Villa Lehár stands on the banks of the Traun River and is located
only five hundred meters from the main train station of the famous
Austrian resort of Bad Ischl. The famous Austro-Hungarian composer
Franz Lehár, 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
served as the summer residence of Lehar himself, and later of his
wife Sophia.
The building itself stands on the banks of the
river and is a small three-story 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
composed his 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.
In the villa there is valuable furniture from several eras, some
of which Lehár was given as a gift, numerous paintings, clocks,
sculptures and other works of art.
The neighboring house at
Lehár-Kai 10, where Franz Lehár's wife Sophie lived, now houses the
“Alt-Ischl” museum, known as the Heimatmuseum (local history museum)
with other rarities and valuables. Sophie transferred her residence
to her husband Franz in 1940 by means of a donation agreement.
Lehár's work in the villa
Lehár liked to spend the summer
composing in this villa. He said: “In Ischl I always have the best
ideas”. This can also be seen in the ten laurel wreaths that are
hung in one of the rooms. He received this when one of his operettas
was particularly successful. Most of his operettas were written in
the villa's large study.