Geoffrey Gaskell wrote:

>Would anyone care to put in a good word for these two composers?

Benatzky's *Im weissen Roess'l* ("The White Horse Inn") is a fine,
frothy operetta; the title song, especially is a genuinely delightful
waltz melody.  The excerpts on a Brilliant set of operetta recordings
gives the impression of a carefree review typical of the 20s or 30s.

Kalman is perhaps best known for his *Csardasfuerstin* (translated, I
believe, as "Gypsy Princess") and *Die Graefin Maritza* (The Countess
Maritza) both highly tuneful operettas.  A friend of my parents had a job
in the Kalman household typing librettos.  From her I heard the story that
he and a friend were held up at a border crossing.  It seems Kalman had no
proper ID. The friend grew indignant and asked the official, "Don't you
know who this is? This is the great Emmerich Kalman." The official had no
idea who that was.  "Why, he's the famous composer of operettas," said the
friend.  The official was dubious and asked the friend to whistle or hum
some of his music, which he did.  This apparently satisfied the official
and they were both permitted to pass.  Afterwards Kalman said to the
friend, "That was very nice but the music you hummed was by Lehar."

Walter Meyer