Ralph Benatzky

Ralph Benatzky (5 June 1884 – 16 October 1957), born in Mährisch Budwitz (Moravské Budějovice) as Rudolph Franz [František] Josef Benatzky,^[1] was an Austrian composer of Moravian origin.^[2] He composed operas and operettas, such as Casanova (1928), Die drei Musketiere (1929), Im weißen Rössl (1930) and Meine Schwester und ich (1930). He died in Zürich, Switzerland.

Works

Ralph Benatzky's grave in St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut

Laridon (1911)
Cherchez la femme (1911)
Der lachende Dreibund (1913)
Anno 14 (1914)
Prinzchens Frühlingserwachen (1914)
Liebe im Schnee (1916)
Die tanzende Maske (1918)
Die Verliebten (1919)
Apachen (1920)
Ein Märchen aus Florenz (1923)
Casanova, with music by Johann Strauss II (1928)
Die drei Musketiere [de] (1929)
Im weißen Rößl (1930)
Meine Schwester und ich (1930)
Zur goldenen Liebe (1931)
Zirkus Aimée (1932)
Büxl (1932)
Bezauberndes Fräulein (1933)
Reichste Mann der Welt (1935)
Der König mit dem Regenschirm (1935)
Axel an der Himmelstür [de] (1936)
Majestät privat (1937)
Herzen im Schnee (1937)
Der Silberhof (1941)
Kleinstadt zauber (Zürich, 1947)
Liebesschule (Göttingen, 1950)
Mon Ami René (Karlsruhe, 1951)

Selected filmography

Notes

Benatzky is often mistakenly referred to as Jewish due to an error published in a book of Jewish musicians during World War II. Benatzky himself was not Jewish, but he was twice married to Jewish women: Josma Selim, a singer (Hedwig Josma Fischer; born 1884 in Vienna; died 1929 in Berlin) and Melanie "Mela" Hoffmann, a dancer.^[3]^[4]^[5]

References

^ Barbara Boisits (11 December 2019). "Benatzky, Ralph (Rudolph Franz [František] Josef)". Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon.
^ When Benatzky was born, Moravia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Benatzky worked in Vienna and Berlin and lived in Switzerland and America.
^ Theophil Stengel, Herbert Gerigk: Lexikon der Juden in der Musik. Mit einem Titelverzeichnis jüdischer Werke. Zusammmengestellt im Auftrag der Reichsleitung der NSDAP auf Grund behördlich, parteiamtlich geprüfter Unterlagen. Hahnefeld, Berlin 1940. There were entries for both women, but none for Ralph Benatzky.
^ Michael Hans Kater: The Twisted Music. Musicians and Their Music in the Third Reich. Oxford University Press, New York 1999.
^ Fred K. Prieberg: Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945. CD-ROM edition, Kiel, 2004, p. 370

External links

Media related to Ralph Benatzky at Wikimedia Commons
Official website

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[1] Barbara Boisits (11 December 2019). "Benatzky, Ralph (Rudolph Franz [František] Josef)". Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon.

[2] When Benatzky was born, Moravia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; Benatzky worked in Vienna and Berlin and lived in Switzerland and America.

[3] Theophil Stengel, Herbert Gerigk: Lexikon der Juden in der Musik. Mit einem Titelverzeichnis jüdischer Werke. Zusammmengestellt im Auftrag der Reichsleitung der NSDAP auf Grund behördlich, parteiamtlich geprüfter Unterlagen. Hahnefeld, Berlin 1940. There were entries for both women, but none for Ralph Benatzky.

[4] Michael Hans Kater: The Twisted Music. Musicians and Their Music in the Third Reich. Oxford University Press, New York 1999.

[5] Fred K. Prieberg: Handbuch Deutsche Musiker 1933–1945. CD-ROM edition, Kiel, 2004, p. 370

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