Willy Engel-Berger

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Willy Engel-Berger (born August 26, 1890 in Bonn , † August 28, 1946 in Vienna ) was a German and Austrian composer , conductor and film musician .

Life

After studying classical music, Engel-Berger led a band that entertained international passengers on ships on the Hamburg-America Line. He later worked as a bar pianist in Vienna and Berlin and dealt with dance music, ragtime and foxtrot . As a composer he achieved his first successes with the operettas Die Bojarenbraut (1925) and Bubi (1929), with hits like Pst - little Gretel wants to sleep now and In der Bar zum Krokodil (text by Fritz Löhner-Beda ) and with sound film songs like Stern von Rio (text by Kurt Feltz ) or In Hamburg an der Elbe (text by Walter Mehring (1920)).

From 1930 to 1946 Engel-Berger was involved in around 15 film productions in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary as musical director or composer. He helped shape the first two decades of German sound films .

Many of his works were successful as recordings. They were performed by well-known interpreters such as Max Kuttner , Engelbert Milde and Jacques Rotter , and played by orchestras such as Dajos Béla , Charly Gaudriot and Edith Lorand . The chansonnier Paul O'Montis , the actor Hans Albers and the well-known Viennese piano humorist Hermann Leopoldi also recorded songs by him.

His last film in 1946 was The Long Way , the first post-war feature film in Austria. He could no longer implement his wish to turn to church music. Willy Engel-Berger died mentally ill at the age of 56 in Vienna.

Sound documents (selection)

  • Pst - little Gretel wants to sleep now , Lied (Willy Engel-Berger) Odeon dance music. Odeon AA 57 713 (mx. 57 713), c. 1920
  • You made me crazy , Lied (Willy Engel-Berger & Arthur Rebner ) Stefan Putzi-Plattner (vocals) with the Robert Hügel chapel. Favorite 1-027 303 (mx. 16 074)
  • Take the little one , music box shimmy (Willy Engel-Berger & Fritz Grünbaum - Beda) Jacques Rotter with orchestra. Favorite F 452-I (mx. F-0459/31 876), taken in September 1922
  • He was just going up to Frau Binder , Shimmy (Willy Engel-Berger & Robert Katscher ) Edith-Lorand-Orchester. Beka 32 371 (mx. 32 371), taken March 1924
  • Today I still have something planned , Lied (Willy Engel-Berger & Beda) Max Kuttner (tenor), with orchestral accompaniment. Vox 3602 (mx. 2258 B), taken May 1924
  • Manon , Valse Boston (Willy Engel-Berger) Dance Orchestra Metropol. Gramophone 14 709 (mx. 1164 at)
  • You stole my heart , Shimmy (Willy Engel-Berger) Dance Orchestra Metropol. Gramophone 14 709 (mx. 1165 at)
  • In the bar zum Krokodil , Lied and One-step (Willy Engel-Berger & Beda) Paul O'Montis. Odeon A 45 531 (mx. Be 6969), photo taken in Berlin, summer 1928
  • In Hamburg on the Elbe, just behind the ocean , the seaman's choir (Willy Engel-Berger & Walter Mehring) Hans Albers. Odeon O-11 691 (mx. Be 9998), photographed Berlin 1937

Audio samples

  • Booth magic . Couplet by Willy Engel-Berger. Engelbert Milde, from Mildes Künstlerpiele, Dresden, with orchestra. Polyphonic 30 92 (mx. 23 400) approx. 1920 [1]
  • Mary Lou , Boston and Foxtrot (Willy Engel-Berger) Chapel Merton (di Dajos Béla): Beka B.6214 (mx. 34 218) approx. 1927 [2] (MP3; 1.3 MB)
  • This is the red lipstick , Foxtrot (Willy Engel-Berger, text by Willy Sterk ) saxophone orchestra with refraing singing. Kalliope K 1120 (mx. ....) [3]
  • If you say Putzi, I'll be happy . Foxtrot (Willy Engel-Berger & Fritz Grünbaum) ad Revue Weltgeschichte compliant . Dajos Béla dance orchestra with singing. Odeon O-2420 b (mx. Be 66 56) recorded March 20, 1928. The chorus is sung by the pianist and composer Mischa Spoliansky . [4]
  • My heart is a jazz band . (Willy Engelberger & Beda) Foxtrot ad Revue Chauffeur, to the Apollo . Charles Gaudriot-Jazz (orchestra), Moulin Rouge Vienna, vocals Bauer and Reichmann. Odeon A 186.108 (mx. Ve 1368) - Vienna 1928 [5] (MP3; 1.5 MB)
  • In the bar to the crocodile . (Willy Engelberger & Beda) One-step ad revue “Chauffeur, into the Apollo”. Charles Gaudriot-Jazz (orchestra), Moulin Rouge Vienna, vocals Bauer and Reichmann. Odeon A 186.109 (mx. Ve 1369) - Vienna 1928 [6] (MP3; 1.6 MB)
  • I knew one ... , Foxtrot (Willy Engel-Berger & Wilhelm Sterk) Lud Gluskin and his Ambassadeur orchestra with German refrain singing. Polydor 22 175 / B 50 916 (mx 1639 BR II), open. Berlin, March 1929 [7]
  • A little silk and you in it . Slow-fox (Willy Engel-Berger, text: Wilhelm Sterk) Hermann Leopoldi, piano humorist. HMV AM 2229, Electrola EG1622 (mx. BV 606) - Vienna 1930 [8]
  • You have blue eyes (like the blue Adriatic ...), song (Willy Engel-Berger, text: Erwin W. Spahn) Hermann Leopoldi, piano humorist. HMV AM 2328, Electrola EG1625 (mx. BV 653) - Vienna 1930 [9]
  • Star of Rio . Tango serenade by Engel-Berge [sic]. Chapel Eugen Jahn, vocals: Erwin Hartung . Phonoton No. 1021 B, recorded 1940 [10]

Illustrations

  • Sheet music title You stole my heart , Trude Kurz repertoire. [11]
  • Sheet music title This is the red lipstick [12]
  • Sheet music title Lou, the Foxtrot Queen [13]
  • Sheet music title Stern von Rio Tobis Film Musik [14]

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Engel-Berger, Willy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German and Austrian composer and film musician
DATE OF BIRTH August 26, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Bonn
DATE OF DEATH August 28, 1946
Place of death Vienna