Emmerich Kalman (October 24, 1882 - October 30, 1953), also known as Imre Kalman, was a Hungarian composer of operettas.
Kalman was born in Siofok, on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary (formerly in the Austro-Hungarian Empire) in a Jewish family. Kalman had initially intended to become a concert pianist, but because of early-onset arthritis, he instead started focusing on composition. He studied music theory and composition at the National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music (then the Budapest Academy of Music), where he was a fellow student of Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly under Hans Kossler. His early symphonic poems were well-received, although he failed to achieve publication.
However, the popularity of his humorous cabaret songs led him towards the composition of operettas. His first great success was Tatarjaras (the German version is named Ein Herbstmanover, while the English name is The Gay Hussars) first staged at the Lustspieltheater in Budapest on February 22, 1908. Thereafter he moved to Vienna where he achieved a worldwide fame by composing his operettas Der Zigeunerprimas, Die Csardasfurstin, Grafin Mariza, and Die Zirkusprinzessin.
Kalman and Franz Lehar were the leading composers of what has been called the "Silver Age" of Viennese operetta during the first quarter of the 20th century. He became well-known for his fusion of Viennese waltz with Hungarian csardas. Even so, polyphonically and melodically, Kalman was a devoted follower of Giacomo Puccini, while in his orchestrational methods he employed principles characteristic of Tchaikovsky‘s music.
Kalman left Europe to escape Nazi persecution, settling in California. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1942. He emigrated back to Europe from New York in 1949, settling in Paris, where he died.
Operettas with place and date of first production Tatarjaras - Budapest - 1908 Ein Herbstmanover - Vienna - 1909 (German version of Tatarjaras) The Gay Hussars - New York - 1909 Autumn Manoeuvres - London - 1912 Az Obsitos - Budapest -1910 Der gute Kamerad - Vienna - 1911 (German revision of Az Obsitos) Gold gab ich fur Eisen - Vienna - 1914 (revision of Der gute Kamerad) Der Zigeunerprimas - Vienna - 1912 Sari - New York - 1914 The Blue House - London - 1912 Der kleine Konig - Vienna - 1912 Her Soldier Boy - New York - 1916 Soldier Boy - London - 1918 Zsuzsi kisasszony - Budapest - 1915 Miss Springtime - New York - 1916 Die Faschingsfee - Vienna - 1917 (German revision of Zsuzsi kisasszony) Die Csardasfurstin - Vienna - 1915 The Riviera Girl - New York - 1917 The Gipsy Princess - London - 1921 Das Hollandweibchen - Vienna - 1920 A Little Dutch Girl - London - 1920 The Dutch Girl - U.S. - 1925 Die Bajadere - Vienna -1921 The Yankee Princess - New York -1922 Grafin Mariza - Vienna -1924 Countess Maritza - New York - 1926 Maritza - London - 1938 Die Zirkusprinzessin - Vienna - 1926 The Circus Princess - New York - 1927 Golden Dawn - New York - 1927 Die Herzogin von Chicago - Vienna - 1928 The Duchess of Chicago - U.S. - 1929 Das Veilchen vom Montmartre - Vienna - 1930 Paris in Spring - U.S. - 1930 A Kiss in Spring - London - 1932 Der Teufelsreiter - Vienna - 1932 Kaiserin Josephine - Zurich -- 1936 Miss Underground - written 1942, unproduced Marinka - New York - 1945 Arizona Lady - Bern - 1954
