Franz Lehár was an Austro-Hungarian composer active from the late nineteenth century into the mid-twentieth, born in Komárom (now in Slovakia) and based principally in Vienna, where he became the leading composer of Viennese operetta. His best-known work, The Merry Widow (1905), established his international reputation, and he went on to compose other successful operettas including The Land of Smiles and Giuditta, often in collaboration with tenor Richard Tauber. He died in Bad Ischl, Austria, in 1948 at the age of 78.

Lehár is regarded as the leading figure of the “Silver Age” of Viennese operetta, extending and modernizing the tradition established by Johann Strauss II with richer orchestration and more dramatic musical characterization. His operettas, especially The Merry Widow, remain among the most frequently staged works in the genre, and his popular songs such as “Vilja” continue to be performed in concert and recording today.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Leh%C3%A1r