Ralph Benatzky (5 June 1884 – 16 October 1957), born in Mährisch Budwitz (

Moravské Budějovice Moravské Budějovice (; german: Mährisch Budwitz) is a town in Třebíč District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,200 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monum ...

) as Rudolph Franz rantišekJosef Benatzky, was an Austrian

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 ...

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The me ...

n origin. He composed

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, such as ''

Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

'' (1928)'', Die drei Musketiere'' (1929), '' Im weißen Rössl'' (1930) and ''

Meine Schwester und ich ''Meine Schwester und ich'' (''My Sister and I'') is a musical comedy in two acts with prelude and postlude. Ralph Benatzky composed the music and also wrote the libretto together with Robert Blum. Benatzky based the work on a contemporary comedy ...

'' (1930). He died in

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

, Switzerland.

Works

Friedhof St Wolfgang im Salzkammergut - Ralph Benatzky - 01

* ''Laridon'' (1911) * ''Cherchez la femme'' (1911) * ''Der lachende Dreibund'' (1913) * ''Anno 14'' (1914) * ''Prinzchens Frühlingserwachen'' (1914) * ''Liebe im Schnee'' (1916) * ''Die tanzende Maske'' (1918) * ''Die Verliebten'' (1919) * ''Apachen'' (1920) * ''Ein Märchen aus Florenz'' (1923) * ''

'', with music 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 ...

(1928) * ' (1929) * '' Im weißen Rößl'' (1930) * ''

'' (1930) * ''Zur goldenen Liebe'' (1931) * ''Zirkus Aimée'' (1932) * ''Büxl'' (1932) * ''

Bezauberndes Fräulein ''Bezauberndes Fräulein'' (''The Charming Young Lady'') is a musical comedy in four scenes, similar in style to an operetta. Ralph Benatzky wrote both music and libretto, inspired by the French farce ''La petite chocolatière'' by Paul Gavault ...

'' (1933) * ''Reichste Mann der Welt'' (1935) * ''Der König mit dem Regenschirm'' (1935) * ' (1936) * ''Majetät – Privat'' (1937) * ''Herzen im Schnee'' (1937) * ''Der Silberhof'' (1941)

Selected filmography

* ''

The Last Company ''The Last Company'' (german: Die letzte Kompagnie) is a 1930 German war film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Karin Evans and Erwin Kalser.Bock & Bergfelder p. 315 It was part of the popular cycle of Prussian films which p ...

'' (1930) * '' The Immortal Vagabond'' (1930) * ''

Poor as a Church Mouse ''Poor as a Church Mouse'' (german: Arm wie eine Kirchenmaus) is a 1931 German musical comedy film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Grete Mosheim, Anton Edthofer and Hans Thimig.Kasten & Loacker p. 336 It was based on the 1928 play '' ...

'' (1931) * ''

Chauffeur Antoinette ''Chauffeur Antoinette'' is a 1932 German comedy film directed by Herbert Selpin and starring Charlotte Ander, Hans Adalbert Schlettow and Walter Steinbeck. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by the ar ...

'' (1932) * ''

To New Shores ''To New Shores'' (german: Zu neuen Ufern) is a 1937 German drama film directed by Detlef Sierck (later known as Douglas Sirk) and starring Zarah Leander, Willy Birgel and Viktor Staal. It was Leander's first film for the German studio UFA, a ...

'' (1937) * ''

Such Great Foolishness ''Such Great Foolishness'' (German: ''Die ganz großen Torheiten'') is a 1937 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Paula Wessely, Rudolf Forster and Hilde Wagener. The film was set in Vienna, unusually for a German film of the t ...

'' (1937) * ''

Love Premiere ''Love Premiere'' (german: Liebespremiere) is a 1943 German comedy film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Hans Söhnker, Kirsten Heiberg and Fritz Odemar. The film's sets were designed by Robert Herlth. The film based on the stage p ...

'' (1943) * ''

Back Then "Back Then" is a song by American rapper Mike Jones, released in February 15, 2005 as the second single from his debut studio album '' Who Is Mike Jones?''. Peaking at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the single gave him his first and on ...

'' (1943) * ''

White Horse Inn ''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl'' ) is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...

'' (1948) * '' My Sister and I'' (1950) * ''

Fiancée for Hire ''Fiancée for Hire'' (Swedish: ''Fästmö uthyres'') is a 1950 Swedish comedy film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Olof Winnerstrand, Karl-Arne Holmsten and Eva Dahlbeck.Qvist & Von Bagh p.115 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stoc ...

'' (1950) * ''

Immortal Light ''Immortal Light'' (german: Unvergängliches Licht) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Rudolf Forster, Cornell Borchers and Volker von Collande.Bock & Bergfelder p. 487 It was shot at the Bavaria Studi ...

'' (1951) * ''

The White Horse Inn ''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl'' ) is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salzk ...

'' (1952) * '' The Charming Young Lady'' (1953) * '' My Sister and I'' (1954)

Notes

Benatzky is often mistakenly referred to as Jewish due to an error published in a book of Jewish musicians during World War II. Benatzky himself was not Jewish, but he was twice married to Jewish women:

Josma Selim Josma Selim (born Hedwig Josma Fischer; 5 June 1884 – 25 August 1929) was an Austrian singer. She appeared in Kabarett, and toured Europe giving performances accompanied on the piano by her husband Ralph Benatzky. Life Selim was born in Vienn ...

, a singer (''Hedwig Josma Fischer''; born 1884 in Wien; died 1929 in Berlin) and Melanie "Mela" Hoffmann, a dancer. Fred K. Prieberg: ''Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945''. CD-ROM edition, Kiel, 2004, p. 370

References

External links

* * 1884 births 1957 deaths Austrian classical composers Austrian male classical composers Austrian opera composers Male opera composers 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Austrian male musicians Austrian exiles Austrian refugees Austrian expatriates in Switzerland Austrian expatriates in the United States Austrian people of Czech descent People from Moravské Budějovice {{Opera-bio-stub