Stolz, Robert (1880 - 1975)

His first attempts to establish himself in the United States as a composer were not crowned with success. His luck changed for the better when in 1941 violinist Jack Fischberg asked him to stand in for Bruno Walter as conductor at a Johann Strauss concert given by the New York Philharmonic. The concert, ”A Night in Vienna”, at Carnegie Hall was a smash hit, and recording contracts and commissions from radio stations for film music (for example ”Zwei Herzen im Dreivierteltakt”), plays, and concerts followed. ”A Night in Vienna” went on tour across the U.S., and remained a fixture on Robert Stolz’s musical calendar long after he had returned to Vienna. The maestro composed over two thousand popular songs including the beloved ”Im Prater blüh’n wieder die Bäume” (”The Trees in the Prater are in Blossom Again”). Robert Stolz died in Berlin on June 27, 1975.