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Alfred Grünwald (librettist)

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Alfred Grünwald
Alfred Grünwald memorial, Alfred-Grünwald-Park [de], Mariahilf, Vienna
Born(1884-02-16)16 February 1884
Vienna, Austria
Died24 February 1951(1951-02-24) (aged 67)
Forest Hills, Queens, New York City
OccupationLibrettist
Years active1905–1945
Notable creditGräfin Mariza
SpouseMila Löwenstein
ChildrenHenry A. Grunwald

Alfred Grünwald (1884–1951) was an Austrian author, librettist, and lyricist. Some of his better-known works were written in conjunction with the composers Franz Lehár, Emmerich Kálmán, Oscar Straus, Paul Abraham, and Robert Stolz.

Life and career

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Grünwald was born on 16 February 1884 in Vienna. Following his schooling, he worked in a number of jobs, including as supernumerary, chorister, and for a theatrical agency, before turning to writing as theatre critic for a Vienna newspaper. From 1909, he wrote Kabarett sketches and librettos for operettas, often collaborating with Julius Brammer.

As a Jew, he was arrested after the Anschluss of Austria in 1938. When he was temporarily released, the family fled to Paris, then in 1940 via Casablanca and Lisbon to New York City.[1] During World War II he was employed for a time with the Office of War Information translating American songs for transmission by radio to Germany.

A number of Grünwald's librettos were produced on Broadway. These included Countess Maritza (1926), The Yankee Princess (1922), The Circus Princess (1927), and The Duchess of Chicago (1929). He also wrote a number of comedies, including Dancing Partner (1930), written in collaboration with Alexander Engel and produced on Broadway by David Belasco. He was a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Grünwald died on 24 February 1951 in Forest Hills, Queens, New York City.

His son Henry A. Grunwald was a journalist and diplomat (US ambassador to Austria from 1988 to 1990).[2]

Works

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Memorial plaque in Vienna Alsergrund – "The writer Alfred Grünwald lived from 1927 until his emigration in 1938 in this house."

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ Stefan Frey [de] (2016): "Alfred Grünwald", Lexikon verfolgter Musiker und Musikerinnen der NS-Zeit (in German)
  2. ^ Barbara Boisits (2003): "Grünwald, Alfred", Oesterreichisches Musiklexikon doi:10.1553/0x0001cfd3
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