Ein Lied für Dich - 1995

History

Walter Jurmann

Composer Walter Jurmann was born in Vienna, Austria on October 12th, 1903, and died June 17th, 1971. He immigrated to the United States in 1934, and became an American citizen in 1941. He is perhaps best known for his film compositions in Europe and the United States during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Jurmann’s musical career began in Berlin in 1927, where he became very successful and was soon writing for sound films. Great stars such as Richard Tauber, Jan Kiepura and Beniamino Gigli, performed his songs in films, which include “Ein Lied für Dich,” from which the song “Ninon” became an immediate hit.

In 1932 he moved to Paris, where his songs became an integral part of French music. While working with composer Bronislaw Kaper on the film “Les Nuits Moscovites,” film mogul Louis B. Mayer of MGM Studios discovered them and engaged them to come to Hollywood and signed them to a long-term contract.

In Hollywood, Jurmann’s songs first in films which had a distinctively European flavor, such as “Escapade,” starring Louise Rainer. But, the breakthrough came for Walter Jurmann in America, when he wrote the title song for the movie “San Francisco,” starring Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable, and Spencer Tracy. Writing for the Marx Brothers’ “A Night at the Opera,” he composed the song “Cosi-Cosa” sung by Allen Jones, which later became a part of Mario Lanza’s repertoire. In another Marx Brothers production, “A Day at the Races,” Ivie Anderson sang “All God’s Chillum Got Rhythm,” and Duke Ellington’s interpretation of it lent particular fame to this swing song. And for “Mutiny on the bouty,” with Clark Gable and Charles Laughton, Jurmann wrote “Love Song of Tahiti.” The young Judy Garland sang Jurmann compositions in “Everybody Sing” and “Presenting Lily Mars.” Deanna Durbin made her debut and became a star overnight in the film “Three Smart Girls” with his songs, “Someone to Care for Me” and “My Heart is Singing.” She also sang his song, “Thank You, America” from the film “Nice Girl,” at the White House in 1941, for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

After he retired from show business in 1946, he retained his love of music and continued to write songs which inspired him and were available for non-commercial purposes. His feelings upon revisiting his native Vienna are expressed in “Wien ist wieder Wien.” In 1966 he wrote “San Antonio” which then became the city’s official song in 1985. A year later his song “San Francisco” was also proclaimed that city’s official song. Walter Jurmann, over a period of 12 years, wrote more than 100 compositions for more than 40 films.

Two years before he died, he composed “A Better World to Live In,” his ultimate and final musical message to express his wish for world peace, understanding, and love. He wrote the words and the music in 1968, and hoped and dreamed that the message in this song would find its way into the hearts and minds of people throughout the world. His dream came true, when the song was premiered by tenor Jose Carreras in 1986 on a German/Austrian television co-production honoring the composer’s life and music. It was also heard on television, via satellite, throughout the world, in 1989 and 1990, when it was performed live from the Hollywood Bowl in California.

In retrospect, Walter Jurmann’s music captures the cultural essence of each country in which he lived and worked. He was able to express in music his deep feelings for his native country, Austria, and his adopted country, the United States of America.


A Song For You

A Tribute to the Music of Walter Jurmann

Introduction and Welcome
Dr. Robert Blocker,
Dean, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture

Response
Dr. Christian Prosl,
Consul General of Austria

Selected Film Excerpts

Ein Lied für Dich (Germany 1933)
“Ninon” performed by Jan Kiepura
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Ernst Marischka & Fritz Rotter

Ihre Majestät, die Liebe (Germany 1931)
“Du bist nicht die erste” performed by Franz Lederer
Music by Walter Jurmann
Lyrics by Rudolf Bernauer & Rudolf Oesterreicher

San Francisco (U.S.A. 1936)
“San Francisco” performed by Jeanette MacDonald
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Seven Sweethearts (U.S.A. 1942)
“You and the Waltz and I” performed by Kathryn Grayson
Music by Walter Jurmann
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

Presenting Lily Mars (U.S.A. 1943)
“Is It Really Love or the Gypsy in Me” performed by Marta Eggerth
Music by Walter Jurmann
Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster

Everybody Sing (U.S.A. 1938)
“Swing, Mr. Mendelssohn, Swing” performed by Judy Garland
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

A Day at the Races (U.S.A. 1937)
“All God’s Chillun Got Rhythm” performed by Ivie Anderson
“Finale Medley”
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Gus Kahn


Vienna

Mein schönes Wien
Musik: Walter Jurmann/Text: Josef Kaderka
Wien ist wieder Wien
Musik und Text: Walter Jurmann
Performed by Rebecca Semrau, Soprano
Mona Lands, Pianist


Berlin

Mein Gorilla hat’ne Villa im Zoo
Musik: Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper/Text: Peter Kukuck
Performed by John Hall, Basso Disgusto
Mona Lands, Pianist


Paris

Rèves d’Amour
Musique de Pierre Candel (aka W. Jurmann)/Paroles d’André de Badet
C’est ton amour
Musique de Jurmann-Kaper/Paroles de H. Varna & L. Poterat
Nuits Moscovites
Musique de Jurmann/Paroles d’André de Badet
Performed by Florence Robertson, Soprano
Jon Robertson, Pianist


United States

Windy City (1946)
A new musical play by Philip Yordan
Music by Walter Jurmann/Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
“Out On A Limb”
“Don’t Even Run Away From Love”
“Where Do We Go From Here”
Performed by Trisha Rapier and David Shukiar
Joan Hoytt, Pianist

“Three Letters in the Mailbox” from Thousands Cheer
Music by Walter Jurmann/Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
“In the Spirit of the Moment” from His Butler’s Sister
Music by Walter Jurmann/Lyrics by Bernie Grossman
Performed by Rebecca Semrau, Soprano
Mona Lands, Pianist

“My Heart is Singing” from Three Smart Girls (U.S.A. 1936)
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Performed by Susan Roe, Soprano


Intermission


Jurmann Overture/Medley
UCLA Philharmonia
Jon Robertson, Conductor

“Ninon” from Ein Lied für Dich (Germany 1933)
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
English Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Performed by John Klacka, Tenor

“Veronika, der Lenz ist da” (Germany 1930)
Music by Walter Jurmann
Lyrics by Fritz Rotter
Performed by UCLA Philharmonia

“Adieu” from Abenteuer am Lido (Germany 1933)
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
English Lyrics by Ned Washington
Performed by Brian Leerhuber, Baritone

“A Better World To Live In” (U.S.A. 1967)
Music and Lyrics by Walter Jurmann
Performed by Rebecca Semrau, Soprano
UCLA Chamber Singers and Turning Point School Chorus

“San Francisco” from San Francisco (U.S.A. 1936)
Music by Walter Jurmann & Bronislaw Kaper
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

“Thank You America” from Nice Girl
Music by Walter Jurmann/Lyrics by Bernie Grossman
Performed by Rebecca Semrau, Soprano
UCLA Chamber Singers and Turning Point School Chorus


The Walter Jurmann Collection

The Walter Jurmann Collection was a gift to the Archive of Popular American Music of the University of California, Los Angeles, made by the composer’s widow, Mrs. Yvonne Jurmann in 1988. Although it contains a good deal of primary and holograph material, the bulk of the papers, particularly the editions of printed songs and almost all of the secondary documentary material, such as newspaper and journal articles, was gathered by Mrs. Jurmann after the composer’s death in 1971.

Mrs. Jurmann has recently published a documentary book about the composer, compiled by Juliane Brand. It contains biographical material and illustrations, as well as a list of works, discography and filmography.


The UCLA Archive of Popular American Music
Timothy Edwards, Head

The Archive of Popular American Music, founded in 1965 and incorporated into the UCLA Library in 1985, is a research collection covering the history of popular music in America from 1820 to the present. The Archive supports research primarily by faculty, students, and staff at UCLA, as well as by international researchers and scholars.

“A composer lives on through his music.”
Walter Jurmann

A Better World to Live In

Chorus:

Let’s make this great big world a better place to live in
where there is no room for want and fear
Let’s pray until the wrong will turn to right, don’t give in.

Clouds of war and hate will disappear,
Work with understanding for human dignity.
In the happy ending there’ll be liberty
Let’s keep this great big world a place we can believe in.
Then the world is free eternally.


The UCLA School of Arts and Architecture acknowledges Yvonne Jurmann’s commitment to establish a Scholarship Fund in memory of Walter Jurmann.

We would welcome your contributions to this fund.
If you would like more information, please phone Laura Lavado Parker,
Director of Development, at (310) 825 - 2512.