JAJ, KÁLMÁN, BRUDERHERZ!

Born 140 years ago in Siófok, on the shores of Lake Balaton, Emmerich Kálmán set out from Vienna to triumph on stages around the world. His hugely successful waltz “Grüß’ mir mein Wien” immortalised a city from which he would soon be driven out. “Weißt Du es noch?!” was another colossal success for him. Kálmán’s works are a hit parade in themselves. A single Kálmán operetta contains enough enchanting and exciting musical ideas to eclipse the life’s work of many a “serious” composer. His operettas reflect a sensual, humorous interplay between illusion and reality. Characters include a gypsy princess, a circus princess, and the Duchess of Chicago: a virtual hall of mirrors, offering a mirror to us all. Emmerich Kálmán’s work shines like a brilliant gem amid the colourful cultural mosaic of Austria and central Europe. His melodies were huge hits in their day. They have stayed enormously popular, and have lived on in the minds and hearts of generations, right around the world – for the past 140 years! In its quarterly publication “Leháriana-Publikationen der Internationalen Franz Lehár Gesellschaft”, the International Franz Lehár Society (board members: Helga Papouschek and Wolfgang Dosch) dedicates itself not only to the works of Lehár himself, but also to operetta as an art form in general. The Society is especially interested in presenting both aspiring young singers and master interpreters of the genre alike, since providing them with practical opportunities to perform in the operetta style helps carry the tradition forward.