Stephan Pflicht: The Gerhard-Winkler-Chronicle

II. First success

1932-33 In Berlin Gerhard Winkler makes himself a name arranging music and works for such well-known orchestras as Paul Godwin, Mitja Nikisch, Ilja Livschakoff and Adolf Ginsburg as well as for various music publishers such as Adolf Fürstner, Efi-Ton-Verlag, Edition Eichler & Tetzlaff and the Bohème Verlag in Vienna.

The following compositions also appear in print:

Drum, Kinder, macht's nur so wie ich
Die Rolltreppe
Die Kuckucksuhr
Hildegard
Glücks-Tango
Heimat-Tango
Fritz, was ist mit dir heut los
Unser Rheinländer
Rote Rosen, blauer Flieder

1934-35 Gerhard Winkler writes the music for Carl Boese's films »Meine Frau, die Schützenkönigin« with the songs Bayrischer Dirndl-Walzer and Die Liebe müsste wie ein Märchen sein and »Der Schrecken vom Heidkrug« with the songs Im Wald, im grünen Wald and Mein kleines Frühlingslied.

His slow waltz Ein Lied ohne Ende , sung by the well-known radio and record tenor Herbert Ernst Groh, marks the beginning of his musical collaboration and life long friendship with Ralph Maria Siegel, who is to write many of the texts for his successful songs.

Wanting to increase his knowledge of music theory Gerhard Winkler joins a special class of the outstanding music teacher Gustav Bumcke at the Sternsche music academy in Berlin from October 1934 to February 1935.

The following compositions also appear in print:

Alles wird wieder besser
Bleibe noch ein Weilchen hier
Ein Lied, das einst die Mutter sang
Ein blonder Schlagzeugmann
Schöne Argentina
So lustig wie heut sind wir selten
Wenn der Willi mit der Lilli sonntags tanzen geht
Zigeuner-Tango
Ein bißchen Liebesglück
Spanisches Blut
Eine kleine Frage
Sternennacht
Träumst du von Hawaii, mein Liebling
In Santa Fé
Südseenächte

1936 The Berlin music publisher Paul Schmidt, who had already printed various arrangements and compositions by Gerhard Winkler in 1934, publishes »Klänge aus aller Welt« (Sounds from all over the world), a series of little concert pieces which was to grow up to a number of 15 works by 1940, with Wiener Humor as No. 1 and Spanische Orangen as No. 2 and Neapolitanisches Ständchen as No. 3, which quickly become popular and are soon a world wide success, as well as Mondnacht am La Plata as No. 4 .

With this series Gerhard Winkler proves that he is especially qualified for light concert music and that he has a special talent for folkloristic effects, particularly for Italian colour.

Wilhelm Gebauer's Leipziger Musikverlag publishes Gerhard Winkler's SO (Salon Orchester) arrangement of »In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus«, the light waltz written in this year by Wiga-Gabriel , words by Klaus S. Richter and Fritz Reiter, which is known all over the world today.

Some of Gerhard Winkler's compositions are published by large houses in Italy, e.g. Bei Tanzmusik im Strandhotel and Mondlicht , published by Sterbini & Co. and El Picador by Piero Leonardi.

This year also sees the beginnings of co-operation with the singer Rudi Schuricke, who records the foxtrot Bei Tanzmusik im Strandhotel, the slow waltz Der Tag geht zur Ruh and the tango song Italienische Nacht . During the next 20 years Rudi Schuricke makes numerous Gerhard Winkler compositions popular.

The journal »Unterhaltungsmusik« ("Light music") reports on Gerhard Winkler's specific work for advertising films in the thirties:

»He was given a task demanding special aptitude: the advertising film. The essence of this is conciseness and the power of persuasion on the shortest yardage. Obviously, music can be a great support.«

Within two years Gerhard Winkler writes the music for more than three hundred advertising films. These include a film made for South America. Winkler had to compose music with a South American atmosphere. It was a great compliment to his talent asking Winkler to write music, say, for people in Buenos Aires or Rio in a language familiar to them.

The last big assignment was the musical supervision of the first all-evening advertising film for the Auto-Union »Jahr der Arbeit - Jahr des Erfolgs« ("Year of work - year of success") first released in early December in Berlin.

The following compositions also appear in print:

Natascha, du schwarzes Mädel aus dem Kaukasus
Kaffeeklatsch
Stilles Tal im Sonnenschein
Träumen, immer nur träumen
EI Paraiso
Travesura
Karneval in Sevilla
Immer lustig, Weanerleut
Manon
Spielmanns Lied
Zauberland
Sonnenschein liegt auf Neapel
Don Pedro

1937 The tango song 0 mia bella Napoli (Straßensänger von Neapel) with words by Ralph Maria Siegel, is Gerhard Winklers second hit. Tino Rossi, the famous French chansonnier achieves world fame for this song in 1938, singing in the Berlin »Scala« to frenzied applause.

Gerhard Winkler writes the music to Heinz Helbig's Film »Monika«, released in 1938, including the songs Puppen-Parade , Sehnsucht nach der Heimat, Tanze und sing and Irgendwo auf Erden.

The series »Klänge aus aller Welt« is continued with Japanisches Teehaus as No. 5, Ungarland as No. 6, Sizilianisches Ständchen as No. 7 and Ouverture romanesque as No. 8 .

The following compositions also appear in print:

Zärtlich klingt ein Liebeslied
Spiel, Zigeuner
Donna Chiquita
Bella Pepita
Wenn Du lachst, schöne Frau
Musik hat mich verliebt gemacht

1938 On 10th March Gerhard Winkler marries Edith Haase, daughter of a cabinet maker, in Berlin-Lichtenfelde. He had been introduced to her in the house of his Berlin publisher Erwin Paesike, whose sister-in-law was married to one of Edith Haase's brothers.

In June the Schuricke Trio records Gerhard Winkler's composition 0 mia bella Napoli under the title Straßensänger von Neapel which, together with the French text version sung by Tino Rossi, leads to the great popular success of this song.

During the next few years Scampolo becomes a standard piece for light concert music.

After many successes Peter Igelhoff, bar singer, pianist and composer; creates his version of Gerhard Winkler's chanson Das Nachtgespenst , again becoming very popular. Ralph Maria Siegel also wrote the words to this song.

The series »Klänge aus aller Welt« is continued with No. 9, Holländischer Holzschuhtanz , No. 10 Toulouse , as No. 11 Andalusischer Tanz as well as No. 12 Schottischer Dudelsack.

The following compositions also appear in print:

Vergangene Zeit
Rätsel der Liebe
Dorita
Stelldichein im Wienerwald
La Tarentina
Der Geige Liebeslied
Blumen aus Florenz
Senkt sich die Nacht übers Tal
Al fine
In einer kleinen Winzerstube
Hinter einer Düne
Wenn im Tanzcafé Musik erklingt
In Portugal
Im Herbst (Suite)
Treue Liebe
Ja, das Tempo von heut
Schlittenfahrt

1939 Inspired by the Italian Melos Gerhard Winkler composes Wenn in Florenz die Rosen blühn , for a text written by Ralph Maria Siegel. It was sung by Ernst Groh and was also soon very popular. Ralph Maria Siegel also wrote the words for Der kleine Postillion .

During the following years Frühling in der Toskana became a standard piece for light concert music.

With Santa Maria Winkler starts a second series of little concert pieces, »Eine Konzertfolge von Gerhard Winkler«, published by Leipziger Musikverlag N.Simrock, similar to the series »Klänge aus aller Welt«.

The following compositions also appear in print:

Don Diego
Vergib
Turnier- Tango
Kieler Sprotten
Española
Buenos Aires
Das Lied der Nacht
Süße kleine Henriett'
Böhmische Bauernhochzeit
Hexentanz
Kleine Sennerin
Georgine
Meisterschafts- Tango
Cuba

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