"Komm, Zauber der Nacht !" ... Eugen Wolff Tanzorchester & Marlene Mathan (1942)

Please activate the HD function(1080p/720p) before watching the video or watch it with a larger type player (in 480p)

Franz Grothe composed the beautiful "Komm, Zauber der Nacht" (lit. Come to me, magic of the night) for the lavish 1942/43 musical "Liebespremiere" starring his wife Kirsten Heiberg. Other songs featured in the movie are "Mein Herz liegt gefangen in deiner Hand" (You have captured my heart in your hand), the frivolous "Ich bin heut' frei meine Herr'n" (Today I'm free gentlemen) and "Heute Nacht woll'n wir den Teufel tanzen sehen" (Tonight we want to see the devil dance - performed by Margot Hielscher). "Komm, Zauber der Nacht" and "Ich bin heut' frei meine Herr'n" were featured in big production numbers. Kirsten Heiberg recorded all songs except "Komm, Zauber der Nacht" for Electrola.

Kirsten Heiberg - born into a wealthy artistic family - had a career in Scandinavia before coming to Vienna where she was expected to replace Zarah Leander in "Axel an der Himmelstür". Heiberg who had already been overshadowed by Leander in Scandinavia felt little for the idea and a new operetta "Pam Pam" was written for her. While in Vienna she met the famed German composed Franz Grothe. They fell in love and married... After a singing part in "Napoleon ist an allem Schuld" she was starred in a number of movies including "Frauen für Golden Hill", "Alarm auf Station III" and "Der singende Tor" (1939, opposite Benjamino Gigli). She was usually cast as a dangerous vamp.... She achieved her greatest popularity with her husbands songs - especially the chanson "Ja und Nein" which he wrote for "Der singende Tor".

The outbreak of the Second World War was the start of a deeply unhappy period for Heiberg. She was furious over the occupation of her native Norway and tired of being typecast as femme fatale in propaganda spy capers such aas "Falschmünzer" and "Achtung, Feind hört mit" both released in 1940. She was suspended did not make any movies in 1941 and 1942. She returned to studios for a part in "Titanic" (1942/43) which was only released in Germany after the war. In 1942 she also starred in "Liebespremiere" the musical for which she is best remembered today - with music by her husband Franz Grothe . She starred in a handful of movies until the collapse of the Third Reich - usually starring as "the other woman".

After the War her marriage to Franz Grothe broke down and after starring in three movies Kirsten Heiberg returned to Norway where the public did not forgive her for having worked in Nazi-Germany. She was offered no movie parts and returned to the stage and gave acting classes. She returned to German sudios one final time in 1954 for the movie "Bei dir war es immer so schön" - which was built around Theo Mackeben's most famous melodies. Kirsten Heiberg died in 1976 of cancer - nearly forgotten. One of the few mourners at her grave was her former husband Franz Grothe with whom she had remained on very friendly terms....

Today's video features the Eugen Wolff orchestra. The vocals are provided by Marlene Mathan - best known for "Es klopft mein Herz Bum-Bum". Alas miss Mathan is no Kirsten Heiberg and one wishes someone else would have sung this otherwise beautifully arranged song...

The video features images of Kirsten Heiberg and a few sequences from "Liebespremiere"...

About the record

Odeon

O-31 517a / Be. 13 245

Berlin,
1942

Record in average condition

This record was recorded with an Nagaoka MP10 cartridge with 3,5mm 78rpm stylus as well as 78rpm phono preamp. The restoration was done as truthfully as possible.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Komm
• Zauber
• der
• Nacht
• Kirsten
• Heiberg
• Franz
• Grothe
• Liebespremiere
• Revuefilm
• 1943
• Eugen
• Wolff
• Tanzorchester
• Marlene
• Mathan
• Odeon
• Schellackplatte
• Berlin
• 1942
• Walzer
• Waltz
• Deutsche
• Tanzmusik
• 40er
• Jahre

[Alparfan]

@dairyman716

Viellecht wollte sie ja unbedingt:-)

Da wünscht man sich Edith Oss hätte während ihrer Ehe mit Horst Winter öfter auf Platte singen dürfen/müssen.

[Alparfan]

Sehr schönes Video, Erwin. Die Einspielung ist musikalisch sehr schön. Für den Gesang hätte ich mir auch eine andere Stimme gewünscht.

Übrigens, Kirsten Heiberg starb nicht an Krebs oder Schlaganfall, wie es in deutschen Zeitungen /Quellen immer wieder zu lesen ist.

[dairyman716]

Soviel ich weiß, war Marlene Mathan die Ehefrau von Eugen Wolff, und so durfte/musste sie hier wohl vors Mikrofon.

[MrSwingtime]

Wunderbare Platte und, wie immer traumhaftes Video! Herzlichen Dank!

[tukilala]

Bellissimo Video , Bravo !!!!!

[camille885]

Elle a une voix étrange. Pas très féminine, mais l'orchestration d'Eugen Wolff est très bien!

Merci

[Alex11111Ufa1]

It's great!! Dankeschön!