), music by Oscar Straus, 1921 *''Das Milliardensouper'' (operetta, with H. Kottow), music by Ernst Steffan, 1921 *''Frasquita'' (operetta, with Reichert), music by Lehár, 1922 *''Libellentanz'' (Revue-Operette), music by Lehár, 1923 *''Agri'' (operetta, with Sterk), music by Ernst Steffan, 1924 *''Ein Ballroman'' er Kavalier von zehn bis vier(operetta, with Österreicher and F. Rotter), music by

Robert Stolz Robert Elisabeth Stolz (25 August 188027 June 1975) was an Austrian songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be call ...

, 1924 *''Der Mitternachtswalzer'' (operetta, with Österreicher), music by Robert Stolz, 1926 *''Ade, du liebes Elternhaus'' ie Lori(Singspiel, with Reichert), music by O. Jascha, 1928 *''Rosen aus Florida'' (operetta, with Reichert), music by Korngold, after Leo Fall, 1929 *''

Walzer aus Wien ''Walzer aus Wien'' ("Waltzes from Vienna," titled ''The Great Waltz'' in English) is a singspiel pasticcio in three acts, libretto by Alfred Maria Willner, and Ernst Marischka, music by Johann Strauss II (son), arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngol ...

'' (Singspiel, with Reichert and

Ernst Marischka Ernst Marischka (2 January 1893 – 12 May 1963) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 90 films between 1913 and 1962. He also directed 29 films between 1915 and 1962. He wrote and directed the Sissi trilogy ...

), music by J. Bittner and Korngold, after J. Strauss II and I, 1930

Filmography

*'' The House of Three Girls'', directed by

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, began h ...

(Germany, 1918) *''Das Milliardensouper '', directed by

Victor Janson Victor Arthur Eduard Janson ( lv, Viktors Artūrs Eduards Jansons; 25 September 1884 – 29 June 1960) was a German stage and film actor and film director of Latvians, Latvian ethnicity. Selected filmography Actor * ''Your Dearest Enemy'' (1916) ...

(Germany, 1923) *''

The Count of Luxembourg ''The Count of Luxembourg'' is an operetta in two acts with English lyrics and libretto by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross, music by Franz Lehár, based on Lehár's three-act German operetta ''Der Graf von Luxemburg'' which had premiered in Vienna in 1 ...

'', directed by

Arthur Gregor Arthur Gregor (1890–1948) was an Austrian-born American playwright and film director.Goble p.192 Selected filmography * ''The Count of Luxembourg'' (1926) * '' Say It with Diamonds'' (1927) * '' Women's Wares'' (1927) * '' Phyllis of the Fol ...

(1926) *''Der Mitternachtswalzer'', directed by

Heinz Paul Heinz Paul (13 August 1893 – 14 March 1983) was a German screenwriter, film producer and film director, director. He was married to the actress Hella Moja. Selected filmography Director * ''The Street of Forgetting'' (1923) * ''The Dice Game of ...

(Austria, 1929) *''

The Rogue Song ''The Rogue Song'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic and musical film that tells the story of a Russian bandit who falls in love with a princess, but takes his revenge on her when her brother rapes and kills his sister. The Metro-Goldwyn-Maye ...

'', directed by

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

(1930, based on '' Gypsy Love'') *', directed by

Hans Steinhoff Hans Steinhoff (10 March 1882 – 20 April 1945) was a German film director, best known for the propaganda films he made in the Nazi era. Life and career Steinhoff started his career as a stage actor in the 1900s and later worked as a stag ...

(Germany, 1931) *''

Waltzes from Vienna ''Waltzes from Vienna'' is a 1934 British biographical film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, sometimes known as ''Strauss' Great Waltz''. It was part of the cycle of operetta films made in Britain during the 1930s. Hitchcock's film is based on the ...

'', directed by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

(UK, 1934) *''

Blossom Time Blossom Time may refer to: * Blossom Time (operetta), a 1921 English-language adaptation of the operetta ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'' * Blossom Time (1934 film), a British musical drama film, based on the operetta ''Das Dreimäderlhaus'' * Blossom Time ...

'', directed by

Paul L. Stein Paul Ludwig Stein (4 February 1892 – 2 May 1951) was an Austrian-born film director with 67 films to his credit. Stein began his career in Berlin in 1918 and worked exclusively in the German silent film industry until 1926, when he first w ...

(UK, 1934) *''

Frasquita ''Frasquita'' is a 1934 Austrian musical film directed by Karel Lamač and starring Jarmila Novotná, Charlott Daudert, and Heinz Rühmann.Ball and Spiess p. 51 An operetta film, it is an adaptation of Franz Lehár's 1922 stage work of the sa ...

'', directed by

Karel Lamač Karel Lamač (27 January 1897 – 2 August 1952) was a Czech film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He directed more than 100 films in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Life Lama� ...

(Austria, 1934) *', directed by

Johannes Riemann Johannes Riemann (31 May 1888 – 30 September 1959) was a German actor and film director. Riemann was a member of the Nazi Party.Ernst Klee (2007) ''Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich: Wer war was vor und nach 1945''. Fischer-Taschenbuch-Ver ...

(Austria, 1935) *''

Three Girls for Schubert ''Three Girls for Schubert'' (german: Drei Mäderl um Schubert) is a 1936 German historical romance film directed by E. W. Emo and starring Paul Hörbiger, Gretl Theimer, and Maria Andergast. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios of Tobis Fil ...

'', directed by

E. W. Emo E. W. Emo (Emerich Walter Emo, born Emerich Josef Wojtek, 11 July 1898; died 2 December 1975) was an Austrian film director. Emo specialized in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser. He also worked outside Austria and wrote screenpla ...

(Germany, 1936) *'' Where the Lark Sings'', directed by

(Germany, 1936) *', directed by Hans Wolff (Austria, 1956) *''

'', directed by

Werner Jacobs Werner Jacobs (1909–1999) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He was born in Berlin on the 24 April 1909. He is best known for his contributions to Modebummel (1951), Der Stern von Santa Clara (1958) and André und Ursula (1955). ...

(West Germany, 1957) *'' The House of Three Girls'', directed by

(Austria, 1958) *''

'', directed by

Wolfgang Glück Wolfgang Glück (born 29 September 1929, Vienna, Austria) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His film '' '38 – Vienna Before the Fall'' (1987) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 59th Academy Awa ...

(West Germany, 1972)

Sources

* ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', edited by

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

(1992), and * ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', by

John Warrack John Hamilton Warrack (born 1928, in London) is an English music critic, writer on music, and oboist. Warrack is the son of Scottish conductor and composer Guy Warrack. He was educated at Winchester College (1941-6) and then at the Royal College ...

and Ewan West (1992),

External links

*https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/dr-a-m-willner-9206 (Alfred Maria Willner at the

Internet Broadway Database The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade assoc ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Willner, Alfred Maria Austrian opera librettists Austrian male writers Austrian operetta librettists Writers from Vienna 1859 births 1929 deaths Austrian philosophers Austrian musicologists Composers from Vienna Musicians from Vienna Burials at Feuerhalle Simmering 19th-century musicologists