Lehar's Villa description and photos - Austria: Bad Ischl (Topic)

Lehar's Villa description and photos - Austria: Bad Ischl. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Lehar's Villa.

Photo and description

Villa Lehar stands on the banks of the Traun river and is located just five hundred meters from the main railway station of the famous Austrian resort of Bad Ischl. The famous Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar, the author of many operettas, lived here for several decades.

It was in the town of Bad Ischl in 1903 that Lehar met the love of his life - Sofia Pashkis. And the composer acquired the villa itself only nine years later - in 1912, previously it belonged to the Duchess von Sabran. Interestingly, Lehar purchased this villa solely because it was located next to the house of his beloved Sofia, who was already married, and therefore for a long time they could not legitimize their relationship. Since 1912, this villa has served as the summer residence of Lehar himself, and later his wife Sophia.

The building itself stands on the banks of the river and is a small three-storey building, decorated with an elegant triangular pediment. According to the will of Lehar, who died in Ischl in 1948, his villa was transferred to the ownership of the city. Now it houses a museum of the famous composer - here you can find antique furniture, clocks, paintings, sculptures, other decorative art items and a variety of antiques. In the former house of Sofia Pashkis, a museum is also now open, called the Museum of the Motherland (Heimatmuseum) or "Old Ischl" (Alt-Ischl). It also displays various works of art, antiques and other curious rarities.

It was when Lehar was staying at his villa in Ischl that he created the most successful pieces of music. The composer himself said that in Ischl they always find brilliant ideas for him. Here Lehar developed the following works: "Count Luxembourg", "Eve", "Paganini", "Tsarevich", his last operetta "Giuditta" and, of course, the famous "Merry Widow". The scores of some parts are presented in the museum even now.

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Topic: Lehar's Villa description and photos - Austria: Bad Ischl.