Erich Wolfgang Korngold
| Erich Wolfgang Korngold | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
May 29, 1897 Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary (present-day Brno, Czech Republic) |
| Died | November 29, 1957 (aged 60) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American (naturalized citizen 1943) |
| Occupation | Composer, conductor, pianist |
| Years active | 1909–1957 |
| Known for | Operas, symphonies, movie scores |
| Notable work | Robin Hood, Kings Row, Of Human Bondage |
| Spouse(s) | Luise von Sonnenthal (1924–1957; his death) |
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897 – November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born composer and conductor. A child prodigy, he became one of the most important and influential composers in the history of Hollywood. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores.
When he was 11, his ballet Der Schneemann (The Snowman), became a sensation in Vienna, followed by his Piano Sonata which he wrote at age 13, played throughout Europe by Artur Schnabel. His one-act operas Violanta and Der Ring des Polykrates were premiered in Munich in 1916, conducted by Bruno Walter. At 23, his opera Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) premiered in Hamburg and Colgne. In 1921 he conducted the Hamburg Opera. During the 1920s he re-orchestrated, re-arranged and nearly re-composed, for the theater, operettas by Johann Strauss II. By 1931 he was a professor of music at Vienna State Academy.
At the request of director Max Reinhardt, and due to the rise of the Nazi regime, Korngold moved to the U.S. in 1934 to write music scores for films. His first was Reinhardt's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), which was well received by critics. He subsequently wrote scores for such films as Captain Blood (1935), which helped boost the career its starring newcomer, Errol Flynn. His score for Anthony Adverse (1936) won an Oscar, and was followed two years later with another Oscar for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
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