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Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born American composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in Hollywood history. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for
Hollywood films The cinema of the United States, consisting mainly of major film studios (also known as Hollywood) along with some independent film, has had a large effect on the global film industry since the early 20th century. The dominant style of Ame ...
, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores., video, 9 min. When he was 11, his ballet ''Der Schneemann'' (The Snowman), became a sensation in Vienna, followed by his Second Piano Sonata, which he wrote at age 13, played throughout Europe by
Artur Schnabel Artur Schnabel (17 April 1882 – 15 August 1951) was an Austrian-American classical pianist, composer and pedagogue. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura. Among the 20th centur ...
. His one-act operas ''
Violanta ''Violanta'', Op. 8, is a one-act opera by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The libretto is by the Austrian playwright Hans Müller-Einigen. It is Korngold's second opera, written when he was seventeen years old. Performance history It was premiered o ...
'' and ''Der Ring des Polykrates'' were premiered in Munich in 1916, conducted by
Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a German-born conductor, pianist and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French citizen in 1938, and settled in the Un ...
. At 23, his opera ''
Die tote Stadt ' (German for ''The Dead City''), Op. 12, is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold set to a libretto by Paul Schott, a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold. It is based on the 1892 novel '' Bruges-la-Mo ...
'' (The Dead City) premiered in Hamburg and Cologne. In 1921 he conducted the Hamburg Opera. Kennedy, Michael. ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', Oxford Univ. Press (2013) p. 464 During the 1920s he re-orchestrated, re-arranged and nearly re-composed several operettas by
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 ...
. By 1931 he was a professor of music at the Vienna State Academy. At the request of motion picture director
Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...
, and due to the rise of the
Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, Korngold moved to Hollywood in 1934 to write music scores for films. His first was Reinhardt's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935). He subsequently wrote scores for such films as '' Captain Blood'' (1935), which helped boost the career of its starring newcomer,
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...
. His score for ''
Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Herve ...
'' (1936) won an Oscar and was followed two years later with another Oscar for ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de H ...
'' (1938). Overall, he wrote the score for 16 Hollywood films, receiving two more nominations. Along with
Max Steiner Maximilian Raoul Steiner (May 10, 1888 – December 28, 1971) was an Austrian composer and conductor who emigrated to America and went on to become one of Hollywood's greatest musical composers. Steiner was a child prodigy who conducted ...
and Alfred Newman, he is one of the founders of
film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
. Although his late classical Romantic compositions were no longer as popular when he died in 1957, his music underwent a resurgence of interest in the 1970s beginning with the release of the RCA Red Seal album ''The Sea Hawk: the Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold'' (1972). This album, produced by his son
George Korngold George Korngold (December 17, 1928 in Vienna, Austria – November 25, 1987 in Los Angeles, California) was a prominent record producer as well as a music editor and producer active within the film industry. He was the younger son of Austrian compo ...
, was hugely popular and ignited interest in other film music of his and of other composers like Steiner and in his concert music, which often incorporated popular themes from his film scores (an example being the Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35, which incorporated his themes from four different motion picture scores and is a part of the standard repertoire).


Early years as prodigy

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born to a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in Brünn, Austria-Hungary (present-day
Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, Czech Republic). Erich was the second son of eminent music critic (Leopold) Julius Korngold (1860-1945); his older brother, (1892–1965), also became a musician. A child prodigy living 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 ...
, Erich could play four-hand piano arrangements alongside his father at age five. He was also able to reproduce any melody he heard on the piano, along with playing complete and elaborate chords. By age seven, he was writing original music. Korngold played his
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...
''Gold'' for
Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
in 1909; Mahler called him a "musical genius" and recommended he study with composer
Alexander von Zemlinsky Alexander Zemlinsky or Alexander von Zemlinsky (14 October 1871 – 15 March 1942) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Biography Early life Zemlinsky was born in Vienna to a highly diverse family. Zemlinsky's grandfather, Anton S ...
.
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
also spoke highly of the youth, and along with Mahler told Korngold's father there was no benefit in having his son enroll in a music conservatory since his abilities were already years ahead of what he could learn there. At age 11, he composed his ballet ''Der Schneemann'' (''The Snowman''), which became a sensation when performed at the
Vienna Court Opera The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August Si ...
in 1910, including a command performance for Emperor
Franz Josef Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
. He continued composing with great success throughout his teens. At age 12, he composed a piano trio. His Piano Sonata No. 2 in E major, which followed, was played throughout Europe by
Artur Schnabel Artur Schnabel (17 April 1882 – 15 August 1951) was an Austrian-American classical pianist, composer and pedagogue. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura. Among the 20th centur ...
.Carroll. ''New Grove (2001)'', 13:823. During these early years he also made live-recording
player piano A player piano (also known as a pianola) is a self-playing piano containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism, that operates the piano action via programmed music recorded on perforated paper or metallic rolls, with more modern i ...
music rolls for the
Hupfeld Hupfeld is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Hans-Hermann Hupfeld, German physicist *Herman Hupfeld Herman Hupfeld (February 1, 1894June 8, 1951) was an American songwriter whose most notable composition was " As Time Goes By ...
DEA and Phonola system and also the Aeolian Duo-Art system, which survive today and can be heard. Korngold wrote his first orchestral score, the ''Schauspiel-Ouvertüre'', when he was 14. His '' Sinfonietta'' appeared the following year, and his first two operas, ''Der Ring des Polykrates'' and ''Violanta'', in 1914. In 1916, he wrote songs, chamber works, and incidental music, including to ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'', which ran for some 80 performances in Vienna.


Composing career in Europe

Korngold was active in the theatre throughout Europe while in his 20s. After the success of his opera ''
Die tote Stadt ' (German for ''The Dead City''), Op. 12, is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold set to a libretto by Paul Schott, a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold. It is based on the 1892 novel '' Bruges-la-Mo ...
'', which he conducted in many opera houses, he developed a passion for the music of
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 ...
and managed to exhume a number of lost scores. He orchestrated and staged them using new concepts. Both ''A Night in Venice'' and ''Cagliostro in Vienna'' are Korngold re-creations; these were the works that first drew the attention of
Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...
to Korngold. By this point Korngold had reached the zenith of his fame as a composer of opera and concert music. Composers such as
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
and
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 ...
heaped praise upon him, and many famous conductors, soloists and singers added his works to their repertoires. He began collaborating with Reinhardt on many productions, including a collection of little-known Strauss pieces that they arranged, ''Waltzes From Vienna''. It was retitled ''The Great Waltz'' and became the basis for a 1934 British film 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 ...
and a film by the same name in the US, starring
Luise Rainer Luise Rainer ( , ; 12 January 1910 – 30 December 2014) was a German-American-British film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her ...
. Korngold conducted staged versions in Los Angeles in 1949 and 1953. He completed a Concerto for Piano Left Hand for pianist
Paul Wittgenstein Paul Wittgenstein (November 5, 1887March 3, 1961) was an Austrian-American concert pianist notable for commissioning new piano concerti for the left hand alone, following the amputation of his right arm during the First World War. He devised nove ...
in 1923 and his fourth opera, ''
Das Wunder der Heliane ''Das Wunder der Heliane'' (German for ''The Miracle of Heliane''), Op. 20 is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold with a libretto by Hans Müller-Einigen, after . It was first performed at the Hamburg State Opera on 7 October 1927. ...
'', four years later. He started arranging and conducting operettas by Johann Strauss II and others while teaching opera and composition at the Vienna Staatsakademie. Korngold was awarded the title professor ''honoris causa'' by the
president of Austria The president of Austria (german: Bundespräsident der Republik Österreich) is the head of state of the Republic of Austria. Though theoretically entrusted with great power by the Constitution, in practice the president is largely a ceremonial ...
.


Composer for Hollywood films


''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1935)

After Max Reinhardt's success in producing
Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'' for the stage, using incidental music by
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...
, he invited Korngold to Hollywood in 1934 to adapt Mendelssohn's score for his planned film version.Thomas, Tony. ''Korngold: Vienna to Hollywood'', Turner Entertainment (1996) Korngold would also enlarge and conduct the score.
The film The Film is a 2005 Indian thriller film directed by Junaid Memon also produced along with Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film stars Mahima Chaudhry, Khalid Siddiqui, Ananya Khare, Chahat Khanna, Ravi Gossain, Vaibhav Jhalani and Vivek Madan in lea ...
, which was released in 1935, was a first for
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
studio in producing a film based on a 400-year-old work of literary art. The studio assigned almost every star or character actor under contract to take part in the film, with the filming taking over six months. The studio also allowed Korngold to devote more attention to the score than it had to any of its previous films; he could prerecord certain parts of the film for the benefit of actors, whom he then had act to the rhythm and tempo of the music. As a result of the score's elaborate tailoring, the film and Korngold's music left a strong impression on the film industry. Korngold returned to Austria to finish '' Die Kathrin''. He came back to Hollywood to score the film ''
Give Us This Night ''Give Us This Night'' is one of five movies produced by Paramount Pictures featuring Gladys Swarthout, a very popular Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano. The studio was attempting to build on the popularity of Grace Moore, another opera singer, w ...
'', with lyricist
Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight Ton ...
, a film which introduced mezzo-soprano
Gladys Swarthout Gladys Swarthout (December 25, 1900 in Deepwater, Missouri – July 7, 1969 in Florence, Italy) was an American mezzo-soprano opera singer and actress. Career While studying at the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago, a group of friends arran ...
and the Polish-born tenor
Jan Kiepura Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902 – August 15, 1966) was a Polish singer (tenor) and actor. Life and career Jan Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Miriam (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a b ...
, who had starred in several Korngold operas in Europe.


''Captain Blood'' (1935)

In 1935 Warners asked Korngold if he was interested in writing an original dramatic score for ''Captain Blood''. He at first declined, feeling that a story about pirates was outside his range of interest. However, after watching the filming, with a dynamic new star, Errol Flynn, in a heroic role alongside
Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...
, who had her debut in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', he changed his mind. After he accepted, however, he learned that he needed to compose over an hour of symphonic music in only three weeks. The short time frame forced him to use bits of symphonic poems by
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
, and a couple of engaging cues were written by Korngold orchestrator Milan Roder. In the end, Korngold insisted he be credited only with musical adaptations, even though he scored nearly the entire film with original music. ''Captain Blood'' became an immediate hit, with an Oscar nomination for the score. As Korngold's first fully symphonic film score, it marked a milestone in his career, as he became the first composer of international stature to sign a contract with a film studio.Woodstra, Chris, Brennan, Gerald, Schrott, Allen, editors. ''All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music'', Hal Leonard Corp. (2005) p. 701 It also launched the career of Flynn and gave a major boost to that of de Havilland, who did another seven movies with Flynn. Korngold scored six more films starring Flynn. In addition, ''Captain Blood'' opened the way for other costumed romantic adventures, which hadn't been seen since the silent era.


''Anthony Adverse'' (1936)

After scoring ''Anthony Adverse'', another Warners picture, this one starring
Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...
and Olivia de Havilland, Korngold's career in Hollywood developed quickly. He finally became convinced that dramatic scoring went well with certain types of films. The film, which is set in mid-18th century Italy, the Alps, and France, received an expensive treatment from Warners, which pleased him greatly. Korngold was awarded his first Academy Award for the ''Anthony Adverse'' score. In this film, the first half hour contains continuous scoring and proved to be a major step forward in the art of film scoring. Korngold conceived his film scores as "operas without singing."


''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938)

In 1938, Korngold was conducting opera in Austria when he was asked by
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
to return to Hollywood and compose a score for ''
The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Technicolor swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de H ...
'' (1938), starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The film, based on a largely fictional English legend, is considered the finest of its kind, with a continuous series of romantic and adventurous sequences propelled by Korngold's dynamic score. Music historian Laurence E. MacDonald notes that there were many factors which made the film a success, including its cast, its Technicolor photography and fast-paced direction by
Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...
, but "most of all, there is Korngold's glorious music."MacDonald, Laurence E. ''The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History'', Scarecrow Press (1998) And film historian
Rudy Behlmer Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...
describes Korngold's contribution to this and his other films: Before Korngold began composing the score, Austria was invaded by Germany and annexed by the Nazis. His home in Vienna was confiscated by the Nazis. And because it meant that all Jews in Austria were now at risk, Korngold stayed in America until the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He later said, "We thought of ourselves as Viennese;
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
made us Jewish." Korngold noted that the opportunity to compose the score for ''Robin Hood'' saved his life. It also gave him his second
Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...
and established the symphonic style that would later be used in action films during Hollywood's Golden Age. Modern day epics such as the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' trilogies similarly included original symphonic scores. Composer
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
has cited Korngold as his inspiration in scoring the ''Star Wars'' series.


''Juarez'' (1939)

Korngold was interested in writing a score for ''Juarez'', as it involved historical figures from Mexico and Austria. It dealt with the Mexican politician
Benito Juarez Benito may refer to: Places * Benito, Kentucky, United States * Benito, Manitoba, Canada * Benito River, a river in Equatorial Guinea Other uses * Benito (name) * ''Benito'' (1993), an Italian film See also * '' Benito Cereno'', a novella by ...
but also involved the story of Archduke
Maximilian von Habsburg Maximilian I (german: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, link=no, es, Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena, link=no; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor ...
and his wife, Carlotta. Korngold was moved by the true-life story of how
Louis Napoleon Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, seeing America engulfed by
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, took advantage of that fact and attempted, in 1864, to control Mexico. He appointed Maximilian as its emperor. After the United States demanded that France divest itself of its interests in Mexico, the Austrian aristocrat was left to his fate, and he was executed by the Juarez government. The dramatic accent of the film leaned in favor of Maximilian and Carlotta, however, aided greatly by Korngold's poignant themes for them. Korngold researched the music popular in Mexico at the time and realized it was not Mexican but "unmistakenly
Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Music of Vienna, musical styles in the city * Viennese Waltz, genre of ballroom dance * V ...
." He composed 3,000 bars of music for the score, at times emulating the rhythms of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
and
Franz 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 ...
, and the second theme of the first movement of his
Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
was drawn from his work for the film.Stine, Whitney, and Davis, Bette, ''Mother Goddam: The Story of the Career of Bette Davis''. New York: Hawthorn Books 1974. , pp. 101–104 Maximilian and Carlotta loved the Mexican song "
La Paloma "La Paloma", "The Dove" in English, is a popular Spanish song that has been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was written by the Spanish Basque composer Seb ...
," and Korngold used it effectively during the score.


''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' (1939)

Korngold was again nominated for his score of ''
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the play '' Elizabeth the Queen'' by Maxwell Anders ...
''. The score is essentially operatic, with lush background music throughout, a rousing march theme for Essex (Errol Flynn), and one of his "most noble and heroic melodies" for Elizabeth (Bette Davis) of the theme "Elizabeth, The Queen". Of the hour and half film, an hour of it is supported by the score, composed of rich dramatic and romantic themes. He chose not to use any period music or to approximate 16th-century musical sounds, explaining: The score concentrates on the regal Main Title, the triumphal entry march of Essex into London, the Queen's theme, and the recapitulation of that theme in the End Titles.


''The Sea Hawk'' (1940)

''
The Sea Hawk ''The Sea Hawk'' is a 1915 novel by Rafael Sabatini. The story is set over the years 1588–1593 and concerns a retired Cornish seafaring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous half-brother. After being ...
'' was Korngold's last score for swashbuckler films, all of which had starred Errol Flynn. It is widely regarded as one of Korngold's best. The film ran two hours and six minutes and was one of the longest films he ever worked on. It includes symphonic score in all but twenty minutes. It was also his tenth original score in less than six years. In the final duel between Thorpe and Wolfingham, MacDonald states that "Korngold's breathlessly fast-paced music helps to make this one of the most exciting swordfights in cinema history." While Behlmer describes the duel scene as a "''tour de force'' of rhythmic energy and exactitude."


''The Sea Wolf'' (1941)

In scoring ''The Sea Wolf'', based on a novel by
Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...
, Korngold's film career went in a different direction. In this film, the score reflects an evil atmosphere, dark images, and the tense emotions of its crew during an unfortunate voyage. Edward G. Robinson, as Wolf Larsen, plays a tormented and brutal captain of a sealing schooner, which gets crippled by a rival ship. To support the complex atmosphere, with its scenes of the fog-shrouded voyage, Korngold created a score that was understated, which was very different from his swashbucklers. He often used sharp brass chords with swirling configurations, along with a love theme voiced by a harmonica. Music historian Thomas S. Hischak notes some aspects of the score:


''Kings Row'' (1942)

The score for ''
Kings Row ''Kings Row'' is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. The picture was directed by Sam Wood ...
'' (1942) has been compared to those of films like ''Gone with the Wind'' and ''Anthony Adverse'', which also had powerful theme motifs. Those stories were based on recent best-selling novels, as was ''Kings Row''.Franklin, Peter. ''Seeing Through Music: Gender and Modernism in Classic Hollywood Film Scores'', Oxford Univ. Press (2011) pp. 108–109 In this score, Korngold moved even further away from his previous romantic and swashbuckler styles. This was Korngold's most Gothic film score, and a film which film historian Tony Thomas has called a "true American classic." He adds that the score "might well have been the basis for an opera or a grandly scaled symphonic poem." The story is set in a Midwestern U.S. town (Kings Row), where the characters portray a wide range of psychological emotions, from loves and hates, bitterness, tenderness and torment. Combined with Korngold's score, which some claim is among his finest, the film drew an unusually high level of public interest and acclaim. Its costar, future President
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
, considered his performance the best of his career. The score contains a main theme which is varied throughout the film, depending on the how each scene develops. MacDonald states that the main theme is a "majestic and noble melody that immediately grabs the viewer's attention" when the film begins. By using this motif, the theme connects the entire score, which often left a strong impact on viewers. British composer
Harold Truscott Harold Truscott (23 August 1914 – 7 October 1992) was a British composer, pianist, broadcaster and writer on music. Largely neglected as a composer in his lifetime, he made an important contribution to the British piano repertoire and was influ ...
, for example, who saw the film when he was 28, wrote to Korngold admiring the score. He also saw the film more than thirty times just to hear the score, sometimes with his eyes completely closed. Like ''Gone with the Wind'', ''Kings Row'' concludes with the main theme hymned operatically by an unseen chorus.


Later scores: 1943–1956

''Kings Row'' was followed by seven film scores in four years - '' The Constant Nymph'' (1943), '' Between Two Worlds'' (1944), ''
Devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...
'' (1946), ''
Of Human Bondage ''Of Human Bondage'' is a 1915 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The novel is generally agreed to be Maugham's masterpiece and to be strongly autobiographical in nature, although he stated, "This is a novel, not an autobiography; though much in i ...
'' (1946), '' ''Deception'''' (1946), '' Escape Me Never'' (1947), and ''
Adventures of Don Juan ''Adventures of Don Juan'' is a 1948 American Technicolor swashbuckling adventure romance film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Errol Flynn and Viveca Lindfors, with Robert Douglas, Alan Hale, Ann Rutherford, and Robert Warwick. Also in ...
'' (1948) (unused score). Korngold retired from film composing in 1947. Although World War II had prevented him from returning to Europe, he became an American citizen in 1943 and he stayed in the U.S. after retiring. He spent the last ten years of his life composing concert pieces, including a
Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
, a Symphonic Serenade for strings, a Cello Concerto and a
Symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning com ...
. The Violin Concerto has become particularly successful, with many recordings and performances following
Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...
's initial version. He returned to film scoring one more time, shortly before his death, for ''
Magic Fire ''Magic Fire'' is a 1955 American biographical film about the life of composer Richard Wagner, released by Republic Pictures. Directed by William Dieterle, the film made extensive use of Wagner's music, which was arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korng ...
'' (1955), a film biography of the composer
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
. He was asked to adapt the music of Wagner for most of the film, but Korngold also wrote some original music for it. He is seen during the final scenes in an unbilled cameo as the conductor Hans Richter. At the time of his death at age 60, he was working on his sixth opera.


Composing techniques and style

Korngold approached his scoring theatrically, and could only write by regarding film scenarios as opera
libretti 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 l ...
. This made him prefer to write leitmotifs for each of the main characters in a film, and vary them based on the emotional level of a scene.Kalinak, Kathryn. ''Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film'', Univ. of Wisconsin Press (1992) pp. 109–110 He felt that by having "musical identifications for characters, places, and even abstract ideas in a film," it would help keep characters straight in the minds of the audience. Music motifs were commonly used by other film composers during that period, including Max Steiner. During ''Captain Blood'', for instance, motifs were created for phases of Captain Blood's career as a pirate, using different instrumentation. Variations of some type of brass instrument were heard, such as when the ship readies for voyage, or to lend solemnity to someone's death. A full reiteration of the motif is reserved for a climactic battle scene. The impact of the score for ''Captain Blood'' led
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
, creator of ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', to tell his composer to use that film as an archetypal example of the kind of sound he wanted for his series. According to Karlin and Wright in ''On the Track: Korngold composed in the evenings while at the piano, as he watched scenes from the film that an assigned projectionist would run for him. He would run scenes repeatedly as he improvised the music. He would collect his ideas and concepts and later commit them to paper. During his years scoring films, he still composed some non-film works, such as ''Passover Psalm'', Opus 30, for chorus and orchestra (1941); ''Prayer'', Opus 32 for chorus and orchestra (1942); and ''Tomorrow When You Have Gone'', Opus 33, for chorus and orchestra (1942).Butterworth, Neil. ''Dictionary of American Classical Composers'', Routledge (2005) p. 251 In 1946 he composed an opera, '' Die stumme Serenade'', which he recorded privately hoping to attract interest in making a full production. On the never-released private recording, he can be heard humming as he played the pian

In the studio during the day, he worked with orchestrators, such as
Hugo Friedhofer Hugo Wilhelm Friedhofer (May 3, 1901May 17, 1981) was an American composer and cellist best known for his motion picture scores. Biography Hugo Wilhelm Friedhofer was born in San Francisco, California, United States. His father, Paul, was a ...
, with whom he would make elaborate sketches marking out exactly what he wanted. He once told Friedhofer that he felt ''Tosca'' was the best film score ever written. With the orchestra in session, Korngold would conduct. Korngold biographer Brendan G. Carrol describes Korngold's style and methods:


Personal life

In 1924, Korngold married Luzi von Sonnenthal (1900–1962), granddaughter of actor
Adolf von Sonnenthal Adolf von Sonnenthal (21 December 18344 April 1909), Austrian actor, was born of Jewish parentage in Budapest. Though brought up in penury and apprenticed to a working tailor, he cultivated his talent for drama, and was fortunate in receiving th ...
, an actress, writer, singer and pianist, with whom he had fallen in love at age 19. They had two children, Ern t Werner and Georg Wolfgang. Luzi's biography of her husband was published in 1967. In 1943, Korngold became a
naturalized citizen Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
of the United States. The year 1945 became an important turning point in his life. His father, who had never been entirely comfortable in Los Angeles, and who had never approved of Erich's decision to work exclusively on film composition, died after a lengthy illness. Around the same time, World War II in Europe drew to an end. At this stage in his career Korngold had grown increasingly disillusioned with Hollywood and with the kinds of pictures he was being given, and he was eager to return to writing music for the concert hall and the stage.


Death

Korngold lived at 9936 Toluca Lake Avenue,
Toluca Lake, Los Angeles Toluca Lake is an affluent neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown. The name is also given to a private natural lake fed by wells and maintained by neighboring property owner ...
, a few blocks from Warner Brothers Studio, where he worked. In October 1956 he suffered a severe
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
and although he partially recovered, he "endured many physical and emotional difficulties" before his death on November 29, at the age of 60, the following year. He was survived by his wife, Luzi (Louise), two sons,
George Korngold George Korngold (December 17, 1928 in Vienna, Austria – November 25, 1987 in Los Angeles, California) was a prominent record producer as well as a music editor and producer active within the film industry. He was the younger son of Austrian compo ...
and Ernst Korngold; his mother, Josephine Korngold; a brother, Hans Robert Korngold, and three grandchildren. He was interred at
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...
.


Legacy

Despite his achievements, Korngold for years attracted almost no positive critical attention, but considerable critical disdain. Then, in 1972,
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...
released an LP titled ''The Sea Hawk: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold,'' featuring excerpts performed by the
National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax. The orchestra was creat ...
. This was followed by recordings of Korngold's operas and concert works, which led to performances of his Symphony in F-sharp major and concertos, as well as other compositions. Following the success of the Korngold album, the Classic Film Scores series was extended through thirteen additional discs, including a second Korngold collection. These records have been credited with inspiring the revival of symphonic music in films, most prominently in the
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
series, which features prominent allusions to Korngold's style. The
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
ranked Korngold's score for ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' as number 11 on their list of the greatest film scores. His scores for the following films were also nominated for the list: *''
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the play '' Elizabeth the Queen'' by Maxwell Anders ...
'' (1939) *''
The Sea Hawk ''The Sea Hawk'' is a 1915 novel by Rafael Sabatini. The story is set over the years 1588–1593 and concerns a retired Cornish seafaring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous half-brother. After being ...
'' (1940) *''
Kings Row ''Kings Row'' is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan and Betty Field that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century. The picture was directed by Sam Wood ...
'' (1942) *''
Deception Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...
'' (1946) Further recognition came in the 1990s; two full-scale biographies of him appeared almost simultaneously. One is Jessica Duchen, ''Erich Wolfgang Korngold''. The other is Brendan G. Carroll, ''Erich Korngold: The Last Prodigy'' Carroll is President of the International Korngold Society.Korngold Centre
korngold-society.org; accessed December 2, 2015.
Carroll released excerpts of acetates with Korngold conducting the Warner Bros. studio orchestra in music from his film scores, some possibly taken from KFWB radio broadcasts. In 2019 the
Bard Music Festival The Bard Music Festival is an annual classical music festival held during the month of August on the campus of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Founded in 1990, the festival was created with the intention of finding ways to present th ...
(at Bard College, New York) celebrated Korngold with an extensive series of performances and lectures and the publication of ''Korngold and His World,'' edited by Daniel Goldmark and Kevin C. Karnes. In addition, Bard sponsored the first U.S. production of ''Das Wunder der Heliane''—more than ninety years after its troubled debut. In 2008 Gary Noland wrote a string trio ''Korngoldaroonie'' in tribute to Korngold.


Selected recordings

*In 1973, Warner Brothers released special LPs featuring excerpts from the original soundtracks of films scored by Korngold, as well as a rare recording of Korngold playing the main theme from ''Kings Row'' on the piano. *"Korngold: The Sea Hawk / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / Captain Blood / The Prince and the Pauper", conductor André Previn, Deutsche Grammophon *
KFWB KFWB (980 AM) is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California. It airs a classic Regional Mexican music format. KFWB is owned by Lotus Communications. The station has a colorful history, being the radio voice of Warner Bros. Studios i ...
radio broadcast from 1938 with Korngold conducting the studio orchestra in excerpts from ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'', narrated by actor
Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
, was released on LP. *In 1975 ''Die tote Stadt'' was revived to capacity houses in New York. There have also been a number of new digital recordings of Korngold's film scores, as well as some of his concert works: *
Violin concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
and his symphony in 2013, which was given its first
Proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
performance, at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. *RCA Victor was the first to record a complete Korngold opera (in stereo), in 1975: ''
Die tote Stadt ' (German for ''The Dead City''), Op. 12, is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold set to a libretto by Paul Schott, a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold. It is based on the 1892 novel '' Bruges-la-Mo ...
'', conducted by
Erich Leinsdorf Erich Leinsdorf (born Erich Landauer; February 4, 1912 – September 11, 1993) was an Austrian-born American conductor. He performed and recorded with leading orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, earning a ...
in Germany."Symphony in F-sharp major"/Einfache Lieder/Mariettas Lied (The Philadelphia Orchestra
, Musfight
*In 1980, CBS Masterworks recorded the opera ''Violanta'' under the baton of
Marek Janowski Marek Janowski (born 18 February 1939 in Warsaw) is a Polish-born German conductor. He is currently chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. Childhood Janowski grew up in Wuppertal, near Cologne, after his mother traveled there at the st ...
; this recording has been re-released by Sony Classical in 2009. *In 1993,
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
released a recording of ''Das Wunder der Heliane''. *Korngold's two remaining operas, '' Der Ring des Polykrates'' and ''Die Kathrin'' have both been recorded (in 1996 and 1998 respectively) by the German record label CPO. *American conductor-pianist
Alexander Frey Alexander Frey, KM (SMOM), KStJ, is an American symphony orchestra Conductor (music), conductor, virtuoso organist, pianist, harpsichordist and composer. Frey is in great demand as one of the world's most versatile conductors, and enjoys success ...
has recorded Korngold's complete original piano works. *In 2001, ArtHaus Musik released on DVD (UPC 807280036398) a documentary titled ''Erich Wolfgang Korngold – The Adventures of a Wunderkind'' (also ''Between Two Worlds''), directed by
Barrie Gavin Barrie Gavin (born 10 June 1935) is a British film director. Early years Barrie Gavin was educated at St Paul's School, and studied history at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge from 1954 to 1957.'Cambridge Tripos Lists', ''Times'', 28 June ...
, in the ''Composers of Our Time'' series. *The Korngold Violin Concerto was recorded in 2006 by Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, with James Ehnes as violinist, on a Grammy Award-winning album that included Concertos by Walton and Barber. *Double bass soloist
Joel Quarrington Joel Quarrington (born January 15, 1955) is a Canadian double bass player, soloist and teacher. He is the former Principal Double Bass of the London Symphony Orchestra. Career He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and began playing the double bass at ...
recorded a transcription of the "Garden Scene" from Korngold's incidental music to ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'', Op. 11 on his 2008 CD, also entitled "Garden Scene". Quarrington won a
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
for the album. *In 2009, Korngold's Violin Concerto was released on the
Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...
label, along with Overture to a Drama, Op. 4, and the concert suite from ''Much Ado About Nothing'', performed by the Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria and violinist Philippe Quint. *In 2013, the Adamas Quartett recorded String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26 (Gramola 2013), awarded among others '' Diapason'' découverte" and "". *In 2022, Naxos released Korngold's complete incidental music, which consists of music written for a 1920 Vienna production of ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'', and for
Hans Müller-Einigen Hans Müller(-Einigen) (born 25 October 1882 in Brünn, Austria-Hungary; died 8 March 1950 in Einigen) was a German language writer, author of screenplays and director. As his proper name, Hans Müller, was quite common, he added the name of the S ...
's play ''Der Vampyr, oder Die Gejagten'' (''The Vampire, or the Hunted'').


Selected list of works

*Piano Sonata No. 1 in
D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed for t ...
with concluding
passacaglia The passacaglia (; ) is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used today by composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often based on a bass- ostinato and written in triple metre. Origin The t ...
(composed 1908; first performed 1908/09) *Piano Trio in
D major D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor. The D major scale is: : Ch ...
, Op. 1 (composed and first performed 1910) *Piano Sonata No. 2 in E major, Op. 2, in four movements (composed 1910; first performed 1911) *''Schauspiel-Ouvertüre'' (Overture to a Play), Op. 4 (Composed and first performed 1911) * Sinfonietta, Op. 5 (Composed 1912, orchestrated and first performed 1913) *Violin Sonata in
G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable compositi ...
, Op. 6 (composed 1912; first performed 1916) *''Der Ring des Polykrates'', Op. 7 (opera) (1916) *''
Violanta ''Violanta'', Op. 8, is a one-act opera by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. The libretto is by the Austrian playwright Hans Müller-Einigen. It is Korngold's second opera, written when he was seventeen years old. Performance history It was premiered o ...
'', Op. 8 (opera) (1916) *''Einfache Lieder'', Op. 9 (1911–16) *String Sextet in D major, Op. 10 (1914–16; first performed 1917) *''Much Ado About Nothing'', Op. 11 (Incidental music to the play by Shakespeare, composed 1918–1919, first performed 1920) *''
Die tote Stadt ' (German for ''The Dead City''), Op. 12, is an opera in three acts by Erich Wolfgang Korngold set to a libretto by Paul Schott, a collective pseudonym for the composer and his father, Julius Korngold. It is based on the 1892 novel '' Bruges-la-Mo ...
'', Op. 12 (opera) (1920) *''Sursum Corda'', Op. 13 (symphonic overture) (Composed 1919, first performed 1920) *Quintet for two violins, viola, cello and piano in E major, Op. 15 (composed 1920–21; first performed 1923) *String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 16 (composed 1923; first performed 1924) * Piano Concerto in C for the left hand alone, Op. 17, (Composed 1923, first performed 1924) *''Das Wunder der Heliane'', Op. 20 (opera) (1927) *Suite for 2 violins, cello and piano left hand, Op. 23, composed 1930; first performed 1930 *Piano Sonata No. 3 in
C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...
, Op. 25 (composed 1931; first performed 1932) *String Quartet No. 2 in E major, Op. 26 (composed 1933; first performed 1934) *'' Die Kathrin'', Op. 28 (opera) (1939) *''Tomorrow'', Op. 33, tone poem for mezzo-soprano, women's choir and orchestra, for the movie ''The Constant Nymph''. (First performed in concert 1944) *String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 34 (composed 1945; first performed 1949) *
Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...
, Op. 35 (Composed 1945, first performed 1947) *'' Die stumme Serenade'', Op. 36 (musical comedy) (1954) *Cello Concerto in C major, Op. 37 (Composed 1950, expanded from a work written for the 1946 film ''Deception'') *Symphonic Serenade in B major for string orchestra, Op. 39 (Composed 1947–48, first performed 1950) * Symphony in F major, Op. 40 (Composed 1947–52, first performed 1954) *Theme and Variations, Op. 42 (composed and first performed 1953)


See also

*
The Holocaust in Austria The Holocaust in Austria was the systematic persecution, plunder and extermination of Jews by German and Austrian Nazis from 1938 to 1945. An estimated 65,000 Jews were murdered and 125,000 forced to flee Austria as refugees. Jews in Austria befor ...
*
Vugesta The Vugesta (also VUGESTAP) for “''Vermögens-Umzugsgut von der Gestapo''" ("Property Removed by the Gestapo") was a Nazi looting organization in Vienna that from 1940 to 1945 seized the possessions of 5,000-6,000 Viennese Jews. It was a key pl ...


References


Bibliography

* ''The Last Prodigy: A Biography of Erich Wolfgang Korngold'' by Brendan G. Carroll; (Hardcover, October 1997) * ''Das Letzte Wunderkind'' by Brendan G Carroll. Boehlau-Verlag, Vienna; (Hardcover, June 2008); revised edition of 1997 biography in German translation * ''Erich Wolfgang Korngold'' (20th-Century Composers) by Jessica Duchen. Phaidon Publication; (Paperback, July 1996) * ''Erich Wolfgang Korngold'' by Luzi Korngold (wife). Verlag Elisabeth Lafite, Vienna, 1967 * "Erich Wolfgang Korngold: early life and works". Doctoral thesis by David Ian Kram. Monash University, Melbourne, Australia * * Caspar Wintermans: ''Een jongen van brutale zwier: Erich Wolfgang Korngold in Nederland 1910–1958''. The Hague, Kallipygos Press, 2016.


External links

*
Official Korngold Society

Detailed Biography of Korngold


(), sound files

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Korngold, Erich Wolfgang 1897 births 1957 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century classical composers American film score composers American opera composers Austrian classical composers Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United States after the Anschluss Austrian male classical composers Austrian opera composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Child classical musicians Composers for piano Moravian Jews Jewish American classical composers Jewish classical composers Jewish classical musicians American male film score composers Male opera composers Neoromantic composers Musicians from Brno People from the Margraviate of Moravia Composers from Vienna Naturalized citizens of the United States 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American Jews