Erich Wolfgang Korngold was one of those tragic composer personalities who were highly successful in the first half of the 20th century only to disappear into oblivion in Europe in the wake of political oppression. His opera "Die tote Stadt" was a fixture in the repertory of Germany´s leading opera houses until it, like all of Korngold´s other works, were banned from German musical life by the Nazis. After immigrating to the United States, Korngold dedicated his creative life largely to film music, such as his scores for "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "A Midsummer Night´s Dream". Over the past few years, some successful attempts have been made to restore Korngold´s sizable body of unjustly forgotten works to the musical awareness of the general public.
Born on May 29, 1897 in Brno
Died November 29, 1957 in Hollywood