Conte Attilio de Smecchia
Conte Attilio de Smecchia was born on 24 January 1900 in Vienna (Austria). He was the son of Conte Attilio de Smecchia, who worked as a "Sektionschef", and countess Maria de Smecchia nee von Wimmer-Walpurg. The noble dynasty of the Smecchias goes back to Trieste (Italy) and so the younger Conte Attilio de Smecchia worked in Vienna as a representative for different Italian companies like the "Adriatic Bank" or the "Italian Telegraph Company".
He could also play the violin and there are several articles in Viennese newspapers from around 1930 about him performing the violin at noble weddings.
In February 1933 Conte Attilio de Smecchia got engaged to baroness Nina (Jeanne) von Biegeleben (*06.12.1892), nee von Christiani-Kronwald. She was previously married to baron Otto von Biegeleben, who deceased in 1917. It seems likely that the couple married, but the baroness passed away shortly after. Because on 12 December 1946 Conte Attilio de Smecchia married Maria Elisabeth Habig. And on 25 September 1947 their only child Anna Maria "Lilia" de Smecchia was born.
The noble bloodline continued with the marriage of Lilia de Smecchia with Ettore Rosboch von Wolkenstein. They again had one child, Elisabetta, who married Prince Amadeo of Belgium in 2014. So Conte Attilio de Smecchia is the grandfather of Princess Elisabetta of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este.
In my possession is an autograph music manuscript of a waltz by Conte Attilio de Smecchia. It was composed in 1925 for the wedding-eve party of a befriended couple. The waltz is scored for voices, violin and piano.
The text was written by Conte Attilio de Smecchia as well with additions by Erich Jaksch (another Viennese composer, 1904-1976) and Philip Forchheimer (a local lawyer, not to be confused with the famous engineer and hydraulics pioneer).
The music was mainly composed by Conte Attilio de Smecchia, with only the interlude composed by Erich Jaksch.
The text is very personal and fits to the wedding of baron Aldo von Albori and Christl Jahn, which took place on 5 October 1925. But the work can also be performed just by violin and piano making it a typical Viennese waltz.
