Sunday, November 25, 2018

Who Are Those Composers? ~ Erwin Halletz



Erwin Halletz was born on July 1923 in Vienna, Austria. Already with 6 years he learned to play the violin. His first performance he had with 12 years. From 1946 on he was an arranger for Big-Bands, saxophon-player and singer. After 1950 he lead the "Vienna Dance-Orchestra" with which he also toured abroad. In that time he also began to write music for movies and Schlagers. In 1961 Halletz got a contract for a guest-appearance in Monaco with the "Monte Carlo Light Symphony Orchestra". That "guest" appearance finally lasted for 41 years. In 1979 he became the musical director of the "Eistheater Berlin" and also wrote the arrangements for the orchestra. Since 2002 he again lives in Vienna.

Halletz worked together with the greatest personalities of the music and movie business like Peter Alexander, Curd Jürgens, Zarah Leander, Marika Rökk and also with Louis Armstrong, for whom he wrote the famous song "Uncle Satchmo's Lullaby", which Armstrong performed in the movie "La Paloma" (1959).

The filmmusic of Erwin Halletz may also be known from the movies "Liane, das Mädchen aus dem Urwald" (1956) with Hardy Krüger, "Peter Voss, der Held des Tages" (1959) with O. W. Fischer, "Alle lieben Peter" (1959) with Peter Kraus, "Fanny Hill" (1964) by Russ Meyer, from the Karl-May-movies "Der Schatz der Azteken" (1965) and "Die Pyramide des Sonnengottes" (1965), "Maigret und sein größter Fall" (1966) with Heinz Rühmann, "Perry Rhodan - SOS aus dem Weltall" (1967) or of "Der Arzt von St. Pauli" (1968) with Curd Jürgens.

Halletz also wrote the scores for many TV-series like "Die fünfte Kolonne" (1963). Well known is also his interpretation of the title-theme of "Stahlnetz" (Dragnet).

On May 5th Mai 2004 Halletz was honored with the "Ehrenmedaille der Bundeshauptstadt Wien" (honorary medal of the Federal Capital Vienna).

                     
HALLETZ, Erwin [7/12/1923, Vienna, Austria – 10/27/2008, Vienna, Austria] – composer, conductor, arranger, songwriter, actor, married to actress, singer Nina Konsta [1918-2003] (1956–2003).
The Last Ride to Santa Cruz – 1963 (co)
Legend of a Gunfighter - 1964
Pyramid of the Sun God – 1965
Treasure of the Aztecs - 1965

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