Fritz Spielmann (musician)

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Fritz Spielmann (born November 20, 1906 in Vienna , Austria-Hungary, † March 21, 1997 in New York City (NY), USA) was an Austrian composer, cabaret artist, pianist and singer.

Career

Spielmann was born in Vienna as the son of the electrician Max Spielmann and his wife Mathilde, née Brück. At the age of twelve he began to study with Joseph Marx and Hans Gál at the Vienna Music Academy. In 1927 he graduated with honors in composition and piano. He then worked as a répétiteur and conductor in Berlin and Breslau and also performed publicly as a pianist. In 1931, alongside Peter Hammerschlag and Alex Szekely, he was a member of the founding ensemble of Stella Kadmon's cabaret “Der Liebe Augustin” in Vienna, for which he worked as a pianist and composer. In the night café "Fiaker" he played as a piano entertainer. He made a name for himself as the author of popular Viennese songs and current dance hits based on American models.

In 1934 he met the composer and lyricist Stephan Weiss, with whom he worked in a team until his emigration . Probably the most successful was their hit "Schinkenfleckerln", a Viennese song that sang about a culinary specialty and became known through Hermann Leopoldi's interpretation. With Weiss he also composed the music for several revues and musical comedies, for which authors such as Hans Weigel , Fritz Rotter and Max Colpet wrote the lyrics.

The Norwegian Diseuse Kirsten Heiberg sang the hits "Evenings at the Piano", "Invisible Tears", "Like the Snow of Last Year" and "Don't Ask About the Past" from his revue operetta "Pam- Pam ".

The ' Anschluss ' in 1938 forced him to flee Vienna as a Jewish artist. He left his homeland for France at the end of May; he had to leave behind his parents and his wife Mary, a widowed Englishwoman. After detours via Paris and Cuba , he finally landed in America in autumn 1939. In a bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan , which was named "Fiaker" after the night café in Vienna, he began to work again as a "Viennese mood singer". He called himself "Fred Spielman" and, together with Jimmy Berg and Hermann Leopoldi, formed the "artistic triumvirate" of the New York emigrant cabaret scene. The connection to the American music market succeeded him without any problems because his songs sounded really American; they were interpreted by Bing Crosby and Judy Garland , Elvis Presley and the Danish heroic tenor Lauritz Melchior , who had once sung Wagnerian roles. Spielmann took American citizenship in 1944.

In the USA Spielmann was also successful as a composer for musicals and films after 1945. He opened up a new area by composing music for the western film genre.

Spielmann did not return to Europe until 1970. He learned that his entire family had fallen victim to the Shoah: he lost his father and mother in the Chelmno concentration camp in September 1942.

In 1975 the Austrian Minister of Education awarded him the title of professor. In 1986 he received the “Silver Medal of Honor for Services to the State of Vienna”. Fritz Spielmann died on March 21, 1997 in New York.

His estate is now in Berlin at the Akademie der Künste.

In March 1998 the Janus Ensemble premiered the concert program “The Metamagic of Fritz Spielmann” at “Spring came back to Vienna”, the Fritz Spielmann Festival in the RadioKulturhaus and the Literaturhaus, in which eight contemporary Austrian composers deal with the music and the person of Fritz Spielmann.

Works

Operettas and Revue (with Stephan Weiss)

  • "Jimmys Bar", musical comedy (premiere: Nov. 15, 1935, comedy in Johannesgasse No. 4), from it:
    • “In the vicinity of this woman”, Doblinger 1935, D. 7316 Vienna 1935
    • “Das Lied vom Montmartre”, Lied and Slowfox (Text: S. Wolf; Music: Fritz Spielmann and Stephan Weiss), Doblinger, Vienna 1935 (D. 7352) 1935
  • "Attention close-up!", Musical sound film report in 2 parts (premiere: January 1936, Wiener Kammerspiele), from it:
    • “From Paris to Brazil” (Text: Siegfried Tisch and Hans Lengsfelder; Music: Fritz Spielmann and Stephan Weiss), Doblinger 1936
    • “Heavens again, I'm in love!” Doblinger 1936
    • “I have so much love”, Doblinger 1936
    • “My little Tom on the ocean”, Doblinger 1936, Vienna 1936
    • "Mickey Mouse" (My darling, I'm flying on you!), Doblinger 1936
    • “You are absolutely not looking at me today”, Doblinger 1936 (received?), Vienna 1936
    • "Viola", Doblinger 1936
  • "Tempo! Tempo! ”Variété revue in 22 pictures (1936)
  • "Herzklopfen", musical comedy (premiere: June 4, 1937, Scala Theater in Vienna), from it:
    • "Everyone is in love ...", from: Herzklopfen, Wiener Operettenverlag, 1937; NFS # 26-12.22 Vienna, 1937
    • "I'm bad ...", Wiener Operettenverlag 1937 Vienna, 1937
    • "With the eyes of love", Lied and Slow-Fox, Wiener Operettenverlag 1937
  • “Pam-Pam”, revue operetta; Song texts by Hans Weigel (1908-1991), Fritz Rotter (1900-1984) and Max Colpet (1905-1998) (premiere: Nov. 3, 1937, Theater an der Wien), from it:
    • “Evenings at the Piano” Slow-Fox, Wiener Operettenverlag, 1937; NFS # 26-12.22 Vienna, 1937
    • “Don't ask about the past”, Wiener Operettenverlag 1937
    • "Invisible Tears", Wiener Operettenverlag / UE, 1937 1937
    • "Wenn die kleine Henriette", Wiener Operettenverlag 1937; today: UE Archive Vienna, 1937
    • "Like the snow from last year" Lied u. English Waltz, Wiener Operettenverlag, 1937

Musicals in USA

  • A lady says yes (1945), from it:
    • Take My Heart With You, Grand Music Corp., NY 1945 NY, 1945
    • The Letter (Dear John), Grand Music Corp .; Robbins Music Corp., NY 1951 NY: 1945, 1951
  • The stingiest man in town (1956), from it:
    • “A Christmas Carol”, Bristol, Vienna, Berlin, NY: 1955
    • "Golden Dreams," Remick Music; Harms Inc., NY 1956 NY, 1956
    • "Yes, There Is A Santa Claus," Remick Music; Harms Inc, NY 1956 NY 1956
    • "The Christmas Spirit," Remick Music; Harms Inc. 1956 NY 1956
    • "It might have been," Harms Inc, NY 1956 NY 1956
    • "Concerto Inferno," Harms Inc, NY1956 NY, 1956
    • "I wear a chain", [Harms Inc, 1956]
    • "Mankind should be my business," Harms Inc, 1956; Music publishers holding corp. NY, 1956
    • "An Only Child," Remick Music; Leeds Music Corp., NY 1958 NY: 1956, 1958
  • Rip van Winkle (1971)
  • Song of liberty (1984)

Song and dance hits (selection)

Spielmann left 900 songs, 300 of which were published. They cover almost all branches of popular music, from Wienerlied to musicals.

In Europe

  • "Close your eyes", song u. Foxtrot, Doblinger, Vienna 1935
  • "Beautiful woman, you are walking past me", song u. slow foxtrot, Doblinger 1936 (EAS 10247)
  • "My darling, we are learning Italian!", Song a. Tango, Doblinger 1936 (Salonorch. No. 716, D. 7431) Vienna 1936
  • "The old mold is in heaven", song u. Foxtrot, Doblinger 1936 (D.7513 and Dobl.-Salonorch. No. 740) Vienna, 1936
  • “Schinkenfleckerln”: VERLAG DOBLINGER, vbnr: DO89012
  • “I must have a double”: Wienerlied, Doblinger 1937/56; Wiener Operettenverlag Edition Bristol; Doblinger 1956/76 Vienna, Berlin, New York: 1937; VERLAG DOBLINGER, from left to right: DO89028
  • “I was never afraid of love”: Verlag FIRMA WELTMUSIK, vbnr: WM10977
  • "A girl from Mödling - a boy from St. Veit" Slow-Fox, Wr. Operetta Ver., Doblinger 1938
  • "Ui jegerl, Herr Doktor", world music, Vienna 1970. Vienna, 1970

In the USA

  • "Shepherd Serenade" 1941
  • "Spring came back to Vienna", in Europe under the title "Vienna will be a thousand times more beautiful": Robbins Music Corp., NY 1948; Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd. - Josef Weinberger, Vienna 1947
  • "Paper Roses" Mod. Fox, Words by Janice Torre: Pambill / Lewis, NY 1960/62; Lewis Music Publishing Company, Inc., NY 1973; Paul Schmidt Verlag (PSM 107)

Film music

  • [7] and [8] Fräulein Lilly, A 1936 R Robert Wohlmuth , with Franziska Gáal (actually: Fanny Silberstein) and Szöke Szakall (actually: Jenő Grünwald); Premiere Vienna, Sept. 25, 1936. The film was not allowed to be shown in "Reich"
    • From this: I can no longer be alone, something has to happen; Film music from 'Fräulein Lilli', Doblinger (D 7475), SO 728 1936
  • [9] La signora di Montecarlo, I 1938 R Mario Soldati, with Dita Parlo
  • [10] L'inconnue de Monte Carlo, F 1939 R André Berthomieu, with Dita Parlo, Albert Préjean

Serious music

  • “And the Lord said”: cantata for soprano, choir and orchestra, written for the 40th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

Audio documents

  • [11] Schinkenfleckerln (Spielmann & Weiss, text: H. Haller) Hermann Leopoldi with piano. His Master's Voice BA 576 (mx. OVH 148). Vienna 1935
  • [12] A girl from Mödling - a boy from St. Veit, Slow-Fox (Spielmann - Weiss, text by H. Haller) Hermann Leopoldi in a duet with Betja Milskaja. His Master's Voice BA 667 (mx. OVH 330)
  • [13] “My darling, we are learning Italian!”, Song a. Tango (Spielmann & Weiss, text Rotter): Fritz Domina dance orchestra , with vocals by Paul Dorn . Crystal No.709 (mx. 9389), attach. Berlin, April 1936
  • [14] “My darling, we're learning Italian!”, Song and Tango (Spielmann & Weiss, text Rotter): Jazz band "Sylvester Schieder" from Radio Vienna. Refraing vocals: Roland Hlavac. Kalliope K 1999 (mx. 604), added. Vienna 1936

Note: This recording was made by the conductor Sylvester Schieder (* May 4, 1884, Vienna; † July 4, 1955, ibid) in the studio of the Tilophan company for Kalliope. This tango was also a hit in Czechoslovakia, with the title “Miláčku, učme se italsky”.

  • [15] "Miláčku, učme se italsky", Tango - Hudba: F. Spielman and S. Weiss, český text: S. Razov. Hraje: Orchestr Harry Hardena. Esta 7411, m. č. 2307 (1937).
  • [16] Bing Crosby crooning the “Shepherd's serenade” (Fred Spielman), rec. 1941
  • [17] Lauritz Melchior sings "Spring Came Back To Vienna" (Fred Spielman) in the film "Luxury Liner" 1947 (excerpt from the film, black, approx. 3:43)

Re-releases

  • [18] Fritz Spielmann plays Fritz Spielmann and Stephan Weiss. Text authors: Beda (Friedrich), Haller (Hans), Pastler (Adi), Rotter (Fritz), Spielmann (Fritz), Stein (Licco);

CD Preiser Records, product number: PR90351. Published: January 28, 1999 - EAN: 717281903516. ISRC: ATP139835100.

  • [19] I have to have doubles. Wienerlied (Spielmann - H. Haller) Herbert Prikopa , vocals, with the Old Viennese Schrammel Quartet. Production 1988, Koch Records.
  • [20] Paper Roses (Janice Torre-Fred Spielman), sung by Hank Williams . From the album "That's You And Me" 1975.

literature

  • Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Fritz Spielmann [21]
  • Primavera Gruber : Orpheus Trust (Vienna, Austria): Spring came back to Vienna. Fritz Spielmann Festival: composer, pianist, entertainer in Vienna, Paris, New York, Hollywood (= volume 52 of the catalog of the No. Landesmuseums). Publisher: Documentation Center for Newer Austrian Literature, 1998. 79 pages.
  • Elfi Hartenstein: Home against will. Emigrants in New York. Encounters, Berg am See: Verlagsgemeinschaft Berg, 1991.
  • Janus Ensemble: Die Spielmann Lieder (blurb to CD) [22]
  • Horst Jarka (Ed.), From the Ring Road to 72nd Street. Jimmy Berg's chansons from Vienna in the 1930s and his exile in New York. New York 1996.
  • Christian Klösch and Regina Thumser: From Vienna. Cabaret in exile in New York 1938 to 1950. Vienna, Picus Verlag, 2002.

Austrian Exile Library series. 176 pp., Hardcover, w. Fig., EUR 26.90. ISBN 3-85452-463-3 . Review by Wiener Literaturhaus [23] (Iris Fink, October 1, 2002. Original article)

  • Werner Röder, Herbert A. Strauss (Hrsg.): Biographisches Handbuch der Deutschensprachigen Emigration nach 1933. International biographical dictionary of Central European emigrés 1933-1945, 4 Bde., Institut für Zeitgeschichte München (Hrsg.), Munich et al: Saur, 1983 .

Web links

Individual documents and notes

  1. ↑ cf. kabarettarchiv.at : “In 1931 Stella Kadmon opened the“ Lieben Augustin ”as a literary cabaret in the basement of Café Prückel. At her side stood Peter Hammerschlag as an author, Alex Szekely as a draftsman and Fritz Spielmann as a composer and pianist. "
  2. ↑ cf. Klösch-Thumser: "Fritz Spielmann performed in the" Wiener Fiaker ""
  3. ↑ so Thomas Gayda at LexM
  4. ↑ cf. LEO - last enjoyable opera theater , program booklet 2005 ( Memento from July 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 2.4 MB): "Some of his compositions, performed by film greats such as Bing Crosby (" Shepherd Serenade "), Frank Sinatra (" One Finger Melody "), Doris Day (" A Purple Cow "), Nat King Cole (" If Love Is Good to Me "), Elvis Presley (" I Don´t Want To ") became world famous."
  5. ↑ So he wrote z. B. 1946 three songs for the western "Abilene Town" (directed by Edwin L. Martin, in Germany "Banditen ohne Maske", premiered March 6, 1953) [1]
  6. ↑ Shortly after his death in 1997, Fritz Spielmann's estate was brought to Vienna by the Austrian Cultural Institute on the initiative of Thomas Gayda, where he laid the foundation stone for the archive of the then Orpheus Trust.
  7. ^ Akademie der Künste Berlin, Berlin [2] : contains: Fritz Spielmann's estate in the holdings of the Orpheus Trust
  8. ↑ Tuesday March 24, 1998, 7.30 p.m., cf. orpheustrust [3] and Petra Stuiber at nunu.at No. 11, Nissan 5763 cf. Archive link ( Memento from June 18, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  9. ↑ original Salomon table, later Fred S. Tysh; * 12. June 1905 Tornow, Galicia (Tarnów, Poland) - † 9. April 1981 London; Librettist, lyricist, came from an Orthodox Jewish family. Four of Salo's uncles were rabbis, the father accountants. At the beginning of the First World War, in view of the anti-Jewish pogroms in their homeland, the family first moved to Moravia and then to Vienna in 1915. See LEO - last pleasant opera theater , program booklet 2005 ( Memento from July 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 2.4 MB)
  10. ↑ 1903-1979, operetta composer, cf. [4]
  11. ↑ Sheet music in the archive of the Orpheus Trust , available on the open market at notenbuch.de ( Memento from February 21, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  12. ↑ cf. in addition the documentary "Unerwünschtes Kino" by Petrus van der Let and Armin Loacker (excerpt from [5] )
  13. ↑ Linked to the late romantic tradition of his teacher Joseph Marx; see. Klaus Peham at janus-ensemble.com : "For my own pleasure I write a little like Schönberg today." Accordingly, one of his last compositions, the cantata "And The Lord Said": a late romantic Schönberg clamped in an Erich Wolfgang Korngold vice.
  14. ↑ on the company cf. grammophon-platten.de [6]
personal data
SURNAME Spielmann, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian composer, cabaret artist, pianist and singer
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH March 21, 1997
Place of death New York City