Victor Léon

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Victor Léon (1894)

Victor Léon (born January 4, 1858 in Szenic , Neutra County , Austrian Empire , † February 23, 1940 in Vienna ; actually Victor Hirschfeld , often Viktor Léon ) was an Austrian librettist , lyricist and author .

Life

Victor Hirschfeld, son of the rabbi Jakob Heinrich Hirschfeld (* January 20, 1819 in Sassin , † October 6, 1902 in Vienna), studied philosophy at the universities of Augsburg and Vienna and attended the Vienna Conservatory . He then worked as a journalist . From 1877 to 1884 he published the magazine Die Hausfrau: Blätter für Haus und Wirtschaft , before he began to make a name for himself in theater circles under his pseudonym Victor Léon , which he kept until his death. He was friends with Hermann Bahr and was in close contact with the literary group at Café Griensteidl .

Grave at Hietzinger Friedhof
Memorial plaque on the grave

In 1878 he made his debut with Falsche Fährte at the Sulkowskitheater, which existed in Vienna-Margareten from 1837 to 1895 (today: Wiedner Hauptstrasse 123, 123a, 125 , Gassergasse 44), but remained unsuccessful as a theater writer. In 1881 he was dramaturge at the Theater in der Josefstadt , in 1882 at the Carltheater and in 1883 at the Theater an der Wien . He wrote numerous dramas, folk pieces and essays as well as, partly together with his brother Leo Feld , operetta libretti for composers such as Max von Weinzierl , Rudolf Raimann, Alfred Zamara and Johann Strauss (son) . Only in 1897, when he wrote the piece of music The Opera Ball together with Heinrich von Waldberg and the composer Richard Heuberger , did he achieve his breakthrough. The successful operettas Wiener Blut and The Merry Widow soon followed . He often worked with Leo Stein and contributed with him to Lehár's world success as an author . After mainly journalistic activity from 1884 to 1893, he became dramaturge and director at the Theater in der Josefstadt in 1894 and from 1897 worked as a director at the Carltheater, in addition to which he also gave acting lessons

With his wife Ottilie, née Popper (* April 10, 1869, † April 12, 1942), he had a daughter, Felicitas, named Lizzi. In 1907 she married Hubert Marischka, who was still an actor and operetta singer at the time . Lizzi herself suggested the Chinese ambience of The Yellow Jacket , which later became world famous as The Land of Smiles . But Lizzi died of appendicitis in 1918 , barely thirty, after the birth of her third child, Franz Marischka . For this reason, Victor Léon dedicated the libretto for The Yellow Jacket to his daughter. Léon himself survived both his daughter and younger brother. His last stage work included monitoring the performances for Lehár's Das Fürstenkind (also: The Prince of the Mountains ) in 1932. After the “Anschluss” of Austria in 1938, he was banned from working as a Jew. Most recently he lived in Vienna- Hietzing , Wattmanngasse 22. His honorary grave is in the Hietzinger Friedhof (group 12, number 71).

With a view to the forthcoming probate negotiations, Viktor Léon was brought to court in 1940 (Hietzing) as a Slovak citizen (jurisdiction: Sassin ).

Honors

In 1955 Viktor-Leon-Gasse in Vienna-Hietzing was named after him.

Works

Folk plays

  • Educated people. Volksstück in three acts , 1895
  • Miss teacher , with Leo Feld , 1905, OBV .
  • A dark man of honor. Play in three acts , 1919, OBV .

Comedies

Opera and operetta libretti

Fonts

  • Dramaturgical breviary. A popular handbook and reference book for playwrights, actors, critics and laypeople. Excerpts from all of Lessing's dramaturgical writings, sorted by subject matter and provided with explanations . Second edition. Rubinverlag, Munich 1894, OBV .

literature

Web links

Commons : Victor Léon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ This information is based on Léon's registration form from May 11, 1937. Other sources also give April 1, 1856 or 1860 and Vienna as the date and place of birth.
  2. ↑ ANNO, Neue Freie Presse, 1902-10-10, page 18. Retrieved on June 14, 2019 .
  3. ^ Theater, art, music and literature. (...) From the Josefstädter Theater. In:  Neuigkeits -Welt-Blatt , No. 78/1894 (XXI. Volume), April 6, 1894, p. 5 (unpaginated), column 3. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nwb.
  4. ↑ [1] , accessed on September 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ Official part. (...) Invitation to the heirs, legatees and creditors of a foreigner. In:  Völkischer Beobachter. Battle sheet of the national-socialist movement of Greater Germany. Vienna edition , No. 184/1940, July 2, 1940, p. 11, column 3. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / vob.
  6. ^ Felix Czeike : Historical Lexicon Vienna . Volume 5. Verlag Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-218-00547-7 , p. 540.
  7. ↑ Theater and Art News. Raimund Theater . In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 11215/1895, November 13, 1895, p. 6, bottom right. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfpas well as OBV .
  8. ^ I. St .:  Feuilleton. Ischler theater letter. (...) From the series of many novelties (...). In:  Wiener Theater-Zeitung. Organ for theater, art and dramatic literature , No. 9/1887 (Xth year), September 1, 1887, p. 67, bottom right. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wth.
personal data
SURNAME Léon, Victor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hirschfeld, Victor (real name); Léon, Viktor
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian librettist, lyricist and author
DATE OF BIRTH January 4, 1858
PLACE OF BIRTH Scenic , Neutra County , Kingdom of Hungary
DATE OF DEATH February 23, 1940
Place of death Vienna