Richard Fall


Richard Fall was an Austrian composer and conductor of Jewish descent. One of his most famous compositions is the popular Was machst du mit dem Knie lieber Hans.

Life

Born in Jevíčko, Österreich-Ungarn, Fall grew up in a family of musicians. His two brothers Leo and Siegfried as well as his father were also composers and conductors. Fall worked as operettas conductor in Berlin and Vienna and as film composer in Hollywood.
After the Anschluss, he fled National Socialism to France.
On 20 November 1943 he was deported from the Drancy internment camp to the KZ Auschwitz-Birkenau, where he died early in January 1945, before the liberation of the concentration camp.

Works

Stage plays

Songs

  • Junger Mann, text: Arthur Rebner. 1923. Verlag Gabor Steiner, N.Y.
  • Liebe Katharina, komm zu mir nach China! Lied and Foxtrot. Text: Fritz Löhner-Beda. 1927. Wiener Bohême Verlag
  • Meine Tante, deine Tante. One-step, text: Fritz Löhner-Beda. 1925. Wiener Bohême Verlag
  • Was machst du mit dem Knie, lieber Hans. Pasodoble, text: Fritz Löhner-Beda. 1925. Wiener Bohême Verlag
  • Wenn man’s noch nie gemacht. Foxtrot, text: Arthur Rebner. 1923. Verlag Gabor Steiner, N.Y.
  • Wo sind deine Haare, August? Foxtrot, text: Fritz Löhner-Beda