Hans Lengsfelder
Hans Jan Lengsfelder, born on October 19, 1903, in Vienna, Austria, was a composer and playwright who emigrated to the United States in 1932. He wrote under several pseudonyms, including H.J. Lengsfelder, Harry Lenk, and John Peters. Lengsfelder was known for his contributions to jazz and musical theater, with a notable collaboration on the Duke Ellington jazz standard "Perdido," co-written with Juan Tizol and Ervin Drake. He also co-wrote "Hayfoot, Strawfoot," performed by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, and "There’s a Big Blue Cloud (Next to Heaven)," a hit for Perry Como.
Lengsfelder's career in Europe included writing operettas and plays, often in collaboration with S. Tisch, with whom he used the pseudonym Hans Siegfried Lentis. His early work included writing operetta libretti, such as "Der Zauber einer Nacht" in 1926. In 1934, he co-founded the cabaret Der Regenbogen in Vienna, contributing songs to its programs. After emigrating to the U.S., he founded Your Theater, Inc., producing Broadway works like "Heads or Tails" in 1947.
Hans Lengsfelder married Joan Cohen Lengsfelder on November 10, 1942, and they had two sons, Peter (PG) Lengsfelder, a documentary filmmaker, and John Lengsfelder, an experimental filmmaker. Lengsfelder passed away on February 6, 1979, in Hallandale Beach, Florida. His songs and plays continue to be performed in Europe, with "Sag' Beim Abschied Leise Servus" remaining a classic.
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