His first operettas in the tradition of Jacques Offenbach were not very successful. The breakthrough came in 1907 when the operetta “A Waltz Dream” premiered in Vienna. This operetta at times even exceeded the performance figures of Franz Lehar’s operetta “The Merry Widow”. Until the early 1930s, almost 50 other stage works followed, including “The Brave Soldier”, “The Last Waltz” with Fritzi Massary in the lead role and the musical comedy “A Woman Who Knows What She Wants”. During the Third Reich Oscar Straus went to America, where he composed the music for several films. In 1950 he returned to Europe and composed the operettas “Her First Waltz” and “Bozena” as well as the music for the film “La Ronde” by Max Ophüls.
 

 
In the video, the Swiss journalist and amateur pianist Andy Faessler plays the waltz “Out there in the fragrant garden” from the operetta “A waltz dream”.

1835/1836 he studied counterpoint in Vienna and then composition in Paris. The performance of his Violin Concerto No. 1 in E major in St. Petersburg was a great success in 1837. Vieuxtemps then devoted himself to composing other works in Paris. In 1843/44 he went on a tour through North and Central America with his future wife, the pianist Josephine Eder. From 1846 to 1852 he worked as court musician of Tsar Nicholas I in St. Petersburg, then lived for several years near Frankfurt / Main, later in Paris, and finally again from 1871 he took up a professorship at the Brussels Conservatory. His most famous student there was Eugène Ysaÿe.
Henri Vieuxtemps is considered one of the most important violinists of the 19th century. His compositional work includes seven violin concerts, two cello concerts, several other works for violin and orchestra or piano and numerous salon music.
 

 
The video shows the Korean violinist Kristin Lee with Henri Vieuxtemps’ composition “Souvenir d’Amerique” op.17 with variations on “Yankee Doodle”. She is accompanied by the American pianist Michael Mizrahi.

After a visit to the Bayreuth Festival, Lekeu became a private student with César Franck, and from 1889 he was taught by Vincent d’Indy.
Guillaume Lekeu created more than 50 works (orchestral, chamber and vocal music), which were initially influenced by César Franck, Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Wagner. Later works then reveal his own style. Lekeu received the second Belgian Prix de Rome in 1891 for his cantata “Andromède”. Lekeu composed his best-known work, the sonata for violin and piano in G major, for the violin virtuoso Eugène Ysaÿe.
 

 

de Moraes recorded many of his songs, which are now among the classics of Brazilian popular music. The final breakthrough as a composer Jobim achieved with the debut album of the hitherto unknown singer João Gilberto, which included the title song “Chega de saudade” and, among others, the compositions “Desafinado” and “Samba de uma nota só”. After that Jobim was finally considered as the most influential composer of Brazil of his time and as one of the founders of Bossa Nova.
His arrangements opened up new paths and possibilities for Brazil’s popular music. In his arrangements he mixed traditional Brazilian song forms, such as Choros and Samba with elements of jazz and classical music. Antônio Carlos Jobim partly performed and recorded his compositions together with international artists, among others with Stan Getz, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
 

Hans Sachs
Of the compositions of Hans Sachs only a few remained. Above all, the “Silberweise” is known, which has also found its way into the Lutheran chorales “Awake, the voice is calling us” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. The strict rules and the almost artisanal production of poetry in the master song did not find much favor with later generations.
That Hans Sachs today is the best known Meistersinger, he owes partly to the work of Richard Wagner, who set him a memorial in the “Meistersinger of Nuremberg”.
 

Johan Helmich Roman
As a composer, Roman preferred the style of light Italian Baroque music. His work includes suites, solo concerts, symphonies as well as chamber and church music. His most famous work is the “Drottningholmsmusic”, a suite in 24 movements, which he composed in 1744 on the occasion of the marriage of the Swedish Crownprince Adolf Fredrik with the Louise Ulrike, the sister of Frederick II of Prussia.
 

Clara’s father was appalled by her decision to marry the unstable, financially unsecured composer Robert Schumann, so she had to win the marriage in court. Within 13 years she gave birth to nine children. In between she gave concerts as often as possible. In 1854, after the first symptoms of illness, her husband came in a mental institution, where he died in 1856. Clara Schumann was a close friend with Johannes Brahms and often gave concerts with him and the violinist Joseph Joachim. In later years she taught at the Conservatory in Frankfurt.
Clara Schumann’s compositions initially served primarily for her own performances and show the progressing virtuoso possibilities of the pianist. She composed 23 works with opus numbers as well as numerous songs, romances, overtures and piano pieces. In addition, she co-worked on several compositions of her husband Robert Schumann. The highlight of her work is the Piano Trio op.17. The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor op. 7, written at the age of 14, which does not formally conform to any of the piano concertos known to her, still elicits admiration today.
 

On August 14, 1969, the movie “Once Upon a Time in the West” started in German cinemas,
to which Ennio Moriccone has composed one of the most famous film scores.

The music is an essential part of Italo-Western “Once Upon a Time in the West” (Original title: C’era una volta il West) directed by Sergio Leone in 1968. The music was completed by Ennio Moricone before the filming began. Sergio Leone then staged entire passages of the film to the rhythm of the music. The almost operatic music was at that time completely uncommon for a film music and especially for the Western genre. Each main character has its own musical theme, which is repeatedly taken up as a leitmotif. The plaintive harmonica (originally played by Franco de Gemini) is the key to understand the story, but it is only presented at the end of the movie. Especially convincing are the wordless vocals of the Italian singer Edda Dell’Orso for the female lead role.