Tune in at 1 p.m. all this week as we celebrate the 127th birthday of Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Known for his film scores such as Robin Hood, Captain Blood, the Sea Hawk, and Juarez, Korngold composed 21 film scores for Hollywood. His use of leitmotifs, his mastery of orchestration and his ability to effectively add to the emotions portrayed on screen made Korngold one of the most influential composers in Hollywood.
Prior to his huge success in Hollywood, Korngold was very much a child prodigy. By age 11, his ballet Der Schneenmann (The Snowman) was performed in Vienna. The resulting success of the ballet made Korngold a sensation throughout Vienna, and later the rest of Europe. Composers such as Zemlinsky, Mahler and Richard Strauss praised the young teenager. Mahler called him a musical genius and said that there was no reason to have him enroll in a Conservatory since his abilities were years ahead of what he could learn there.
Korngold wrote a good deal of excellent serious concert music, but today his legacy if that of a film score composer. Hear music from five of his film scores in the 1 p.m. hour this week.
Monday, May 27: Devotion (1946)
Tuesday May 28: Deception (1946)
Wednesday, May 29: Another Dawn (1937)
Thursday, May 30: The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
Friday, May 31: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)