Erich Wolfgang Korngold 1897 - 1957

Erich Korngold was son of an eminent Viennese music critic and grew up as a child prodigy composer * Studied with Zemlinsky and wrote his first ballet at age 11 * Developed rich, Romantic style with colourful orchestration * Most famous operas include Violanta and Die tote Stadt * Max Reinhardt took Korngold to Hollywood in 1934 * He remained in California during the war, writing music for films including the Oscar-winning The Adventures of Robin Hood starring Errol Flynn * Returned to abstract composition with works including the Violin Concerto performed by Heifetz