born May 29, 1897, Brünn, Austria-Hungary
died Nov. 29, 1957, Hollywood, Calif., U.S.
U.S. composer of Austro-Hungarian birth.
Son of a music critic, he had his childhood compositions praised by Gustav Mahler and Artur Schnabel . He solidified his reputation with his operatic masterpiece, Die tote Stadt (1920). In 1934 he moved to Hollywood, and he became best known for his film scores, his broadly Romantic style proving very suitable to swashbuckling stories such as Anthony Adverse (1936, Academy Award) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, Academy Award), as well as 17 others. His violin concerto (1946) has been frequently recorded.