Biographical data of Imre Kalman. Imre Kalman: biography, video, interesting facts, creativity

Kalman, Imre
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Imre (Emmerich) Kalman (Hungarian Kalman Imre, German Emmerich Kalman; October 24, 1882 - October 30, 1953) - Hungarian composer, author of popular operettas:
"Silva", "La Bayadère", "Princess of the Circus", "Violet of Montmartre" and others. Kalman's work completes the heyday of the Viennese operetta.

Biography

Imre Kalman was born in Siofok (Austria-Hungary, now Hungary), on the shores of Lake Balaton, in the family of a Jewish merchant, Karl Koppstein. Even at school, he changed his surname to Kalman. He studied to be a pianist, but due to arthritis he switched to composition. He graduated from the Academy of Music in Budapest, where Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodai studied with him.

In 1904, Kalman worked as a music critic for a Budapest newspaper, at the same time devoting a lot of time to composition.

Kalman's romances and symphonic works were not very successful, but his cycle of songs received the Great Prize of the City of Budapest. On the advice of his friend, composer Victor Jacobi, Kalman decided to try his hand at operetta. Already his first operetta (Tatarjaras, 1908, Budapest) was enthusiastically received by the public and was staged in Vienna, New York and London (under the title "Autumn Maneuvers").

In 1908, Kalman moved to Vienna, where he consolidated his success with the operetta Gypsy Premier (1912).

In the war year of 1915, Kalman's most popular operetta, The Czardas Queen (Silva), appeared. She was even placed on the other side of the front, including in Russia (changing the names of the characters and the scene).

In the 1920s, Kalman's three operettas had the greatest success: La Bayadère (1921) (here, in addition to his traditional waltzes and chardashes, Kalman decided to master new rhythms: foxtrot and shimmy), then Maritza (1924) and Princess circus" (1926).

In 1930, Kalman married a young Russian émigré from Perm, actress Vera Makinskaya, to whom he later dedicated the operetta The Violet of Montmartre. They had a son, Kara, and two daughters, Lily and Ivonka.

In 1934 Kalman was awarded the French Legion of Honor.

After the Anschluss of Austria, refusing the offer to become an "honorary Aryan", Kalman emigrated - first to Paris (1938), then to the USA (1940). His operettas were banned in Nazi Germany, two of Kalman's sisters died in concentration camps.

1942: Kalman divorces Vera, but a few months later they reunite.

After the defeat of Nazism, in the winter of 1948/1949, Kalman came to Europe, laid a wreath at the grave of Lehar, then returned to the United States. In 1949, after a stroke, he was partially paralyzed. Then the state of health improved somewhat, and in 1951, Kalman, at the insistence of Vera, moved to Paris, where he died 2 years later.
He was buried, according to his will, in Vienna at the Central Cemetery. The Kalman memorial room has been opened at the Austrian National Library.

In the genre of operetta, the Hungarian Imre Kalman, perhaps, had no equal either before or after him. Neither Offenbach, nor Strauss, nor Lehár taken together wrote as many "eternal hits" as Kalman alone wrote. Most of his 17 operettas are recognized masterpieces of the genre.

As a child, he wanted to become a tailor, then a lawyer, then a music critic, but eventually became a world-famous and recognized composer. Author of almost two dozen operettas. Few people, however, know that, before writing so many masterpieces of the light genre, Kalman first had to establish himself in the genre of classical composition. He literally polishes each of his operettas, refuting all the myths about the "extraordinary lightness of being" of the author of the entertainment genre.

“It turns out that my symphonies are not needed by the world? It will end with the fact that I decide on a desperate step, I will take and compose an operetta,” the 25-year-old composer Imre Kalman “scared” relatives and friends with annoyance after another symphony concert.

Get down to operetta! How so? The author of several symphonic compositions, performed with considerable success even at the Budapest Opera, winner of the Robert Volkmann Prize, a worthy student of Professor Kesler of the Budapest Conservatory, at the beginning of his career he personally deeply despised frivolous genres.

However, the circumstances of life developed in such a way that soon Kalman really "slid" to the operetta. As usual, the case helped. His friend, composer Victor Jacobi, who by that time had already become the author of the sensational operetta Bride Fair, advised Imre to try his hand at operetta. Not all the same to write symphonies! Moreover, at the beginning of the 20th century, operetta became almost the most popular musical genre in Austria-Hungary. In the last decade before the Great War, Europe lived happily. Few thought about the future. Everyone lived for today. Time and the public demanded spectacles and entertainment, cheerful and light music.

Shortly after his threat to compose an operetta, Imre, on the advice of Jacobi, rented a cheap attic room in the town of Kreusbach near Graz in order to work without interference.
It was there that he composed his first operetta "Autumn Maneuvers". The production premiered on February 22, 1908 in Budapest with incredible success. The audience applauded tirelessly, again and again calling the performers to the stage. It became clear that a new master of operetta appeared in Europe, who was not yet 26 years old.

The childhood of the future maestro passed on the shores of the Hungarian sea - Lake Balaton. In 1882, when the third child, Immerich (Imre), appeared in the family of a small Jewish businessman and founder of a small joint-stock company for the development of tourism by the name of Koppstein, Austria-Hungary experienced an era of upsurge.

Music surrounded little Immerich literally from the cradle. In the house of the Koppsteins in the resort town of Siofok on the banks of the Lake Balaton, it sounded day and night. The piano was played not only by adults, but also by children.

From the age of four, Imre already worshiped the "temple of the arts" - a theater built in the neighborhood. If he was not in the theater, then it means that he could be found at home, in the music room. Huddled under the piano, he listened to how his sister Wilma performed musical exercises.

It so happened that the first twenty years of Imre Kalman's life passed under the sign of a split personality. The family insisted on getting a "serious" profession - a lawyer, and he, like an obedient son, could not resist this, while his soul was constantly eager for music, for performing, and then for writing.

In 1896 the Kalman family moved to Budapest. The reason was the ruin of his father. A 14-year-old Imre Kalman, a fifth grade student of the gymnasium, had to earn money by tutoring, and in the evening he helped his father rewrite business letters and send them to the post office. These were difficult years for the boy.

“A terrible feeling of uncertainty about the future never left me throughout my life,” Kalman recalled. “Jokes were told about me, but no one knew how sad my youth was. It was then that an incredible craving for music seized me. Music helped forget about everyday worries. I decided at all costs to study and become a musician. "

However, obeying his parental will, Kalman entered the Faculty of Law of the University of Budapest and, in parallel with the full load, continued to study at the Academy of Music.

His family encouraged him to study law by giving him pocket money. And in order to study music, he had to find material opportunities himself.
He could not play the piano: his hands failed him. Arthritis. Then he began to write critical articles in the newspaper "Peshti Naplo", thinking about a career in music criticism.
He usually signed his notes in the press with the letters "I.K." It is to this period that the birth of his pseudonym Imre Kalman belongs.

In 1902, when Kalman was twenty, his first musical composition appeared - a musical cycle on poems by Ludwig Jakubowski. The first serious work was followed by others. Among them, the main work, with which he linked all his hopes, is "Saturnalia", a poem for a large symphony orchestra.

The following year, the aspiring composer Kalman was awarded the Robert Volkmann Prize, awarded to him by the Academy of Music. The money received allowed him to spend six weeks in Berlin. Imre took this opportunity to offer his writings to German publishers, but, alas, to no avail. It was then that Kalman ended as the author of symphonic works and the future author of brilliant operettas was born.

The main changes in the life of Imre Kalman, as it happens, happened almost simultaneously. The first operetta, the first musical success, the first love. At the end of January 1909, the 27-year-old composer celebrated the triumph of his operetta "Autumn Maneuvers" at the An Der Wien Theater in Vienna. At the end of the performance, he was surrounded by a crowd of admirers. The maestro did not like noise. He quickly hid in a nearby coffee shop. Suddenly, a cheerful company entered the hall. One of the men walked arm in arm with a lady who had recently arrived in Vienna from Salzburg. Her name was Paula Dvorak.

At first, she did not believe that the plump brunette with beer was the composer that all Vienna was talking about. She imagined him tall, handsome, blond.
Suddenly, Paula sang a hit of that time. Kalman was not at a loss, sat down at the piano and translated the melody into a waltz from his operetta.

They left the coffee shop together. Thus began the 18-year romance of Imre Kalman and Paula, who was 10 years older than him. Shortly after meeting Paula Kalman, he moved to Vienna. The capital of Austria-Hungary becomes his second home for a long time. Kalman persuades Paula to become his wife, but she did not agree to marry him, because she could not give birth to children. It suited her to be his mistress, friend and caring mistress. The pessimistic Kalman often fell into depression and panicked before each premiere. Paula rented a small apartment for him with her own money, she cooked, washed, and cleaned clothes and shoes.

Thrifty Imre bought only his favorite ham, and where delicious dinners, flowers and everything else come from, he was not even interested. His thoughts were occupied with music. With such a life partner as Paula, he could devote himself entirely to creativity. And he works like a damn 16 hours a day.

If you look at what Kalman created during these happy eighteen years of his life with Paula, it turns out that it was then that almost the entire "golden fund" of his musical heritage was created. The operettas "Gypsy Premier", which consolidated the success of the "Maneuvers" and therefore was especially dear to the composer, "The Fairy of the Carnival", "The Queen of Czardas" ("Silva"), "The Young Lady Zhuzha", "La Bayadère", "Princess of the Circus" .. Hit after hit.

To understand the reasons for such a phenomenal success of Imre Kalman, one must bear in mind not only his extraordinary capacity for work and well-established life provided by Paula. After all, Kalman came to operetta as a professionally trained composer, symphonist and melodist, who grew up not only on the classical music of Schumann, Chopin or Liszt, but also on the Hungarian, Jewish and Gypsy folk music that surrounded him in the multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire from early childhood .

The triumphal procession of Kalman's operettas was not stopped even by the First World War, which shook all of Europe in 1914. At the beginning of the war, Imre worked simultaneously on two works: the light, cheerful "Lady Zhuzha" and "Queen of Czardas".

Trouble, as usual, does not come alone. Along with the war came misfortunes with loved ones. Imre was deeply shocked by the death of Bela's older brother, and then his father collapsed: diabetes did not promise the slightest hope of recovery. Kalman is again depressed.

As you know, the best remedy for boredom is work. Writing sheet music one after another, Imre forgot about everything in the world. He again creates bright, incendiary melodies. Following the "Dutch Girl" (1920), which withstood more than 450 performances in Vienna alone, Kalman's talent gives rise to two more masterpieces one after another: the exotic "La Bayadère" (1921), and soon "Countess Maritza" (1924). Over the last Imre worked especially easily and enthusiastically. 1924 is a leap year and, according to Imre, happy. The worldwide success of "Countess Maritza" only strengthened his conviction.

And indeed, it seemed that fortune would never turn away from Kalman now. The premiere of "Princess of the Circus" (1926) with its famous aria about bewitching eyes was held with great success. But here again there was trouble. Beloved Paula, his muse, his guardian angel, fell ill with tuberculosis. In those years, it was a sentence. Neither the wealth that his operettas brought, nor the new luxurious house pleased Kalman. Beloved woman slowly faded away ...

"You must marry a young and healthy girl who will bear you strong children," she constantly reminded Imra. But he didn't want to listen. Then Paula decided to find a mistress for him. She introduced Kalman to her friend, film actress Agnes Esterhazy from an old princely family. At first, Imre became interested in a young actress. However, he later found out that she had another lover. Dreams of a family and children came to an end this time as well. He broke with Esterhazy and returned to Paula. But on February 3, 1928, Paula died. On her grave, Imre swore that he would live alone for the rest of his life. However, fate had its own way.

In the Viennese coffee house Saher, which is next to the Opera, where the local bohemia still gathers today, one autumn day in 1928, the 46-year-old Kalman saw the young Russian emigrant Vera Makinskaya. She was 17 years old. A girl from Perm, the daughter of a tsarist officer who died in the First World War, who fled to Europe from the horrors of Bolshevism with her mother, wanted to become an actress and hoped that some director would pay attention to her.

It so happened that Vera and Kalman simultaneously got up from the cafe tables and went to get their coats. And here their acquaintance was helped by a rude dresser who did not want to give Vera her cape before serving the maestro, although the girl was first in line. Outraged by the rough treatment of the young lady, the composer considered it necessary to introduce himself to Vera and offer her his help.

“I had the feeling that they were holding out to me that notorious straw that I could grab onto,” the future wife of the composer recalled.

Thus began a dizzying romance between the composer and Vera Makinskaya, who soon became Vera Kalman...

In those days, Imre Kalman had just begun work on a new operetta, The Violet of Montmartre, and decided to dedicate it to his young wife. Vera soon gave birth to a boy, Kara Imre Fedor, and then two more girls, Lily and Yvonka. It seemed that Kalman was at the pinnacle of happiness. Now he had everything: fame, wealth, family, a young loving wife, children, a luxurious house.

At the evenings in his new house - a real palace in the aristocratic district on Hasenauerstrasse - the most influential people of various ranks appeared. Receptions were arranged by the young wife Vera, who quickly fell in love with luxury. Kalman himself, until the end of his life, was distinguished by the greatest modesty. To shine in the world, to throw balls and receptions - it was still absolutely alien to him. The difficult childhood was too memorable, when tutoring had to get a piece of bread, and sometimes there was not enough money even for a peach.

Meanwhile, the face of Europe was changing from day to day. Hitler came to power in neighboring Germany. The smell of gunpowder grew stronger on the continent. In March 1938, the tanks of the Third Reich crossed the Austrian border, turning a cheerful and carefree country into a province of Nazi Germany.

Shortly after the Anschluss of Austria, Kalman was summoned to a government office, where they made it clear that by order of the Fuhrer he would be declared an "honorary Aryan."
The composer politely refused and hastily took his wife and children from Vienna to Zurich, and then to Paris. In Nazi Germany, his operettas were soon banned.
The years of wandering began.

A month before the outbreak of World War II, Kalman received a visa to enter the United States, where he arrived in 1940. Arriving in Hollywood, where he was intensively invited before the war, Kalman found out that they were not going to make a single film based on his operettas. He was unspeakably disappointed.

Soon disappointment befell Kalman in family life. In New York, Vera met a young French immigrant named Gaston, fell in love with him and decided to leave her family. Kalman was shocked, but agreed to a divorce.

At the station, where Gaston met her, Calment and the children also came. Seeing the mother, the children threw themselves on her neck. Faith wept. The sight of Imre stunned her. He was wearing a shabby suit with a dirty shirt and wrinkled tie sticking out from under it. Leaving her lover, she rushed to Kalman. Soon they got engaged a second time.

During the war, Imre Kalman followed the events in Hungary. When he learned that two of his sisters died in a concentration camp, he suffered a heart attack. Having recovered a little, in June 1949 he decided to return to Europe. The Kalmans first settled in Vienna. At first, everything seemed to be going well. But six months later, Imre had a stroke. He could not speak and could hardly walk. The family decided to move to Paris.

Slowly, with difficulty overcoming his illness, Kalman finished in Paris the score of his last operetta, The Arizona Lady. On October 29, 1953, he finally put an end to it. And the next day at breakfast he became ill. The maestro went to his room, fell asleep and did not wake up.

http://news.day.az/unusual/381271.html

In conclusion, at the request of numerous readers (not unique, but unknown, whose number sometimes reaches six hundred in one day according to the counter of the Tumba Yumba tribe from Guadalajara), I will give the text of Edwin's aria "There are many women in the world ..." from the IMRE operetta Kalman "Silva":

You can often get carried away
But love only once.
Meet for a while
To never forget.

I did not give you a false oath,
Happiness awaits us.
In life, you can often get carried away,
But love - only once!

There are many women in the world
But one attracts us in the network:
Only in her, only in her alone
The whole earthly world.

Only love burns like a star
Only to you I'm torn by a dream.
Yes, you have the whole world.
You are a deity, you are my idol.

The task of this article is to find out the reason for the death of the king of the operetta IMRE KALMAN by his FULL NAME code.
Watch in advance "Logicology - about the fate of man".

Consider the FULL NAME code tables. \If there is a shift in numbers and letters on your screen, adjust the image scale\.

11 26 42 58 83 102 108 118 132 162 175 188 194 211 221 243
K O P P S H T E Y N E M M E R I X
243 232 217 201 185 160 141 135 125 111 81 68 55 49 32 22

30 43 56 62 79 89 111 122 137 153 169 194 213 219 229 243
E M M E R I H K O P P S H T E Y N
243 213 200 187 181 164 154 132 121 106 90 74 49 30 24 14

To an inexperienced reader, these figures appear to be a kind of "Chinese letter". However, this is only at first glance.

We read individual numbers: 89 - DEATH. 111-HEMORRHAGIC \ esky stroke \. 122-STROKE. 137-APOPLEXY. 153-APOPLEXIC \ cue blow \. 169-I HAVE HAD A KONDRATIO. 219-COMING DEATH.

243 = 219-DEATH + 24-IN\sult \ = DIES FROM A STROKE.

243 = 121-MAJOR + 122-STROKE.

Let's check the decryption with a table:

10 24* 42* 62* 74* 103 122* 137**139 164*174 191 205 233 243*
I N S U L T O BROAD
243*233 219*201*181*169*140 121**106*104 79* 69 52 38 10

In the table we see one matching column: 137**\\121**

If you make some permutation, you can see the following picture:

14** 32* 52 64 93 112 127 129 154*164**181**195 223 233 243*
...N S U LTO BROAD WIDE + AND \NSULT \
243**229 211*191 179 150 131 116 114 89** 79** 62* 48 20 10

The table contains 2 chains of 3 consecutive numbers: 62-79-89 and 154-164-181

And also 3 matching columns: 243**\\14** 79**\\181** 89**\\164**

Reference:

Massive stroke: consequences for the brain...
oserdce.com›sosudy/insulty/obshirnyj-ins.html
A massive stroke is a deadly disease. ... An extensive stroke is a brain lesion.

Consider another decryption:

18 29 44 60 72 78 92 102*108** 119 136 151 154*164** 167 180 195 204 208 214 232*243**
C O P L E N I E K R O V I V M O Z G E + S K \ braid \
243 225 214 199 183 171 165 151 141** 135*124 107 92 89** 79* 76 63 48 39 35 29 11**

In the table we also see 3 matching columns: 108**\\141** 89**\\164** 11**\\243**

Reference:

Hemorrhagic stroke: symptoms, causes ...
lookmedbook.ru›Hemorrhagic stroke
With the accumulation of blood in the substance of the brain, a hematoma (local accumulation of blood) is formed. ... hemorrhagic stroke with a breakthrough of blood into the ventricles
brain

At the same time, it should be noted that we are talking about ischemic stroke: ISCHEMIC = 143.

We will find the number 143 if the code of the letter "X", equal to 22 (in the sentence ... X KOPPSHTEIN), is divided by 2:

22: 2 = 11. 132 + 11 = 143.

Consider two tables:

STROKE M OZGA \ (ish) EMIC and (IS) EMIC STROKE M OZGA \:

10 24* 42* 62* 74* 103 122* 135* 141**154 164**188 194**212 223 233 243*
I N S U L T M \ ozga \ ... E M I C E S K I Y
243*233 219*201*181*169*140 121* 108**102* 89** 79* 55** 49* 31 20 10

We see the coincidence of three columns precisely in the word (ish)EMIC

6 19 29 53 59 77 88 98 108* 118**132**150 170 182 211*230 243*
... E M I C E S K I Y I N S U L T M \ ozga \
243*237 224 214 190 184 166 155 145 135**125**111* 93 73 61 32* 13

The table contains 2 chains of 3 consecutive numbers: 108-118-132 and 111-125-135

And also 2 matching columns: 118**\\135 132**\\125**

Related to the word STROKE M\ozga\.

Not everyone knows why a cerebral infarction develops, what it is and what it can lead to. A heart attack and an ischemic stroke are one and the same, that is, a dangerous condition that threatens the life of a sick person. Often, cerebral infarction leads to death.

Cerebral infarction is an acute violation of cerebral circulation, in which the death of nerve cells and neurological symptoms are observed. The heart and brain are very sensitive to lack of oxygen. When blood flow stops for 6-7 minutes, irreversible changes occur in the brain. Cerebral infarction is not an independent pathology. This is a complication after other vascular diseases (atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, thrombosis).
saymigren.net›…infarkt…mozga-chto-eto-takoe.html

Taking into account this reference, we can carry out the following decryption:

243 \u003d 108- \ 69-END + 39-UME (p) \ + 135-BRAIN INFARCTION.

11** 26** 40 46 69 89*102*108** 118**132**153*154*171 182 201* 214 229*238 242 243*
C O N E C + U M E \ r \ + I N F A R K T M O Z G A
243**232**217*203 197 174 154*141** 135**125**111* 90* 89* 72 61 42* 29 14* 5 1

The table contains 2 chains of 4 consecutive numbers: 102-108-118-132 and 111-125-135-141

And also 5 matching columns: 11**\\243** 26**\\232** 108**\\141** 118**\\135** 132**\\125**

The table of the sentence 243 \u003d 108- \ 69-END + 39-UME (p) \ + 135-STROKE M \ ozga \ will look similar.

Code for the number of complete YEARS OF LIFE: 146-SEVENTY + 44-ONE \u003d 190 \u003d 146-BLEEDING + 44-IN THE BRAIN \u003d HEMORRHAGIC IN \ sult \.

Reference:

Medical-enc.ru›1/apoplexy.shtml
Apoplexy of the brain leads either to death or leaves serious consequences (paralysis, loss of speech, mental disorders, etc.).

Homeopathy.academic.ru›427/BRAIN_APOPLEXIA
BRAIN APOPLEKSY is: Interpretation Translation. ... cerebral apoplexy - (apoplexia cerebri) see Hemorrhagic stroke

Consider tables:

18** 24 37 66* 71 77* 95**127*146 161*166 176 190*
SEVENTY ONE
190**172*166 153 124*119 113** 95* 63* 44 29* 24 14

1 17 32 48 60 66* 77* 95** 96 112 127*143 155 161*172*190**
A P O P L E X S \ iya \ + A P O P L E X S \ iya \
190*189 173 158 142 130 124*113** 95* 94 78 63* 47 35 29* 18**

In the tables we see 2 matching columns: 18**\\190** and 95**\\113**

Since there are no digits of the sentence SEVENTY ONE in the FULL NAME code, we use the second option:

The SEVENTY-TWO year is coming.

146-SEVENTY + 79-SECOND \u003d 225 \u003d APOPLEXIA OF THE HEAD / artery \.

243 \u003d APOPLEXY OF THE HEAD AR \ terii \.

Let's check the decryption with tables:

18 24 37 66* 71 77* 95**127 146 149 168*183**200*215**225**
S E M D E C Y T S E T O N
225*207 201 188 159*154 148**130* 98 79 76 57** 42* 25** 10**

1 17 32 48 60 66* 77* 95**105 137 141 156 168*183**186 200*215**225**
A P O P L E X S I A H O L O V N O Y \ arteries \
225*224 208 193 177 165 159*148**130*120 88 84 69 57** 42* 39 25** 10**

In the tables we see 4 matching columns: 95**\\148** 183**\\57** 215**\\25** 225**\\10**

We look at the column in the lower table of the FULL NAME code:

56 = DIED
_____________________________________________________
200 \u003d SEVENTY SECOND\ oh \ \u003d APOPLEX OF THE CAPITAL \ th artery \

200 - 56 = 144 = BRAIN DEATH.

243 \u003d 169-KONDRATIO ENOUGH + 74-FADE OUT.

243 \u003d 102-CONDRATS + 141- \ 67-GOT + 74-FADE OUT \.

Future king of operetta Born October 24, 1882 in the resort town of Siofok in the family of a merchant Karl Koppstein. While studying at school, the boy changed his surname to Kalman. The craving for music woke up in him at about four years old and no longer gave rest, constantly bringing confusion into his life. The young man combined his studies at the gymnasium and the music school, and later, fulfilling his parental will, he entered the law faculty of the University of Budapest. This promised him a stable income in the future, but his soul demanded something else and Imre again had to study in parallel - this time at the Academy of Music in the composition class.

Kalman did not become an intelligent lawyer - from 1904 to 1908 he worked as a music critic in one of the Budapest newspapers, and in his spare time he composed romances and instrumental plays. By that time, the young man had already realized that he could not become a pianist, but he could be successful in composition. Belief in himself bore fruit - the first operetta, "Autumn Maneuvers", written by him in Budapest in 1908, thundered almost all over the world - the audience enthusiastically met her production in Vienna, New York and London.

Moving to Vienna Kalman consolidated his success with the operetta "Gypsy Premier" (1912), and in 1915 he created his most successful work - "Queen of Czardas (Silva)". In the 1920s, he wrote three more magnificent operettas: La Bayadère (1921), Maritza (1924) and "Circus Princess" (1926).

In 1928, Kalman was captivated by the Russian beauty Vera Makinskaya, and two years later they got married. Their strong union gave the world not only three wonderful children (son Kara and two daughters Lily and Yvonka), but also the most touching and sensual operetta "Violet of Montmartre"(1930). In 1934 Kalman was awarded the French Legion of Honor.

After the Anschluss of Austria, refusing the offer to become an "honorary Aryan", Kalman emigrated - first to Paris (1938), then to the USA (1940). The composer's isolation from the usual environment, a foreign culture, and age - over the past two decades of his life, he created only two operettas ("Marinka" and shortly before his death - "The Arizona Lady"), played a role. In the winter of 1949, the composer arrived in Europe, laid a wreath at the grave of Franz Lehar, and then returned to the United States. He soon suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed. In 1951, when his health improved somewhat, at the insistence of Vera Kalman moved to Paris, where he found his final resting place.

On the day of the composer's memory "Evening Moscow" offers you a selection of the brightest arias from his works.

Aria Pali Racha from the operetta "Gypsy Premier"

Silva's aria from the operetta "Queen of Czardas (Silva)"

Duet of Silva and Edwin "Do you remember…" from the operetta "Queen of Czardas (Silva)"

Aria of Prince Rajami from the operetta "La Bayadere"

Aria of Mister X from the operetta "Princess of the Circus"

Aria "Mr. X exposed" from the operetta "Princess of the Circus"

Violetta's aria from the operetta "The Violet of Montmartre"

October 24, 1882 was born Imre Kalman (Emmerich Kalman), Hungarian composer, author of popular operettas.

Hungarian composer Imre (Emmerich) Kalman (Emmerich Kalman) was born on October 24, 1882 in the city of Siofok (Austria-Hungary, now Hungary), on the shores of Lake Balaton, in the family of a Jewish merchant Karl Koppstein (Karl Koppstein).

Soon the family moved to Budapest, where the father went bankrupt. While still at school, the boy changed his surname to Kalman. He studied at the Faculty of Law of the University of Budapest, while studying at the Academy of Music (now the Franz Liszt Academy of Music), composition class of Hans Kesler.

In 1904-1908, Kalman worked as a music critic for the Budapest newspaper Pesti Naplo.

He began to compose music already in his student years. These were symphonic works, songs, piano pieces, couplets for cabaret.

Kalman's symphonic works were not very successful, but his cycle of songs received the Great Prize of the City of Budapest. On the advice of his friend, composer Victor Jacobi, author of the operetta Bride Fair, Kalman decided to try his hand at operetta. His first operetta "Autumn Maneuvers", staged in 1908 in Budapest, was a success with the audience. Then it was staged in Vienna (Austria) and subsequently went around many stages in Europe and America.

In 1908, the composer moved to Vienna, where his best works were created - the operettas "Gypsy Premier" (1912), "The Queen of Csardas" (known as "Silva", 1915), "La Bayadère" (1921), "Countess Maritza" (1924), "Princess of the Circus" (1926), "Violet of Montmartre" (1930). Most of Kalman's operettas are associated with the national Hungarian song and dance melody - the verbunkos style, which is distinguished by emotional melody and rhythmic diversity.

In the 1930s, the composer worked extensively in the genre of film music, wrote the historical operetta The Devil's Rider (1932), the premiere of which was Kalman's last in Vienna.

In 1938, after the capture of Austria by Nazi Germany, Kalman was forced to emigrate first to Paris (1938), then to the USA (1940). His operettas were banned in Nazi Germany. Abroad, the composer wrote only two operettas "Marinka" (1945) and, shortly before his death, "Lady of Arizona".

In addition to 20 operettas, Kalman wrote several works for orchestra (the symphonic poems "Saturnalia" (1904) and "Endre and Johann" (1905) and others), compositions for piano, vocal works, music for theater and cinema.

In 1949, after a stroke, Kalman was partially paralyzed. After improving his health, at the insistence of his relatives, in 1951 he moved to Paris. On October 30, 1953, Imre Kalman died. According to the will, he was buried in Vienna at the Central Cemetery.

The composer was awarded the French Legion of Honor (1934).

The Kalman memorial room was opened at the Austrian National Library.

In Russia, operettas by Imre Kalman are shown in almost all musical theaters of the country. Most often at the Moscow Operetta Theatre, the Musical Theater on Basmannaya, the Musical Comedy Theater (St. Petersburg), and the Yekaterinburg Musical Comedy Theater.

Imre Kalman was married to a Russian immigrant from Perm, actress Vera Makinskaya, to whom he dedicated the operetta "The Violet of Montmartre". They had a son and two daughters.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

It seemed that there could be nothing in common between the Russian emigrant and the famous Hungarian composer. Imre Kalman at first only showed friendly concern for a poor young girl. Then no one could have imagined that Vera Makinskaya was destined to become the last happiness of a genius. The history of their relationship could form the basis of one of the operettas of that time.

Non-random meeting

For the first time, Vera Makinskaya saw Imre Kalman backstage at the Berlin Theater in 1926. Upon learning that she was Russian, the composer sympathized with the girl, who was forced to wander in a foreign land from a young age.

The next meeting took place two years later. Vera was 17, she lived in a Viennese pension and passionately wanted to become an actress. But there were enough extras in the theater, it remained only to hope for a lucky break. Together with her friends, who shared a room with her, after dinner she went out to a nearby cafe. The same institution was often visited by representatives of the musical and artistic elite. Every aspiring actress dreamed of meeting a person here who had the opportunity to help a young talent take off in her career.

Imre Kalman and Vera went to the counter at the same time to pick up their coats, the cloakroom attendant gave preference to Kalman, contemptuously saying that the girl did not pay anywhere. And Kalman suddenly offered her his help. Faith made up her mind. Even the role of an extra in his new operetta suited her.

In the theater, he took care of his young protégé and fed her a ham bun every day, giving Vera his simple breakfast. He bought the first decent outfit for her.

And then his beloved Agnes Esterhazy came to the theater for the premiere. Probably, it was then that the young actress realized that she had fallen in love. And in the morning she threw a real scene at him, not even realizing that by doing so she betrays her feelings with her head. Imre Kalman just smiled and shook his head. He knew for sure that she had won this duel the very moment she first appeared before him in the Sacher Café.

Dreams Come True

The composer dedicated his "Violet of Montmartre" to Vera. / Photo: www.kp.by

Their romance developed very rapidly. But the composer for a long time could not believe that Verushka chose him from all the men. For Vera, in this middle-aged and very kind gentleman, all hopes for the future were concentrated. He could help her become a celebrity, but it turned out that Vera Makinskaya did not have acting talent. But she has a sober and practical mind. She sees an opportunity to get away from poverty by linking her life with Imre Kalman by marriage.

The composer was in no hurry to propose to her, but the fear of losing her beloved, whom her mother threatened to take away from Vienna and from his life, made him decide to marry.

She could not shine on stage, but at social events arranged by her in Kalman's house, Vera felt like a real star. True, her husband at that time preferred to sit out in the kitchen. He was not familiar with most of his guests, but he also did not want to deprive his spouse of the opportunity to have fun. The great Imre Kalman perceived the birth of children as a reward from above. He was happy. He dedicated one of his best operettas, The Violet of Montmartre, to Vera.

“Behind the parting there will be a meeting ...”

The coming to power of Hitler, the victorious march of Nazi troops across Europe forced Kalman to set off first to France, then to America. Hitler loved music and provided the composer with his personal patronage, but Imre could not and did not want to have anything to do with fascism.

They had to start from scratch in an unfamiliar country. The family experienced financial difficulties, and Verushka got a job as a saleswoman in a salon. Where she met a French rich man who offered her a hand and a heart.

She asked for a divorce from Kalman, and he let her go, caring solely for the happiness and well-being of his beloved. True, the separation was short-lived. The very first meeting after receiving the divorce papers stirred up both Vera and her husband. Soon they lived together again, trying not to remember this unpleasant moment in their lives.

Return

The lack of interest in Kalman's music in America, parting with his beloved Verusha, and then the news of the death of Kalman's sisters in a Nazi concentration camp seriously shook his health. In 1949, the composer suffered a stroke.

Her husband's illness changed Vera's attitude towards him. According to her own recollections, she realized how dear this person was to her, the joint experience brought them closer. The unexpectedly acquired second wind of their love to a large extent contributed to the composer's recovery.

In 1950 the family returned to Europe. Kalman wanted to settle in Zurich, but again gave in to his wife and her desire to live in Paris. The last days of the maestro spent in the company of sister Irmgard, his nurse. Imre Kalman did not restrict the freedom of his wife, but gradually introduced her to the course of all affairs, anticipating an imminent death.

On October 30, 1953, Imre Kalman passed away quietly in his sleep. After the death of her husband, Vera did not remarry, devoting the rest of her life to preserving the legacy of her husband. But she is still called the woman who took Imre Kalman away from music.

There was also a frivolous muse in the life of the great composer,

October 24, 1882 was born Imre Kalman (Emmerich Kalman), Hungarian composer, author of popular operettas.

In 1904-1908, Kalman worked as a music critic for the Budapest newspaper Pesti Naplo.

He began to compose music already in his student years. These were symphonic works, songs, piano pieces, couplets for cabaret.

In the 1930s, the composer worked extensively in the genre of film music, wrote the historical operetta The Devil's Rider (1932), the premiere of which was Kalman's last in Vienna.

The composer was awarded the French Legion of Honor (1934).

The Kalman memorial room was opened at the Austrian National Library.

Imre Kalman was married to a Russian immigrant from Perm, actress Vera Makinskaya, to whom he dedicated the operetta "The Violet of Montmartre". They had a son and two daughters.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources