(1870 - 1948)
Franz Lehár, was born in 1870 in Komárom, Hungary and was a composer of operettas who achieved worldwide success with Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow). Lehár studied at the Prague Conservatory and was encouraged by Antonín Dvořák to follow a musical career. In The Merry Widow (1905), with libretto by Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, Lehár created a new style of Viennese operetta, introducing waltz tunes and imitations of the Parisian cancan dances as well as a certain satirical element. Its success was such that two years later it was played at Buenos Aires at five theatres simultaneously. Many other operettas by Lehár followed and became well known in England and the United States under their English titles. Among them were The Man with Three Wives (1908), The Count of Luxembourg (1909), Gypsy Love (1910), and The Land of Smiles (1923). Several of his works were filmed, including The Merry Widow and The Land of Smiles. He wrote a single grand opera, Giuditta (1934), which was less successful.
Franz Lehár Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements
Count of Luxembourg - Fancy Free
Timpani + 1 percussion
Glockenspiel
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Count of Luxembourg - Waltz
Timpani + 3 percussion
1) glockenspiel, tubular bells A, B, D, 2) snare drum, triangle, 3) orchestral bass drum, clash cymbals
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Eva Waltz
Timpani doubling percussion + 3 percussion
Timpani) glockenspiel, 1) snare drum, triangle, 2) clash cymbals, 3) orchestral bass drum
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Gold and Silver Waltz
Timpani + 4 percussion
1) glockenspiel, triangle, 2) snare drum, tam tam, 3) clash cymbals, 4) orchestral bass drum
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Jetzt geht's los! - March
No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) snare drum, 2) clash cymbals, 3) orchestral bass drum
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Merry Widow
Timpani doubling percussion + 2 percussion
Timpani) glockenspiel, small tam tam, 1) snare drum, glockenspiel, clash cymbals, 2) machine castanets, suspended cymbal, triangle, tambourine
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You are My Hearts Delight
Timpani + 2 percussion
1) clash cymbals, 2) orchestral bass drum
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