Spielmann, Fritz Fred Spielman#
b. Vienna, Nov. 20, 1906, d. New York (USA), March 21, 1997, composer.Studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts with J. Marx and H. Gál. Discovered his love for American light music in Berlin in the 1920s; attained great popularity in Austria as a composer of popular, sentimental German-language songs and music for the stage, fled to Paris and then to the USA in 1938, where, after 1944, he achieved great success as a composer of film music. Some of his tunes were sung by film stars like Bing Crosby ("Shepherd Serenade"), Frank Sinatra ("One Finger Melody"), Doris Day ("A Purple Cow"), Nat King Cole ("If Love Is Good to Me"), Elvis Presley ("I Don´t Want To") and became popular around the world; Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett and Shirley Horne played or sang his "You Won´t Forget Me". His most successful musical, "The Stingiest Man in Town" was staged on Broadway in 1962. Spielman also worked in Vienna from 1970; left his estate to the Literaturhaus in Vienna.
Works#
Hits of the Thirties: Mein Schatz, ich flieg auf dich; Man traegt wieder Herz; Der alte Schimmel ist im Himmel; Ein Maederl aus Moedling; I muass an Doppelgaenger hab´n; Schinkenfleckerln. - Film music: Swingtime Johnny, 1944; Abilene Town, 1946; The Bachelor´s Daughter, 1946; Song of My Heart, 1947; Night Song, 1947; Luxury Liner, 1948; Big City, 1948; In the Good Old Summertime, 1948; Nancy Goes to Rio, 1950; Torch Song, 1953.Literature#
Spring Came Back to Vienna. F. S. Festival, Zirkular, special issue 1998.