Lincke, Paul
Biography
Paul Lincke - the German composer of light music, the author of the march "Berlin Air" (Berliner Luft), which became the unofficial anthem of the German capital.
Paul Lincke studied bassoon, French horn and percussion instruments, then played in different dance orchestras in Berlin, sometimes also performing as a conductor and composing small pieces. In the early 1890s he gained popularity as a composer of popular songs and romances, since 1893 he conducted in variety theaters, including the Apollo in Berlin.
True fame came to the composer after his operetta "Frau Luna" premiere in 1899, followed by other scenic works in the same genre. The orchestral fragments and songs from these operettas, filled with lightness and elegance, melodic simplicity, quickly became known not only in Germany, but also beyond its borders, which allowed to name Lincke the main representative of the Berlin operetta, like Offenbach in Paris or Johann Strauss in Vienna.
After the First World War, Lincke 's music became an integral part of musical performances in cabaret and other institutions of "light" music. In 1941, the composer received the title of an honorary citizen of Berlin. Among his operettas there are - "Venus on Earth" (Venus auf Erden) (1897, Berlin); "Frau Luna" (1899, Berlin); "Lysistrata" (1902, Berlin); "Casanova" (1913, Darmstadt), etc.; songs, romances, marches and other orchestral works.
