Dostal, Nico(laus Josef Michäel)

Dostal, Nico(laus Josef Michäel), Austrian composer; b. Korneuburg, Nov. 25,1895; d. Vienna, Oct. 27, 1981. He was the nephew of Hermann Dostal (1874–1930), a composer of operettas and military marches. After studies in Linz and Vienna, he was active at the Innsbruck City Theater; then conducted in St. Pülten, Romania, and Salzburg. In 1924 he went to Berlin and was active as an arranger and orchestrator of operettas, and as a composer of songs for the theater and films. In 1927 he became a conductor at the Theater am Nollendorfplatz, where he scored a fine success with his first operetta Clivia (Dec. 23, 1933). It was followed by the successful operettas Die Vielgeliebt (March 5, 1935), Monika (Stuttgart, Oct. 3, 1937), Die ungarische Hochzeit (Stuttgart, Feb. 4, 1939), and Manina (Berlin, Nov. 28,1942). Among his well-received postwar scores was Doktor Eisenbart (Nuremberg, March 29, 1952). His autobiography was publ. as Ans Ende deiner Traume kommst du nie: Berichte, Bekenntniss, Betmchtungen (Inns-bruck, 1982).

Works

DRAMATIC M u s i c T h e a t e r : Clivia (Berlin, Dec. 23, 1933); Die Vidgeliebte (Berlin, March 5, 1935); Prinzessin Nofretete (Cologne, Sept. 12, 1936); Extrablatter (Breirten, Feb. 17, 1937); Monika (Stuttgart, Oct. 3, 1937); Die ungarische Hochzeit (Stuttgart, Feb. 4, 1939); Die Flucht ins Cluck (Stuttgart, Dec. 23,1940); Diegrosse Tanzerin (Chemnitz, Feb. 15, 1942); Eva im Abendkleid (Chemnitz, Nov. 21, 1942); Manina (Berlin, Nov. 28, 1942); Susse kleine Freundin (Wuppertal, Dec. 31, 1949); Zirkusblut (Leipzig, March 3, 1950); Der Kurier der Konigin (Hamburg, March 2, 1950); Doktor Eisenbart (Nuremberg, March 29, 1952); Der dritte Wunsch (Nuremberg, Feb. 20, 1954); Liebesbriefe (Vienna, Nov. 25,1955); So macht man Karriere (Nuremberg, April 29, 1961); Rhapsodie der Liebe (Nuremberg, Nov. 9, 1963).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire