Evening star., 1948-10-25
Franz Lehor, 78, Composer
Of,Merry Widow WoItz,' Dies
Lost Musical Link
With Old Vienna Left
Many Popular Tunes
By the Associated Press


world. died yesterday at his home
in Bad Ischl. 4
Mr.. Lehar, composer of charming
melodies and graceful waltz themes
which are loved universally, was the
creator of THE Merry Widow" and
several other operettas that are
among today's last links with the
light-hearted music for which
Vienna was famous before World
War I. 4
His physician, DR.. Franz Wurnik
said tine composer, who had been
CRITICALLY i'll for six weeks, died Of
cancer. His illness was complicated
by gastric ulcers, double pneumonia,
and a heart ailment. He had been
in poor health for two years, but
mis- condition did not become serious
until August.
Although Mr.. Lehar composed
several sonataS and symphonic
poems, the world knew him best for
his great light opera hits. topped by
THE Merry Widow" and including
"Springtime," Gypsy Love-" THE
Count OF Luxembourg" The Land
of Smiles" The Man With Three
Lives" and 'The World Is Beauti-
full"
Estate Set at Million.
The Merry Widow first pro-
duced in. Vienna on December 30,7
1905, has been produced in the
United States more than 5000
times, and has been performed
more than 1000 times in the capi-
tails of Europe. In Buenos Aires, it
once ran simultaneously in five
theaters in Ave different languages
At Mr.. Lehar's bedside when he
died were his brother, Baron Anton
Won Lehar, and his sister, Emma
Marie PahphaZy. widow of Hun
garian count. He had been living
with her at his summer home since
last year.
His funeral will be held Saturday.
He will be buried beside his mother
and his wife. Mrs. Lehar died last
year
Mr.. Lehar's estate is estimated at
more than 100000. He recently
drew up will leaving his home to
the town of Bad Ischl as a shrine
with 10 per cent Of the income from
his estate to maintain'it.
In almost half a century of, COM
posing, Franz Lehar turned out
nearly 80 operettas. Although rThe
Merry Widow" and The Count of
Luxembourg were his most famous
light operas, all his scores were
marked by melodies that invited
waltzing.
Born at Komarom, Hungary, on
April 4, 1870, the composer was the
son of a military bandmaster. His
training in music began early in life
and he later was educated at the
Academy of Music at Prague. He
was successfully a concertmaster at
the Elberfeld Opera, a regimental
bandmaster in the Austrian Army
and conductor OF the Vienna
Theater.
On the advice of the great Czech
composer, Anton Dvorak, Mr.. Lehar
turned to composition, and he still!
was Q military band leader when1
he produced 'Kukuska," later called
"Tatiana," in 1896.
But it was THE Merry Widow"
that brought the composer world
wide fame and great fortunes
s@A Walk Standby :
Dance orchestras have made the
title song a standby for waltz med
leys. Another enduring favorite
from THE Merry Widow" is. the
popular Villa.
But the composer himself never
would admit THE Merry Widow"
was his favorite. I
"One doesn't say which of ones
children one likes best, does one?"
he once told an interviewer.
The first performance of the
operetta in this country took place
at the New Amsterdam Theater in
New York on October 81. 1907, star.
ring Donald Brian and Ethel jack
son.
As a movie, it was graced by
Mae Murray. In recent years, 1t
was revived successfully on Broad
way. The younger generation be-
came familiar with its melodies
through road shows that were al
most an annual event.
Even when he was over 10. the
composers eyes still could light
UP with enthusiasm at the arrival
OF a libretto for which he was to
provide the musical score.
Always prolific, Mr.. Lehar once |
worked on three scores simultane-
ously. AS he told it, this hap
pened in 1909-1910:
MY operetta Three Wives was
complete flop. It's good for
composer If once in while his
works are a failure, for then he
re-examines himself and his work
and doesn't get swell-headed.
"As though to compensate me for
this failure, I received three splen-
did librettos at the same time
u,;tL