Lehar, Franz. Autograph letter signed, in German, 3 pages (8 ¾ x 7 ? in.; 222 x 200 mm.), "Vienna," 18 June 1939 to Most Hono...

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Lehar, Franz. Autograph letter signed, in German, 3 pages (8 ¾ x 7 ? in.; 222 x 200 mm.), "Vienna," 18 June 1939 to Most Honored Reichminister!; in pristine condition. Lehar hopes the overture he is writing for the Berlin performance of The Merry Widow will please Hitler. Lehar writes: Allow me today to send a song which I have composed at the suggestion of Henn Staatskommisar Gauleiter Biirkel. On the 28th of June I am to conduct a great concert in the Wartburg in Saarbriicken. It will begin at 10:15 pm, and will be carried by radio to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium and England. Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart and Leipzig are likewise broadcasting the concert. It would make me exceedingly happy if the Herrn Reichminister found the opportunity and time to hear the concert. I am writing an overture for the Berlin performance of The Merry Widow and I hope that it will meet with the approval of the Fuhrer. The outline is already finished, and has proven to be a success. My revision of The Merry Widow for the German Opera House was a bit too operatic. The Munich performance of The Merry Widow had a great success, but the plot suffered from being divided into 33 acts. You received the essence of a review. I believe that I have now found the right way and form, so that The Merry Widow will equally delight the eye and ear, and the special problem requires that on special occasions it will be performed as a festival. As I was, due to your obligingness, able to remain longer in Paris, it was possible for me to renew contracts from earlier times, and the first result was that I had the opportunity to direct in Paris' Empire Theatre the 1,000th performance of Land of Laughter. What the dear emigrants did to disturb this festive performance, I will tell you personally. I hope that I will soon be able to advise you of further successes. I have wanted so very much to send to the Fuhrer a copy of my Saar song, but I don't know how one would take this. At the time, I sent a little Jubilee sheet from the 50th performance of The Merry Widow in Theater on the 0[der], and somewhat unknowingly allowed myself to begin a mistake. An important letter with significant content.