Stephan Pflicht:
The Gerhard-Winkler-Chronicle 1946
On 19th January the big light orchestra of the Berlin Rundfunk under Kurt Reimann
plays the first performance of Gerhard Winkler's song Die
Gondeln am Lido On 29th March the first stage performance of Gerhard Winkler's musical comedy »Herzkönig« with Rudolph Platte and Lisa Lesco in the main parts is put on in the Schiffbauerdamm-Theatre, Berlin. The performance has to begin early at 5.30 p.m. because of the power cut-off in the evenings. In consideration of the occupying powers the program is also written in Russian, English and French.
The overture to »Herzkönig«
appears as a separate edition in print as well as the following numbers: Einmal
etwas Großes erleben, Schweb' ich im Walzer, Was auf dieser Welt passiert,
Über allem steht die Liebe und Wie
kann ein Mann sich so verändern Gerhard Winkler's song Capri-Fischer reaches No. 1 on the best seller list of 1946/47. According to STAGMA statistics, later GEMA, there are 12,000 live performances of Capri-Fischer in the time between May 1945 and June 1946 in Germany. Add to this the unknown number of times the record is played on German radio stations in the same period of time. Print editions also appear of the compositions :
1947
To increase the repertoire of light concert music Gerhard Winkler publishes
a collection of 12 little concert pieces with the title »Teekonzert«:
In
fröhlicher Gesellschaft Apart from the songs for
Kurt Reimann and Rudi Schuricke Gerhard Winkler also composes songs for Magda
Hain, of which Möwe,
du fliegst in die Heimat Skandal
im Harem Some of the songs from the
musical comedy »So gut wie verlobt« by Gerhard Winkler, which was
never put on stage, appear in print: Tanzmusik,
Endlich allein Following the success of Gerhard Winkler's musical version of the comedy »Herzkönig« by Helmut Weiss, the story is filmed with Hans Nielsen and Lise Lesco in the main parts. Gerhard Winkler writes the songs for this film produced by the author, Ich bin heut so vergnügt and Wer denkt in seiner Hochzeitsnacht ans Schlafen, which are also published as a booklet, together with the songs both from the stage production and the film: Schweb' ich im Walzer, König deines Herzens and Ja, die Gräfin Melanie (Tratsch- Terzett). Starting in September, Rudolph Platte produces the en-suite performances of the musical comedy in his private theatre »Berliner Volksbühne«. To distinguish himself as stage composer after the success of his musical comedy »Herzkönig« Gerhard Winkler starts work on the composition of a big operetta with the working title »Land ohne Musik«, later appearing under the Titel »Premiere in Mailand«. Gerhard Winkler's song Capri-Fischer stays No. 1 on the 1947/48 hitparade and becomes a world success. Print editions also appear of the compositions :
Ralph Maria Siegel establishes his own publishing company, whose first publication is Gerhard Winklers foxtrot Tegernsee with words by Ralph Maria Siegel. Gerhard Winkler composes
the music for Carl Boese's film »Beate« with the songs Ich
bin nicht liebeskrank and Traum
und Wirklichkeit, as well as the music for the film »Vor uns
liegt das Leben«, produced by Günther Rittau, which the composer then
rearranged for his Oceana-Suite
A collection of 5 sailors'
songs by Gerhard Winkler appears in print under the title »Auf allen sieben
Meeren« with words by G. V. Otten: An
der scharfen Ecke von St. Pauli Gerhard Winkler's titles Capri-Fischer, Skandal im Harem and Möwe, du fliegst in die Heimat are Nos. 3, 10 and 11 on the 1948/49 hitparade. A print editions also appears of his composition :
1949 Over a million print copies of Gerhard Winkler's number one Capri-Fischer have been sold by now in spite of the paper shortage of the post-war years, not counting the additional unknown amount of pirate copies. In April Gerhard Winkler buys a house in Neuhaus on the Schliersee and moves from Berlin to Upper Bavaria in September. With the help of his new partner Traudl Stridde, who is later to become his second wife, the so-called "Winkler-Alm develops into a friendly venue for many celebrities from show business. Gerhard Winkler is divorced on 23rd July in Berlin. Edith Winkler marries the composer and conductor Hans Carste in 1953. Gerhard Winkler and his text writer Ralph Maria Siegel land another Italian hit with the tango Mandolino, Mandolino (In Santa Lucia). Gerhard Winkler composes the music for the film »Das Geheimnis des Hohen Falken«, produced by Christian Hallig, which is first shown in early 1950. On 21st October Gerhard Winkler is elected active member of the advisory council of the GEMA, maintaining this position until 1950. On 27th December Gerhard Winkler's operetta »Premiere in Mailand« is first performed on Hessischer Rundfunk (Hessian Radio), Frankfurt, under the musical direction of Erich Börschel. Only a few months later this work, originally called »Land ohne Musik« and later renamed »Glück nach Noten« saw its premiere on stage in Dortmund. A booklet with titles from
this operetta appear, containing:
Wir leben nur einmal The following compositions also appeared in print:
1950 After the radio performance of Gerhard Winkler's operetta »Premiere in Mailand« in Frankfurt the NWDR in Cologne broadcasts a new radio adaptation by Kurt Feltz on 24th January conducted by Franz Marszalek. The first performance of the operetta »Premiere in Mailand« is put on stage in Dortmund at the Städtische Bühnen on 12th February. It is also played in many other German theatres and also sees numerous radio productions. On 24th March Gerhard Winkler becomes a member of the appraisement committee, the later valuation committee of the GEMA and retains this function until 1956. He also becomes ordinary member of the advisory board of the GEMA and retains this position until 1953. A lack of legal aid for the German author after the lost war is the reason why foreign royalties for Gerhard Winkler's world hit Capri-Fischer are not paid. This is why neither composer nor text writer ever see a penny for the countless records sold in USA with the American text version of the song. From 9th to 14th October a convention of the Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Auteurs et Compositeurs (CISAC) takes place in Madrid. It is the first international copyright convention after the War allowing German representatives to take part again. Gerhard Winkler is a member of the German delegation. Gerhard Winkler writes new
songs for recordings with Magda Hain to the words of Ralph Maria Siegel, such
as Der
fröhliche Musikant Successful songs published
in this year are Ich
hab' nur ein Hemd The following compositions also appear in print:
Gerhard Winkler's new Italian song Mandolino, Mandolino (In Santa Lucia) is No. 16 on the 1951 hitparade. The following compositions also appear in print:
1952 On 2nd March Gerhard Winkler marries his companion of many years Traudl Stridde, née Neeße, in Schliersee in second marriage. She has two daughters from her first marriage with Diplom-Ingenieur (graduate engineer) Walter Stridde, Barbara and Beatrix. Gerhard Winkler takes part in the CISAC-Convention in Amsterdam as member of the GEMA from 16th to 21st June. In early June the composer travels to Denmark and Sweden, where Radio Stockholm invites him to conduct the radio orchestra. During the following years Gerhard Winkler is guest conductor for Scandinavian and Dutch radio stations many times. On 22nd July Gerhard Winkler's son Hans Andreas.is born in the second marriage in Neuhaus, Schliersee. Gerhard Winkler completes the unprinted concert piece Der Sonne entgegen, a fantasy for piano and large orchestra, which was already well-known through numerous radio recordings.
The following compositions also appear in print:
1953
On tour in Scandinavia the coloured star Leila Negra sings Gerhard Winkler's
song Mütterlein
From Sweden the song gets
to America where it is called Answer
me Gerhard Winkler's musical comedy »Herzkönig« is produced for television by NWDR, Cologne, with Ekkehard Fritsch and Lisa Lesco in the main parts, broadcast on 12th June.
The Italian song Bella,
bella Donna This song is successful
in Holland and the Scandinavian countries, too, and becomes an international
hit, mainly thanks to the English recording with Vera Lynn called Now
and Forever Gerhard Winkler composes
the songs Südliche
Nächte Gerhard Winkler travels to Essen for the first showing of the film »Südliche Nächte« on 8th September and celebrates a heart felt reunion with one of the most important stages of his apprenticeship in tender years. Gerhard Winkler's new song Frauen und Wein (Italienische Eselsfahrt) is No. 21 in the 1953 hitparade. The following compositions also appear in print:
1954 The Deutsch Komponistenverband (Association of German Composers) is founded for which Gerhard Winkler works many years as a member of the board of directors Gerhard Winkler also becomes member of the arbitration committee for GEMA. Under its American title Answer Me Gerhard Winkler's song Mütterlein reaches the charts on 24th April and belongs to the top Twenty Hits USA 1953-55 and reaches no. 6 on the US hitparade. After this success Fred
Rauch writes a new German text for the song following the American words. Now
it becomes popular under its new title Glaube
mir Taking up the successful
Italian songs Gerhard Winkler writes Nicolo,
Nicolo, Nicolino
On 1st June Gerhard Winkler establishes The Musikverlag Edition Continent together with August Seith in Munich and is joint partner until the end of 1970. In June Traudl and Gerhard Winkler go on their first ship cruise from Bremen to Genoa. Inspired by the games of
his two-year-old son Hans Andreas, Gerhard Winkler composes the concert piece
Kreiselspiel
Ernst Marischka produces
the singer film »König der Manege« with Rudolf Schock, for
which Gerhard Winkler writes the songs Vorhang
auf (Artistenmarsch) On 4th December Traudl Winkler establishes the Musikverlag Edition Fortuna in Berlin, together with Peter Schaeffer and stays joint partner until 1967. Gerhard Winkler's Italian song Bella, bella Donna is No. 6 on the 1954 hitparade. The following compositions also appear in print:
1955
Gerhard Winklers new song Zwei
Spuren im Schnee Gerhard Winkler publishes »Leckerbissen«, a collection of 8 little concert pieces for accordion or piano. Geza von Bolvary produces
a film of the folk play »Mein Leopold« by Adolf L'Arronge with the
same title and Gerhard Winkler writes the music with the songs Und
das alles geschah in der Nacht Mütterlein with a new German text reaches No. 4 on the 1955 hitparade under the title Glaube mir. The following compositions also appear in print:
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in a public concert in Masurenallee, conducted by the composer himself . 
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