Victor Léon
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 .
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
- Wrong Track , 1878, published as Postillon d'amour , OBV .
- -, Heinrich von Waldberg (1862–1929): Atelier Mazabou , 1887
- The green books. Comedy in one act , 1900, OBV .
- -, Leo Feld , Robert Stolz : The Big Name , 1909, OBV .
Opera and operetta libretti
- The double , 1886 (music: Alfred Zamara )
- Simplicius , 1887 (music: Johann Strauss (son) )
- Friedel with the empty pocket. Opera in three acts , 1892, (Music: Max Josef Beer)
- The model , 1895 (music: Franz von Suppè estate)
- The smith's strike , 1897 (music: Max Josef Beer )
- The Opera Ball , 1898 (Music: Richard Heuberger )
- Wiener Blut , 1899 (music: Johann Strauss (son) arranged by Adolf Müller junior )
- The Polish Jew (together with Richard Batka), 1901 (music: Karel Weis )
- The Rastelbinder , 1902 (music: Franz Lehár )
- The beauties of Fogaras , 1903 (music: Alfred Grünfeld )
- Barfüßele , 1904, (Music: Richard Heuberger)
- The husband of the gods , 1904 (music: Franz Lehár)
- The Merry Widow , 1905 (Music: Franz Lehár)
- Vergeltsgott , 1905, (Music: Leo Ascher )
- The happy farmer , 1907 (music: Leo Fall )
- The Divorced Woman , 1908, (Music: Leo Fall)
- The Prince's Child , 1909, (Music: Franz Lehár)
- The first woman. Operetta in three acts , 1910, (Music: Bruno Hartl )
- The iron maiden. Operetta in three acts , 1911, (music: Robert Stolz)
- The night express train , 1913, (music: Leo Fall)
- I gave gold for iron , 1914 (music: Emmerich Kálmán ), libretto as PDF (25 MB)
- Viennese folk singer , 1919 (music: Robert Mahler)
- The yellow jacket , 1923 (music: Franz Lehár)
- La Barberina , 1928, (Music: Leo Ascher)
- The Prince of the Mountains , 1932, new version of Das Fürstenkind from 1909 (music: Franz Lehár)
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
- Susanne Blumesberger, Michael Doppelhofer, Gabriele Mauthe: Handbook of Austrian authors of Jewish origin from the 18th to the 20th century. Volume 2: J-R. Edited by the Austrian National Library. Saur, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-598-11545-8 , p. 815.
- Felix Czeike : Historisches Lexikon Wien , Volume 4. Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1995, ISBN 3-218-00546-9 ; P. 24f.
- Barbara Denscher: The operetta librettist Victor Léon. A work biography. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2017, ISBN 978-3-8376-3976-6 .
- Monika Kornberger: Léon (own Hirschfeld), Viktor. In: Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon . Online edition, Vienna 2002 ff., ISBN 3-7001-3077-5 ; Print edition: Volume 3, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2004, ISBN 3-7001-3045-7 .
- Salomon Wininger : Great Jewish National Biography . Volume 2. Chernivtsi 1927, p. 131f.
Web links
- Literature by and about Victor Léon in the catalog of the German National Library
- Victor Léon in the Lexicon of Persecuted Musicians of the Nazi Era (LexM)
- Victor Léon's estates are in the manuscript collection and the music collection of the Vienna Library in the City Hall
- Entry on Victor Léon in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
Individual evidence
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ ANNO, Neue Freie Presse, 1902-10-10, page 18. Retrieved on June 14, 2019 .
- ^ 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 ). .
- ↑ [1] , accessed on September 25, 2013.
- ↑ 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 ). .
- ^ Felix Czeike : Historical Lexicon Vienna . Volume 5. Verlag Kremayr & Scheriau, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-218-00547-7 , p. 540.
- ↑ Theater and Art News. Raimund Theater . In: Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 11215/1895, November 13, 1895, p. 6, bottom right. (Online at ANNO ). as well as OBV .
- ^ 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 ). .
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 |