The longing melody of \u201cLang ist\u2019s her\u201c (It’s a long time ago) is the first tune on this compilation. Zarah Leander recorded the song on November 15, 1938 in the Lindstroem Studio in Berlin. This CD compilation from the series \u201cUnforgotten Melodies \u2014 Gala of the Stars\u201c is entirely about Zarah Leander.
It has been a long time since Horst Kudritzki and Ralph Maria Siegel composed the chanson, and almost equally long since Zarah Leander recorded the song together with the Odeon-K\u00fcnstler-Orchester conducted by Lothar Br\u00fchne.
The chanson is about a love that has seen better days \u2013 it\u2019s a long time ago (German: \u201cLang ist\u2019s her\u201c). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following title, that lasts almost seven minutes is a medley of \u201cZarah Leander world hits\u201c: The songs \u201cMerci, mon Ami\u201c, \u201cYes, Sir!\u201c, \u201cDer Wind hat mir ein Lied erz\u00e4hlt\u201c (The wind has told me a song), \u201cKann denn Liebe S\u00fcnde sein? (Can love be a sin?)\u201c, \u201cIch steh im Regen\u201c (I\u2019m standing in the rain), \u201cIch weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder geschehen\u201c (I know a miracle will happen someday) and \u201cEr heisst Waldemar\u201c (His name is Waldemar) are presented in an enormously shortened form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a non-expert, one could be misled into thinking that this is a single work and not a medley, which speaks for a successful staging by the orchestra under Karl Loub\u00e9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy do men need so much love?\u201c sings Zarah Leander questioningly during the next song. In a humorous way, the song, composed by Bruno Balz and written by Charles Trenet, deals wich male cheaters. Love affects men like opium, sings Zarah Leander provocatively \u2013 even more provocative is the song lyric \u201cWie die Chronik uns lehrt \/ Sind die M\u00e4nner nichts wert\u201c (As the chronicle teaches us \/ Are men worth nothing), which is sung by the artist in a pointed way. The Great Vienna Dance Orchestra under the direction of Erwin Halletz supports Zarah Leander\u2019s performance with relaxing music that contrasts with the provocative lyrics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tenth title of the song compilation, \u201cKinostar\u201c (Movie star), penned by Ralph Benatzky and Hans Weigel, tells the story of the beginnings of Zarah Leander\u2019s artistic career: In 1936, Leander was invited to Vienna by Max Hansen to play the Hollywood star Gloria Mills in \u201cAxel an der Himmelst\u00fcr\u201c \u2013 in this role she sang the famous song lyrics \u201cIch bin ein Star, \/ Ein gro\u00dfer Star \/ Mit allen Launen\u201c (I\u2019m a star \/ A big star \/ With all moods). That role in \u201cAxel an der Himmelst\u00fcr\u201c motivated the Ufa to sign Zarah Leander.
Zarah Leander herself stated in her autobiography that she abhorred the song but she admitted that there was a truth to the song. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1938 Zarah Leander was invited to Paris to make recordings of her most famous songs in French. With an orchestra conducted by Georges Derveaux, she recorded \u201cUn desire pour toi\u201c (CD: track 7), \u201cLe vent m\u2019a dit one chanson\u201c (CD: track 13) and \u201cIl pleut sans treve\u201c (CD: track 14), among others. Whoever listened to the songs in German for the first time will probably prefer the German versions \u2013 simply because in Leander\u2019s films the songs are naturally sung in the German version. Nevertheless, these are rare recordings. The existence of these recordings prove that as late as 1938, cinema stars who made films in Germany could be very popular in France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On24 November 1951 Zarah Leander came to the Austrophon Studio in Vienna to record some songs: Her post-war career had just begun to take off, everything was \u201cwunderbar\u201c again after a long break from performing after the end of the war.
Very much in the ethos of this mood she now sang Cole Porter\u2019s \u201cWunderbar\u201c (CD: track 19), which was originally written for the Cole Porter musical \u201cKiss me, Kate\u201c.
The song tells the story of a night of love between two lovers, which is quite \u201cwunderbar\u201c \u2013 the use of the German adjective \u201cwunderbar\u201c in the English text is a leitmotif throughout the entire musical song.
On that day in November 1951, she recorded the song with Erwin Haltet\u2019s big Viennese Dance Orchestra. From then on, \u201cWunderbar\u201c was an integral part of Zarah Leander\u2019s live performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n