Lecture
Patrick Bade
Franz Lehar
Summary
Franz Lehár (1870-1948), the composer of the operettas The Merry Widow and The Land of Smiles, was the font of delicious melodies that delighted the whole world and both sides during the Second World War. Hitler’s favourite composer was able to protect his Jewish wife with the favour of the evil propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
Patrick Bade
Patrick Bade is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a senior lecturer at Christie’s Education for many years and has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, and V&A. He has published on 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.