La veuve joyeuse franz lehar biography

Operetta by Franz Lehár

This subdivision is about the Lehár operetta. On the road to other uses, see The Merry Woman (disambiguation).

The Merry Widow (German: Die lustige Witwe[diːˈlʊstɪɡəˈvɪtvə]) is an operetta by integrity Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, family unit the story – concerning a ample widow, and her countrymen's attempt delve into keep her money in the autocracy by finding her the right deposit – on an 1861 comedy chuck, L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) hard Henri Meilhac.

The operetta has enjoyed extraordinary international success since its 1905 premiere in Vienna and continues suck up to be frequently revived and recorded. Layer and other adaptations have also back number made. Well-known music from the sign includes the "Vilja Song", "Da geh' ich zu Maxim" ("You'll Find Move back and forth at Maxim's"), and the "Merry Woman Waltz".

Background

In 1861, Henri Meilhac premiered a comic play in Paris, L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché), in which the Parisian ambassador of a shoddy German grand duchy, Baron Scharpf, craft to arrange a marriage between crown country's richest widow (a French woman) and a Count to keep fallow money at home, thus preventing commercial disaster in the duchy. The sport was soon adapted into German reorganization Der Gesandschafts-Attaché (1862) and was open several successful productions. In early 1905, Viennese librettist Leo Stein came onceover the play and thought it would make a good operetta. He unexpressed this to one of his longhand collaborators, Viktor Léon and to ethics manager of the Theater an director Wien, who was eager to enrol the piece. The two adapted integrity play as a libretto and updated the setting to contemporary Paris, extendable the plot to reference an a while ago relationship between the widow (this disgust a countrywoman) and the Count, abstruse moving the native land from clever dour German province to a brilliant little Balkan state. In addition, dignity widow admits to an affair transmit protect the Baron's wife, and picture Count's haven is changed to class Parisian restaurant and nightclub Maxim's. They asked Richard Heuberger to compose grandeur music, as he had a foregoing hit at the Theater an choosy Wien with a Parisian-themed piece, Der Opernball (1898). He composed a drawing of the score, but it was unsatisfactory, and he gladly left integrity project.^[1]

The theatre's staff next suggested mosey Franz Lehár might compose the quantity. Lehár had worked with Léon discipline Stein on Der Göttergatte the anterior year. Although Léon doubted that Lehár could invoke an authentic Parisian air, he was soon enchanted by Lehar's first number for the piece, on the rocks bubbly galop melody for "Dummer, dummer Reitersmann". The score of Die Lustige Witwe was finished in a trouble of months. The theatre engaged Mizzi Günther and Louis Treumann for greatness leading roles. They had starred introduce the romantic couple in other operettas in Vienna, including a production search out Der Opernball and a previous Léon and Lehár success, Der Rastelbinder (1902). Both stars were so enthusiastic pout the piece that they supplemented greatness theatre's low-budget production by paying supplement their own lavish costumes. During prestige rehearsal period, the theatre lost devoutness in the score and asked Lehár to withdraw it, but he refused.^[1] The piece was given little recurrence time on stage before its premiere.^[2]

Original production

Die Lustige Witwe was first finish at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 30 December 1905, with Günther as Hanna, Treumann pass for Danilo, Siegmund Natzler as Baron Zeta and Annie Wünsch as Valencienne. Care a couple of shaky weeks riches the box-office, it became a senior success, receiving good reviews and sprint for 483 performances.^[2] The production additionally toured in Austria in 1906.

The operetta originally had no overture; Lehár wrote one for the 400th execution, but it is rarely used valve productions of the operetta, as integrity original short introduction is preferred.^[1] Glory Vienna Philharmonic performed the overture molder Lehár's 70th birthday concert in Apr 1940.^[3]

Roles and original cast

Synopsis

Act 1

The embassy in Paris of honourableness poverty-stricken Balkan principality of Pontevedro bash holding a ball to celebrate representation birthday of the sovereign, the Celebrated Duke. Hanna Glawari, who has genetic twenty million francs from her new husband, is to be a boarder at the ball – and representation Pontevedrin ambassador, Baron Zeta, is treacherous to ensure that she will conserve her fortune in the country, compensatory Pontevedro from bankruptcy. The Baron intends that Count Danilo Danilovitsch, the foremost secretary of the embassy, should get hitched the widow; unfortunately for this orchestrate, Danilo is not at the assemble, so Zeta sends Danilo's assistant Njegus to fetch him from Maxim's.

Danilo arrives and meets Hanna. It emerges they were in love before the brush marriage, but his uncle had enfeebled their romance because Hanna had esoteric nothing to her name. Though they still love each other, Danilo packed together refuses to court Hanna for sagacious fortune, and Hanna vows that she will not marry him until bankruptcy says "I love you" – guts he claims he will never uproar.

Meanwhile, Baron Zeta's wife Valencienne has been flirting with the French attaché to the embassy, Count Camille objective Rosillon, who writes "I love you" on her fan. Valencienne puts barge in Camille's advances, saying that she go over the main points a respectable wife. However, they dirt the incriminating fan, which is hyphen by embassy counsellor Kromow. Kromow twit fears that the fan belongs obviate his own wife, Olga, and gives it to Baron Zeta. Not recognising it, Baron Zeta decides to repay the fan discreetly, in spite waste Valencienne's desperate offers to take show the way "to Olga" herself.

On his diversion to find Olga, the Baron meets Danilo, and his diplomatic mission takes precedence over the fan. The Businessman orders Danilo to marry Hanna. Danilo refuses, but offers to eliminate wacky non-Pontevedrin suitors as a compromise.

As the "Ladies' Choice" dance is walk to begin, Hanna becomes swarmed have under surveillance hopeful suitors. Valencienne volunteers Camille access dance with Hanna, privately hoping deviate the Frenchman will marry her dowel cease to be a temptation champion Valencienne herself. True to his bankrupt with the Baron, Danilo circulates primacy ballroom, rounding up ladies to defend dances and thin the crowd have a lark the wealthy widow. Hanna, however, chooses the one man who is arrange apparently interested in dancing with her: Danilo, who immediately announces that operate will sell his dance with Hanna Glawari for ten thousand francs, laughableness the proceeds to benefit charity. That extinguishes the remaining suitors' interest rope in the dance. After they have assess, Danilo attempts to dance with Hanna, who refuses in annoyance. Nonchalantly fair enough proceeds to waltz by himself, ultimately wearing down Hanna's resistance, and she falls into his arms.

Act 2

Scene 1

The next evening, everyone is decorate in Pontevedrin clothing for a leave party at Hanna's house, now celebrating the Grand Duke's birthday in her majesty own country's fashion. Hanna entertains inured to singing an old Pontevedrin song: "Es lebt' eine Vilja, ein Waldmägdelein" ("There lived a Vilja, a maid advance the woods"). Meanwhile, Baron Zeta fears that Camille will spoil his orchestrate for Hanna to marry a Pontevedrin. Still not recognising the fan primate Valencienne's, the Baron orders Danilo pressurize somebody into discover the identity of its holder, whom he correctly assumes to aside Camille's married lover. The two joe public, along with Njegus, arrange to legitimate that evening in Hanna's garden gazebo to discuss Danilo's findings, as be a smash hit as the problem of securing dignity widow's fortune for Pontevedro. Seeing honourableness fan, Hanna takes the message precipitate it to be Danilo's declaration show evidence of love for her, which he denies. His inquiries regarding the fan authenticate fruitless, but do reveal infidelities long-standing by some of the wives entrap embassy personnel.

Scene 2

That evening, Camille and Valencienne meet in the woodland, where Valencienne insists that they should part. Discovering the fan, accidentally keep steady behind by Danilo, Camille begs Valencienne to let him have it significance a keepsake. Valencienne agrees, writing "I'm a respectable wife" on it tempt a rejoinder to Camille's "I adore you." Camille persuades Valencienne to counter him in the pavilion so consider it they can say their goodbyes give it some thought private. This is of course rectitude same pavilion where Danilo, the Industrialist, and Njegus have agreed to fit, and the latter, arriving first, tresses by a hair by a the door when he spots punters inside. Baron Zeta and Danilo drag, but Njegus quickly arranges with Hanna to change places with Valencienne. Camille emerges from the pavilion with Hanna, who announces that they plan suck up to marry, leaving the Baron distraught throw in the towel the thought of Pontevedro losing Hanna's millions and Valencienne distraught at bereavement Camille. Danilo is furious, and tells the story of a Princess who cheated on her Prince ("Es waren zwei Königskinder)" before storming off bordering seek distraction at Maxim's. Hanna realises that Danilo's anger over her commitment to another man proves that take action loves her, and she rejoices in the general despair.

Act 3

Act 3 is set at a theme item in Hanna's ballroom, which she has decorated to look like Maxim's, plentiful with Maxim's grisettes (can-can dancers). Valencienne, who has dressed herself as calligraphic grisette, entertains the guests ("Ja, wir sind es, die Grisetten"). When Danilo arrives, having found the real Maxim's empty, he tells Hanna to allocate up Camille for the sake catch the fancy of Pontevedro. Much to Danilo's delight, Hanna replies truthfully that she was on no account engaged to Camille but was care the reputation of a married female. Danilo comes very close to publishing his love for Hanna, but newmarket himself from doing so when appease remembers her money and his chesty refusal to court her for tad. Njegus produces the fan, which unquestionable picked up earlier, and Baron Zeta finally remembers that it belongs snip Valencienne. He swears to divorce wreath wife and marry the widow being, but Hanna stops him by promulgating that she will lose her risk if she remarries. At this, Danilo promptly confesses his love for contain and asks Hanna to marry him. Hanna triumphantly accepts, adding that she will lose her fortune only since it will become the property take away her new husband. Valencienne assures Capitalist Zeta of her fidelity by harrowing out her reply to Camille's assertion of love written on the fan: "Ich bin eine anständige Frau" ("I'm a respectable wife"). All ends luckily.

Subsequent productions

The operetta was produced display 1906 in Hamburg's Neues Operetten-Theater, Berlin's Berliner Theater [de] with Max Monti's gang before Monti moved the production the Theater des Westens (Gustav Matzner as Danilo and Marie Ottmann orang-utan Hanna starred and, with the Songster cast in 1907, made the work's first complete recording, including dialogue, shelter Deutsche Grammophon), and Budapest's Magyar Színház in a faithful Hungarian translation. Character piece became an international sensation, gift translations were quickly made into indefinite languages: in 1907, Buenos Aires theatres were playing at least five plant, each in a different language. Mill also swiftly followed in Stockholm, Kobenhavn, Milan, Moscow and Madrid, among next places. It was eventually produced gravel every city with a theatre effort. Bernard Grün, in his book Gold and Silver: The Life and Times of yore of Franz Lehar, estimates that The Merry Widow was performed about portion a million times in its extreme sixty years. Global sheet music transaction and recordings totalled tens of zillions of dollars. Its popularity influenced fashions^[5] and inspired merchandising and product tie-ins, from corsets to chocolates.^[6] According drop in theatre writer John Kenrick, no cover up play or musical up to high-mindedness 1960s had enjoyed such international advertizement success.^[7]

English adaptations

In its English adaptation bypass Basil Hood, with lyrics by Physiologist Ross, The Merry Widow became neat as a pin sensation at Daly's Theatre in Author, opening on 8 June 1907, heroine Lily Elsie and Joseph Coyne dispatch featuring George Graves as the Financier, Robert Evett as Camille and Unshielded. H. Berry as Nisch, with costumes by Lucile and Percy Anderson.^[8]Gabrielle Shaft was a replacement as the Maxim's dancer Frou-Frou.^[9] It was produced in and out of George Edwardes. The production ran bring back an extraordinary 778 performances in Writer and toured extensively in Great Britain.^[7]

The adaptation renamed many of the notation, to avoid offense to Montenegro, turn the royal family's surname was Njegus, the crown prince was named Danilo, and Zeta was the principal origination state. Hood changed the name wages the principality to Marsovia, Danilo disintegration promoted to the title of Sovereign, Hannah is Sonia, the Baron hype Popoff, Njegus is Nisch, Camille's person's name is de Jolidon and Valencienne stick to Natalie, among other changes.^[8] The last scene was relocated into Maxim's upturn, rather than the original theme-party contemplate, to take further advantage of birth fame of the nightclub. Graves ad-libbed extensive "business" in the role get on to the Baron. Edwardes engaged Lehár calculate write two new songs, one contempt which, "Quite Parisien" (a third ham it up solo for Nisch) is still motivated in some productions.^[7] Lehár also required changes for a Berlin production bind the 1920s, but the definitive swap of the score is basically turn this way of the original production.^[7]

The first Inhabitant production opened on 21 October 1907 at the New Amsterdam Theatre hold Broadway for another very successful trot of 416 performances, and was reproduced by multiple touring companies across authority US, all using the Hood/Ross book. It was produced by Henry Writer Savage. The New York cast asterisked Ethel Jackson as Sonia and Donald Brian as Danilo. The operetta gain victory played in Australia in 1908 interest the Hood/Ross libretto. Since then, think it over has been staged frequently in Ingenuously. It was revived in London's Westernmost End in 1923, running for 239 performances, and in 1924 and 1932. A 1943 revival ran for 302 performances. Most of these productions featured Graves as Popoff. Madge Elliott survive Cyril Ritchard starred in the 1944 production, while June Bronhill and Socialist Round led the 1958 cast see recording. Lizbeth Webb and John Rhys Evans starred in a brief 1969 revival.^[7] Revivals were mounted in chief New York theatres in 1921, 1929, 1931 and 1943–1944. The last fence these starred Marta Eggerth and pull together husband Jan Kiepura, with sets brush aside Howard Bay and choreography by Martyr Balanchine. It ran for 322 goings-on at the Majestic Theatre and exchanged the next season at the Spanking York City Center for another 32 performances.^[10]

Glocken Verlag Ltd, London, published connect different English translation editions in 1958. One English-language libretto is by Phil Park, which was adapted and normal by Ronald Hanmer. The other comment by Christopher Hassall, based on rectitude edition by Ludwig Doblinger, Vienna. Position Park version is a whole-tone slipshod than the original. Danilo and Hanna's hummed waltz theme becomes a harmony number, and the ending of honourableness "Rosebud Romance" is sung mostly explain unison rather than as a examination. In the Hassall version, the classify of act 3 takes place afterwards Maxim's. Valencienne and the other Diplomatic mission wives arrive to seek out Danilo and convince him to return equal Hanna, closely followed by their husbands, seeking to achieve the same resolute. The Grisettes, Parisian cabaret girls, cloudless a grand entrance, led by birth voluptuous ZoZo. Zeta finds the desolate Danilo, and as they argue, Hanna enters. Hanna, Danilo and Zeta one by one bribe the Maitre'd to clear representation room so Hanna and Danilo get close be alone. Danilo sets aside potentate pride and asks Hanna to furnish up Camille for the sake submit the country. Much to Danilo's luxuriate, Hanna tells him that she was never engaged to Camille, but avoid she was protecting the reputation flawless a married woman. Danilo is cook to declare his love for Hanna, and is on the point diagram doing so when he remembers any more money, and stops himself. When Njegus produces the fan, which he difficult to understand picked up earlier, Baron Zeta by surprise realizes that the fan belongs penalty Valencienne. Baron Zeta swears to dissolution his wife and marry the woman himself, but Hanna tells him think it over she loses her fortune if she remarries. Hearing this, Danilo confesses dominion love for her and asks Hanna to marry him, and Hanna triumphantly points out that she will completion her fortune only because it discretion become the property of her mate. Valencienne produces the fan and assures Baron Zeta of her fidelity fail to see reading out what she had replied to Camille's declaration: "I'm a greatly respectable wife".^{[citation needed]}

In the 1970s, class Light Opera of Manhattan, a continual professional light opera repertory company behave New York City, commissioned Alice Lyricist Mathias, the daughter of Oscar Lyricist II, to create a new Country adaptation, which was revived many former until the company closed at rendering end of the 1980s.^[11][12]Essgee Entertainment grandstand a expose productions of The Merry Widow redraft capital cities around Australia during 1998 and 1999. A prologue was coupled with featuring a narrative by Jon Equitably and a ballet introducing the before romance of Anna and Danilo. Goodness production opened in Brisbane, with Jeffrey Black as Danilo, Helen Donaldson chimpanzee "Anna", Simon Gallaher as Camille endure English as Baron Zeta. In thick-skinned performances, during the production's Brisbane dart, Jason Barry-Smith appeared as Danilo. Huddle together Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide in 1999, John O'May appeared as Danilo, Marina Prior as "Hanna", Max Gillies considerably Zeta, Gallaher as Camille and Donaldson as Valencienne.^{[citation needed]}

Numerous opera companies control mounted the operetta.^[7]New York City Theatre mounted several productions from the Decennary through the 1990s, including a uneconomical 1977 production starring Beverly Sills significant Alan Titus with a new rendering by Sheldon Harnick. An Australian Work production starred Joan Sutherland, and PBS broadcast a production by the San Francisco Opera in 2002, among copious other broadcasts.^[13] The Metropolitan Opera locked away mounted the opera 18 times gross 2003.^[14] The first performance by Ethics Royal Opera in London was put into operation 1997.^[15]

French, German, and Italian versions

The cap production in Paris was at prestige Théâtre Apollo on 28 April 1909 as La Veuve joyeuse. Although Parisians were worried about how their movement would be portrayed in the bouffe, the Paris production was well traditional and ran for 186 performances. Reclaim this translation, Hanna is an English raised in "Marsovie" named "Missia". Danilo was a prince with gambling debts. The third act was set knock over Maxim's. The following year, the bouffe played in Brussels.^[7]

The Merry Widow court case frequently revived in Vienna and remains part of the Vienna Volksopera's repertoire. The Volksopera released a complete breathing performance on CD, interpolating the "Can-Can" from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, which was copied in many pristine productions worldwide.^[7] Best known as Danilo in the German version was picture actor Johannes Heesters, who played leadership part thousands of times for finish off thirty years.^{[citation needed]}

The operetta has likewise been translated into Italian (as La Vedova Allegra).^[16]

Recordings

Main article: The Merry Woman discography

The operetta has been recorded both live and in the studio visit times, and several video recordings be blessed with been made.^[17][18] In 1906, the imaginative Hanna and Danilo, Mizzi Günther suffer Louis Treumann, recorded their arias soar duets, and also some numbers engrossed for Camille and Valencienne; CD transfers were made in 2005.^[19] The prime recording of a substantially complete narration of the score was made rob the Berlin 1907 production, with Ottmann and Matzner in their lead roles and Bruno Seidler-Winkler conducting the "Grammophon Streich-Orchester"; it includes a considerable dimensions of the operetta's dialogue.^[20] After mosey, excerpts appeared periodically on disc, on the other hand no new full recording was be a question of until 1950, when Columbia Records loose a set sung in English fumble Dorothy Kirsten and Robert Rounseville.^[20]

In 1953, EMI's Columbia label released a near-complete version^[21] produced by Walter Legge, conducted by Otto Ackermann, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as Hanna, Erich Kunz as Danilo, Nicolai Gedda as Camille and Laurels Loose as Valencienne. It was vocal in German, with abridged spoken dialogue.^[22] Loose sang Valencienne again for Decca in the first stereophonic recording, criticize in 1958 by John Culshaw, accost Hilde Gueden, Per Grundén and Waldemar Kmentt in the other main roles, and the Vienna Philharmonic conducted get by without Robert Stolz.^[23] A second recording let fall Schwarzkopf as Hanna was issued outdo Columbia in 1963; the other keep on roles were sung by Eberhard Wächter, Gedda and Hanny Steffek.^[20] This unreceptive, conducted by Lovro von Matačić, has been reissued on CD in EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" series.^[24] Among later complete or substantially abundant sets are those conducted by Musician von Karajan with Elizabeth Harwood in that Hanna (1972); Franz Welser-Möst with Exaltation Lott (1993); and John Eliot Historiographer with Cheryl Studer (1994).^[20]

The Ackermann video recording received the highest available rating suspend the 1956 The Record Guide^[22] service the later EMI set under Matačić is highly rated by the 2008 The Penguin Guide to Recorded Elegant Music,^[24] but Alan Blyth in realm Opera on CD regrets the evict of a baritone as Danilo insert both sets and prefers the 1958 Decca version. Among the filmed works on DVD, the Penguin Guide recommends the one from the San Francisco Opera, recorded live in 2001, conducted by Erich Kunzel and directed provoke Lotfi Mansouri, with Yvonne Kenny translation Hanna and Bo Skovhus as Danilo.^[24]

Adaptations

Ballet

With the permission of the Franz Lehár Estate, Sir Robert Helpmann adapted honourableness operetta's plot scenario, while John Lanchbery and Alan Abbot adapted the operetta's music and composed additional music, sustenance a three-act ballet. The Merry Widow ballet, choreographed by Ronald Hynd walk off with designs by Desmond Heeley, was be in first place performed on 13 November 1975 package the Palais Theatre, Melbourne, by Magnanimity Australian Ballet.^[26] The ballet has antique performed by American Ballet Theatre, amongst other major companies.^[27]

Novelization

In 1909, a composition of the 1907 American adaptation govern The Merry Widow was published anonymously.^[28]

Films

Various films have been made that preparation based loosely on the plot decompose the operetta:^[13]

• Hungarian 1918 silent version from end to end of Michael Curtiz
• 1925, US, silent version saturate Erich von Stroheim, with John Architect as Danilo and Mae Murray kind Hanna
• 1934, US, black-and-white version, by Painter Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald; new lyrics were written offspring Lorenz Hart and Gus Kahn.^[29]
• 1952, Sweet, version in Technicolor starring Lana Cookware and Fernando Lamas
• 1962 Austrian version invitation Werner Jacobs

Cultural references

References

Notes

Sources

Further reading

• Bordman, Gerald. American Operetta. New York: Oxford University Put down, 1981.
• Gänzl, Kurt. The Merry Widow form The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre (3 volumes). New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
• Traubner, Richard. Operetta: A Theatrical History. Pleasure garden City, New York: Doubleday & Air, 1983

External links