Show I FRANZ LEHAR Composer of The Merry Widow HE world owes one of Its greatest T theatrical delights to the fact that once upon a time a boy with a a brain brimming over with music refused to be bea ben bea a n butcher and turned musician The boy was Antonin Dvorak and the influence that rose out of his decision not to follow his fathers example in wielding a cleaver resulted not only in giving to music some el of c f its Ita most exquisite compositions but in to the world the composer of the greatest operetta of modern times Franz Lehar author of at the score of The Merry Widow ti and composer of the tm waltz which has hils tripped gaily around the world It was the Bohemian composer Dvorak who woo persuaded Franz Lehar to give up Us his ambition to become a great violin I virtuoso and turn composer And ADd Dvorak was the son eon of a butcher who had planned that the lad should remain in the little Muhlhausen shop cutting chops and making wonderful Bohemian It Is 18 not a far fetched notion that re relates relates lates latos tho the creation of The Merry Widow with the butcher boys stubbornness to study music For Lehar according to his own words was bound hound to become a e great instrumentalist until he met the great composer once the butcher boy and w was ace discovered Lehar was studying violin loUn under tinder Di Director DIrector Director rector Bennewitz at the Prague conserva conservatory conservatory conservatory tory He was just a II lad of f thirteen but his heart was set on mastering ma the Instrument he loved and becoming a sue suc cessor to Joachim After a years study with Bennewitz Lens Leht was advised by his instructor to apply to Dvorak for instruction In 1887 Lehar submitted two compositions to Dvorak The great composer com composer composer poser looked them over critically and smiled My boy said he hang up your fiddle You are wasting a precious creative genius You will wUl be a composer not a violinist Though father Insisted he should continue his Instrumental practice the boy now thoroughly aroused tg the possibilities of creative effort kept on his theory study and soon had finished two operas Kuska and which were produced successfully In Leip Leipsic sic Though they had not great perma permanent permanent permanent nent vogue the fault was attributed to the books The music was praised by the critics who declared that a new master of operatic composition had arisen Lehar is thus like Sir Arthur Sullivan He brings to the composition of airy light ight music the training and skill of a master capable of penning a e symphony or writ writIng writing Ing tag a music drama His muse Is best when It Is gayest and there is none too much merriment in the world but plenty of ot seriousness Sullivan wrote a won wonderful wonderful wonderful romantic opera Ivanhoe but buthis buthis buthis his fame tame will not rest In that nor In his oratorio music Lehar has written great music for tor the tragic stage but his fame will not rest in Kuska It will dance for a hundred years In the music of The Merry Widow |