In 1920s Vienna, Hilde Loewe-Flatter was much in demand as a pianist who was able to switch effortlessly between classical music and light entertainment. As a composer, she wrote numerous ballads and popular songs under the pseudonym Henry Love. Das alte Lied [The Old Song] (1927), her most well-known composition, was sung by Marlene Dietrich, Richard Tauber and others.

Following the establishment of an authoritarian Ständestaat [corporatist state] in Austria in 1934, Hilde Loewe-Flatter emigrated to England with her husband, the painter Otto Flatter. From there, she undertook several journeys to Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Germany. The entries in her passport suggest that these trips were made not only to give concert performances in the respective countries but presumably also to exit and re-enter Britain as required by the authorities. Loewe-Flatter was not granted a British work permit until 1936. In 1937, she officially moved her permanent residence to London.

After the outbreak of World War II, Loewe-Flatter performed for various Austrian, French and Dutch émigré organisations. She also worked for the "Entertainments National Service Association" (ENSA), an organisation which provided entertainment for British troops.

In 1947, Hilde Loewe-Flatter became a British citizen. She continued working as a pianist, song and dance accompanist and teacher in Britain. She never returned to Austria.

Selected works:
Das alte Lied (Lied, 1927)
Gianitta (Lied, 1931)
Es erzählen die Geigen, was Frauen verschweigen (Lied, 1937)
Liebes, altes, klingendes Wien (Lied, um 1937)

Further reading:
Evelin Förster: Die Frau im Dunkeln. Autorinnen und Komponistinnen des Kabaretts und der Unterhaltung von 1901 bis 1935. Eine Kulturgeschichte, Berlin: Ed. Braus, 2013
Andrea Schwab: Jüdische Komponistinnen. Zwischen Erfolg und Verfolgung, Exil und Heimkehr, Wien: Hollitzer, 2022