Abraham, Paul (originally, Pál Ábrahám)

Abraham, Paul (originally, Pál Ábrahám), Hungarian composer; b. Apatin, Nov. 2, 1892; d. Hamburg, May 6, 1960. He studied in Budapest, and began his career as a composer of serious scores. Turning his attention to lighter music, he became conductor and composer at the Fváriosi Operettszinház in 1927. He scored his greatest success with the operetta Viktória (Budapest, Feb. 21, 1930), which subsequently was performed widely abroad. Other works of merit included the operettas Die Blume von Hawaü (Leipzig, July 24, 1931) and Ball im Savoy (Berlin, Dec. 23, 1932), and his film score for Die Privatsekretärin (1931). With the rise of the Nazi regime, Abraham left Europe and settled in the U.S. in 1938, where he made ends meet as a pianist. He eventually settled in Hamburg, ill and largely forgotten. All the same, several of his works continued to be revived long after his death.

Works

DRAMATIC: Music Theater: Zene-bona (Budapest, March 2, 1928); Az utolsó Verebély lány (Budapest, Oct. 13, 1928); Szeretem afeleségem (Budapest, June 15, 1929); Viktória (Budapest, Feb. 21, 1930; also known as Viktoria unà ihr Husar); Die Blume von Hawaü (Leipzig, July 24, 1931); Ball im Savoy (Berlin, Dec. 23, 1932); Märchen im Grand- Hotel (Vienna, March 29, 1934); Viki (Budapest, Jan. 26, 1935); Történnek még csodák (Budapest, April 20, 1935); Dschainah, das Mädchen aus dem Tanzhaus (Vienna, Dec. 20, 1935); 3: 1 a szerelem javára (Budapest, Dec. 18, 1936); Roxy und ihr Wunderteam (Vienna, March 25, 1937); Júlia (Budapest, Dec. 23, 1937); Fehér hattyú (Budapest, Dec. 23, 1938).

Bibliography

G. Sebestyén, P. A.: Aus dem Leben eines Operettenko-mponisten (Vienna, 1987).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire