Emmerich Kálmán

Emmerich Kálmán was among the finest composers of operetta of the early/mid-20th century. The richness of his melodies and the singing parts he created have helped keep his work in the European repertory right into the end of that century. The Hungarian-born Kálmán displayed his musical talent during childhood and began studying the piano at an early age, but he was forced to abandon the instrument because of chronic neuritis. He entered the Budapest Academy of Music in 1900 as a composition student, pursuing a law degree at the same time. His classmates included Béla Bartók...