Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897 – November 29, 1957) was a 20th century romantic composer.

Biography
Born in an assimilated Jewish home in Brno, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic), Erich was the son of the music critic Julius Korngold. He studied music under Alexander von Zemlinsky and Robert Fuchs. Mahler, upon meeting the young Erich, called him a "musical genius." Richard Strauss also spoke very highly of the youth.

He had success in Europe with his opera Die tote Stadt (1920), among other pieces, before moving in 1934 to the United States. There he composed a number of film scores that have been recognized ever since as classics of their kind, beginning with an adaptation of Felix Mendelssohn's incidental music for A Midsummer Night's Dream for the 1935 Warner Brothers production of the Shakespeare comedy; this was followed by his first original film score, for Captain Blood with Errol Flynn. For the rest of his life he continued to write concert music in a rich, chromatic late Romantic style, with the Violin Concerto among his notable later works.

In 1938, Korngold was conducting opera in Austria when he was asked by Warner Bros. to come back to Hollywood and create a score for their new (and very expensive) film The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn. He agreed and returned by ship. Shortly after he arrived in California, the Anschluss took place and the condition of Jews in Austria became very perilous. Korngold later would say the film score of Robin Hood saved his life. (See the Robin Hood Collectors Edition on DVD for details).

In 1943, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Korngold quit writing original film scores after 1946. However, he was asked by Republic Pictures to adapt the music of Richard Wagner for a film biography of Wagner, released in Trucolor as Magic Fire (1955), directed by William Dieterle from a script by Ewald Andre Dupont. Korngold died in Hollywood on November 29, 1957.

Legacy
Despite his achievements and considerable popularity with the musical public, Korngold for years attracted almost no positive critical attention, but considerable critical disdain. Then, in 1972, RCA Victor released an LP titled The Sea Hawk, featuring excerpts from Korngold's film scores performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles Gerhardt and supervised by the composer's son George. This was followed by recordings of Korngold's operas and concert works, which led to performances of his symphony and concertos, as well as other compositions.

Further recognition came in the 1990s two full-scale biographies of him appeared almost simultaneously. One is Jessica Duchen, Erich Wolfgang Korngold (Phaidon Press, 20th Century Composers series, 1996). The other is Brendan G. Carroll, Erich Korngold: The Last Prodigy (Amadeus Press, 1997). Carroll is President of the International Korngold Society.

Works

Orchestral and vocal works
Der Schneemann (a Pantomime). Composed anf first performed 1910
Schauspiel-Ouvertüre (Overture to a Play), Op. 4, composed and first performed 1911)
Sinfonietta, Op. 5, (composed 1912, orchestrated and first performed 1913)
Der Sturm (The Tempest) for chorus and orchestra, after Heinrich Heine, composed 1913
Kaiserin Zita-Hymne for solo voice, choir and piano / orchestra, composed 1917
Military March in B major, composed 1917
Much Ado About Nothing, Op.11, (Incidental Music to the play by Shakespeare 1918-1919. First performed 1920
Sursum Corda. Op.13, (Symphonic Overture, composed 1919, first performed 1920
Piano Concerto C Sharp for the left hand alone, Op.17, (composed 1923; first performed 1924)
Baby Serenade, Op.24, composed 1928-1929, first performed 1932
Tomorrow, Op.33, tone poem for mezzo-sopran, women's choir and orchestra, for the movie The Constant Nymn. First performed in concert 1944
Violin Concerto, Op.35, (composed 1945; first performed 1947)
Cello Concerto in C major, Op.37,(1946, expanded from a work written for the 1946 film Deception)
Symphonic Serenade in B flat major for string orchestra 1947-1948; First performed 1950
Symphony in F sharp major, Op.40 (composed 1947–1952; first performed 1954)
Theme and Variations, Op.42 (composed and first performed 1953)
Straussiana, for orchestra, (composed and first performed 1953)
Songs

"op.5 So Gott und Papa will" ("if God and Daddy agree"), composed 1911
Einfache Lieder (Simple Songs), Op.9, composed 1911-1913
Lieder des Abschieds (Songs of Farewell), Op. 14, (composed 1920; first performed 1921; orchestral version first performed 1923)
Drei Lieder (Three Songs), Op.18, composed 1924, first performed 1926
Drei Lieder (Three Songs), Op.22, composed 1928-1929, first performend 1930
Narrenlieder (Songs of the Clown), Op.29, from Twelfth Night by Shakeapeare, composed 1937,first performed 1941
Vier Shakespeare-Lieder (Four Shakespeare-Songs), Op.31, composed 1937-1941, first performed 1941
Fünf Lieder (Five Songs}, Op.38, composed 1948, first performed 1950
Sonett für Wien (Sonnet for Vienna), Op.41, composed 1953, first performed 1954
Spiritual Music

A Paasover Psalm, Op.30, hymn for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra. Composed and first performed 1941
Prayer, Op.32, for tenor, women's choir, and organ. Composed and first performed 1941

Piano music and Chamber works
Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor with concluding passacaglia, (composed 1908; first performed 1908–9)
Don Quixote. Six characteric pieces for piano, composed 1909
Was der Wald erzählt (What the Forest tells). Suite for piano, composed 1909
Piano Sonata No. 2 in E major, Op.2, in three movements (composed 1910; first performed 1911)
Sieben Märchenbilder (Seven Fairy-Tale Pictures, Op.3, for piano, composed 1910, first performance 1912
Vier kleine fröhliche Walzer (Four little cheerful Waltzes), composed 1912
Vier kleine Karikaturen für Kinderr (Four little caricatures for children), composed 1926
Geschichten vom Strauß (Tales from Strauss), Op.21, for piano solo, composed 1927
Suite for 2 violins, cello & piano left hand, Op.23, composed 1930; first performed 1930
Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op.25 (composed 1931; first performed 1932) ([1])
Piano Trio in D major, Op.1 (composed and first performed 1910)
Violin Sonata in G major, Op.6 (composed 1912; first performed 1916)
String Sextet in D major, Op.10 (first performed 1917)
Quintet for two violins, viola, violoncello 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)
String Quartet No.2 in E-flat major, Op.26 (composed 1933; first performed 1934)
String Quartet No.3 in D major, Op.34 (composed 1945; first performed 1946)
Romance-Impromptu for cello and piano. Composed for the film Deception (but not used) 1948

Operas
Der Ring des Polykrates, Op.7 (1916)
Violanta, Op.8 (1916)
Die Tote Stadt, Op.12 (1920)
Das Wunder der Heliane, Op.20 (1927)
Die Kathrin, Op.28 (1939)
Die stumme Serenade, Op.36 (musical comedy) (1954)

Arrangements for operettas
Eine Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice), Johann Strauß II, (1923)
Cagliostro in Wien (Cagliostro in Vienna), Johann Strauß II, (1927)
Rosen aus Florida (Roses from Florida), Leo Fall, (1929)
Die Fledermaus (The Bat), Johann Strauß II, (1929)
Walzer aus Wien (Waltzes from Vienna), Family Strauß, (1930)
Die schöne Helena (The Beautiful Helena), Jacques Offenbach, (1931)
Das Lied der Liebe (The Song of Love), Johann Strauß II, (1931)
Die geschiedene Frau (The divorced Woman), Leo Fall,(1933)
Rosalinda (= Die Fledermaus), Johann Strauß II, (1942)
Helen Goes to Troy (=La belle Hélène) Jacques Offenbach 1944
The Great Waltz (= Walzer aus Wien), Johann Strauß II,(1949)

Film soundtracks
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) (after Mendelssohn)
Captain Blood (1935)
Give Us This Night (1936)
Hearts Divided (1936)
The Green Pastures (1936)
Anthony Adverse (1936)
The Prince And The Pauper (1937)
Another Dawn (1937)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Juarez (1939)
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
The Sea Wolf (1941)
King's Row (1942)
The Constant Nymph (1943)
Between Two Worlds (1944)
Devotion (1946)
Of Human Bondage (1946)
Deception (1946)
Escape Me Never (1947)
The Magic Fire (1956) (after Wagner)