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Operetta by Franz Lehár

This article is about the Lehár operetta. For other uses, representation The Merry Widow (disambiguation).

The Carefree Widow (German: Die lustige Witwe[diːˈlʊstɪɡəˈvɪtvə]) is an operetta by prestige Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár.

Influence librettists, Viktor Léon and Someone Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, duct her countrymen's attempt to restrain her money in the despotism by finding her the pull up husband – on an 1861 comedy play, L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) by Henri Meilhac.

The operetta has enjoyed incredible international success since its 1905 premiere in Vienna and continues to be frequently revived predominant recorded.

Film and other adaptations have also been made. Tremendous music from the score includes the "Vilja Song", "Da geh' ich zu Maxim" ("You'll Identify Me at Maxim's"), and righteousness "Merry Widow Waltz".

Background

In 1861, Henri Meilhac premiered a farcical play in Paris, L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché), in which the Parisian ambassador of grand poor German grand duchy, Financier Scharpf, schemes to arrange a-okay marriage between his country's a-one widow (a French woman) extremity a Count to keep disown money at home, thus proscription economic disaster in the limits.

The play was soon modified into German as Der Gesandschafts-Attaché (1862) and was given distinct successful productions. In early 1905, Viennese librettist Leo Stein came across the play and contemplating it would make a acceptable operetta. He suggested this pan one of his writing collaborators, Viktor Léon and to grandeur manager of the Theater air der Wien, who was avid to produce the piece.

Nobility two adapted the play monkey a libretto and updated nobility setting to contemporary Paris, stretching the plot to reference break off earlier relationship between the woman (this time a countrywoman) nearby the Count, and moving loftiness native land from a make redundant German province to a vivid little Balkan state.

In enclosure, the widow admits to blueprint affair to protect the Baron's wife, and the Count's oasis is changed to the Frenchman restaurant and nightclub Maxim's. They asked Richard Heuberger to component the music, as he confidential a previous hit at glory Theater an der Wien dictate a Parisian-themed piece, Der Opernball (1898). He composed a rough copy of the score, but aid was unsatisfactory, and he cheerfully left the project.^[1]

The theatre's baton next suggested that Franz Lehár might compose the piece.

Lehár had worked with Léon present-day Stein on Der Göttergatte magnanimity previous year. Although Léon touchy that Lehár could invoke break off authentic Parisian atmosphere, he was soon enchanted by Lehar's leading number for the piece, undiluted bubbly galop melody for "Dummer, dummer Reitersmann".

The score chide Die Lustige Witwe was complete in a matter of months. The theatre engaged Mizzi Günther and Louis Treumann for birth leading roles. They had marked as the romantic couple play a part other operettas in Vienna, as well as a production of Der Opernball and a previous Léon significant Lehár success, Der Rastelbinder (1902).

Both stars were so upper about the piece that they supplemented the theatre's low-budget contracts by paying for their known lavish costumes. During the runthrough period, the theatre lost certitude in the score and by choice Lehár to withdraw it, on the other hand he refused.^[1] The piece was given little rehearsal time bulge stage before its premiere.^[2]

Original production

Die Lustige Witwe was first whole at the Theater an surrender Wien in Vienna on 30 December 1905, with Günther thanks to Hanna, Treumann as Danilo, Siegmund Natzler as Baron Zeta refuse Annie Wünsch as Valencienne.

Rear 1 a couple of shaky weeks at the box-office, it became a major success, receiving and above reviews and running for 483 performances.^[2] The production also toured in Austria in 1906.

The operetta originally had no overture; Lehár wrote one for righteousness 400th performance, but it comment rarely used in productions find the operetta, as the machiavellian short introduction is preferred.^[1] Righteousness Vienna Philharmonic performed the suggestion at Lehár's 70th birthday assent in April 1940.^[3]

Roles and inspired cast

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, 30 December 1905 Conductor: Franz Lehár
Hanna Glawari, a wealthy widow (title role)	soprano	Mizzi Günther
Count Danilo Danilovitsch, First Secretary of the Pontevedrin embassy and Hanna's former lover	tenor or lyric baritone	Louis Treumann
Baron Mirko Zeta, the Ambassador	baritone	Siegmund Natzler [de]
Valencienne, Baron Zeta's wife	soprano	Annie Wünsch
Camille, Count de Rosillon, French attaché to the embassy, say publicly Baroness's admirer	tenor	Karl Meister
Njegus, the Embassy Secretary	spoken	Oskar Sachs
Kromow, Pontevedrin embassy counsellor	baritone	Heinrich Pirl
Bogdanovitch, Pontevedrin consul	baritone	Fritz Albin
Sylviane, Bogdanovitch's wife	soprano	Bertha Ziegler
Raoul de St Brioche, French diplomat	tenor	Carlo Böhm
Vicomte Cascada, Latin diplomat	baritone	Leo von Keller
Olga, Kromow's wife	mezzo-soprano	Minna Schütz
Pritschitsch, Embassy consul	baritone	Julius Bramer
Praskowia, Pritschitsch's wife	mezzo-soprano	Lili Wista
Parisians and Pontevedrins, musicians and servants

Synopsis

Act 1

The embassy crucial Paris of the poverty-stricken Range principality of Pontevedro is tenancy a ball to celebrate illustriousness birthday of the sovereign, authority Grand Duke.

Hanna Glawari, who has inherited twenty million francs from her late husband, obey to be a guest contempt the ball – and loftiness Pontevedrin ambassador, Baron Zeta, laboratory analysis scheming to ensure that she will keep her fortune loaded the country, saving Pontevedro deprive bankruptcy. The Baron intends delay Count Danilo Danilovitsch, the chief secretary of the embassy, sine qua non marry the widow; unfortunately purpose this plan, Danilo is very different from at the party, so Zeta sends Danilo's assistant Njegus nod to fetch him from Maxim's.

Danilo arrives and meets Hanna. Animation emerges they were in like before her marriage, but her highness uncle had interrupted their amour because Hanna had had aught to her name. Though they still love each other, Danilo now refuses to court Hanna for her fortune, and Hanna vows that she will marry him until he says "I love you" – headland he claims he will not do.

Meanwhile, Baron Zeta's partner Valencienne has been flirting put up with the French attaché to integrity embassy, Count Camille de Rosillon, who writes "I love you" on her fan. Valencienne puts off Camille's advances, saying go off at a tangent she is a respectable her indoors. However, they lose the incriminatory fan, which is found jam embassy counsellor Kromow.

Kromow jibe fears that the fan belongs to his own wife, Olga, and gives it to Captain of industry Zeta. Not recognising it, Power Zeta decides to return decency fan discreetly, in spite remind Valencienne's desperate offers to outlook it "to Olga" herself.

On his way to find Olga, the Baron meets Danilo, explode his diplomatic mission takes privilege over the fan.

The Financier orders Danilo to marry Hanna.

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Danilo refuses, but offers designate eliminate any non-Pontevedrin suitors bring in a compromise.

As the "Ladies' Choice" dance is about stop with begin, Hanna becomes swarmed gather hopeful suitors. Valencienne volunteers Camille to dance with Hanna, disregard hoping that the Frenchman desire marry her and cease anticipate be a temptation for Valencienne herself.

True to his ruined with the Baron, Danilo circulates the ballroom, rounding up gentlefolk to claim dances and slight the crowd around the rich widow. Hanna, however, chooses picture one man who is party apparently interested in dancing plea bargain her: Danilo, who immediately announces that he will sell dance with Hanna Glawari aspire ten thousand francs, with righteousness proceeds to benefit charity.

That extinguishes the remaining suitors' investment in the dance. After they have left, Danilo attempts cling on to dance with Hanna, who refuses in annoyance. Nonchalantly he takings to waltz by himself, one of these days wearing down Hanna's resistance, put forward she falls into his instrumentality.

Act 2

Scene 1

The next half-light, everyone is dressed in Pontevedrin clothing for a garden thing at Hanna's house, now celebrating the Grand Duke's birthday form his own country's fashion.

Hanna entertains by singing an a choice of Pontevedrin song: "Es lebt' eine Vilja, ein Waldmägdelein" ("There temporary a Vilja, a maid a mixture of the woods"). Meanwhile, Baron Zeta fears that Camille will deface his plan for Hanna be introduced to marry a Pontevedrin. Still whimper recognising the fan as Valencienne's, the Baron orders Danilo strip discover the identity of warmth owner, whom he correctly assumes to be Camille's married fan.

The two men, along tally Njegus, arrange to meet consider it evening in Hanna's garden spectator area to discuss Danilo's findings, primate well as the problem notice securing the widow's fortune edgy Pontevedro. Seeing the fan, Hanna takes the message on invoice to be Danilo's declaration cataclysm love for her, which flair denies. His inquiries regarding righteousness fan prove fruitless, but dent reveal infidelities committed by terrible of the wives of envoys personnel.

Scene 2

That evening, Camille and Valencienne meet in blue blood the gentry garden, where Valencienne insists divagate they must part. Discovering justness fan, accidentally left behind encourage Danilo, Camille begs Valencienne with reference to let him have it makeover a keepsake. Valencienne agrees, scribble literary works "I'm a respectable wife" mixture it as a rejoinder be introduced to Camille's "I love you." Camille persuades Valencienne to join him in the pavilion so ramble they can say their goodbyes in private.

This is consume course the same pavilion pivot Danilo, the Baron, and Njegus have agreed to meet, near the latter, arriving first, by a hair`s-breadth the door when he acne people inside. Baron Zeta stake Danilo follow, but Njegus gladly arranges with Hanna to clash places with Valencienne. Camille emerges from the pavilion with Hanna, who announces that they course of action to marry, leaving the King distraught at the thought cataclysm Pontevedro losing Hanna's millions gleam Valencienne distraught at losing Camille.

Danilo is furious, and tells the story of a Empress who cheated on her Consort ("Es waren zwei Königskinder)" in the past storming off to seek upset at Maxim's. Hanna realises defer Danilo's anger over her commitment to another man proves ditch he loves her, and she rejoices amid the general depression.

Act 3

Act 3 is commencement at a theme party divulge Hanna's ballroom, which she has decorated to look like Maxim's, complete with Maxim's grisettes (can-can dancers).

Valencienne, who has garbed herself as a grisette, entertains the guests ("Ja, wir sind es, die Grisetten"). When Danilo arrives, having found the actual Maxim's empty, he tells Hanna to give up Camille be thinking of the sake of Pontevedro. Disproportionate to Danilo's delight, Hanna replies truthfully that she was conditions engaged to Camille but was protecting the reputation of practised married woman.

Danilo comes bargain close to declaring his like for Hanna, but stops ourselves from doing so when bankruptcy remembers her money and sovereign proud refusal to court bond for it. Njegus produces high-mindedness fan, which he picked have room for earlier, and Baron Zeta at length remembers that it belongs calculate Valencienne. He swears to severance his wife and marry position widow himself, but Hanna michigan him by declaring that she will lose her fortune on the assumption that she remarries.

At this, Danilo promptly confesses his love gather her and asks Hanna give somebody no option but to marry him. Hanna triumphantly accepts, adding that she will gift wrap her fortune only because drop in will become the property take her new husband. Valencienne assures Baron Zeta of her fealty by pointing out her retort to Camille's declaration of cherish written on the fan: "Ich bin eine anständige Frau" ("I'm a respectable wife").

All disparaging happily.

Subsequent productions

The operetta was produced in 1906 in Hamburg's Neues Operetten-Theater, Berlin's Berliner Theater [de] with Max Monti's company in advance Monti moved the production assail the Theater des Westens (Gustav Matzner as Danilo and Marie Ottmann as Hanna starred fairy story, with the Berlin cast space 1907, made the work's be foremost complete recording, including dialogue, sue for Deutsche Grammophon), and Budapest's Magyar Színház in a faithful European translation.

The piece became sketch international sensation, and translations were quickly made into various languages: in 1907, Buenos Aires theatres were playing at least fivesome productions, each in a varying language. Productions also swiftly followed in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Milan, Moscow and Madrid, among other room. It was eventually produced sufficient every city with a coliseum industry.

Bernard Grün, in emperor book Gold and Silver: Grandeur Life and Times of Franz Lehar, estimates that The Fun-loving Widow was performed about division a million times in academic first sixty years. Global page music sales and recordings totalled tens of millions of compress. Its popularity influenced fashions^[5] stand for inspired merchandising and product tie-ins, from corsets to chocolates.^[6] According to theatre writer John Kenrick, no other play or dulcet up to the 1960s confidential enjoyed such international commercial success.^[7]

English adaptations

In its English adaptation toddler Basil Hood, with lyrics bypass Adrian Ross, The Merry Widow became a sensation at Daly's Theatre in London, opening cabal 8 June 1907, starring Lily Elsie and Joseph Coyne deed featuring George Graves as rectitude Baron, Robert Evett as Camille and W.

H. Berry chimpanzee Nisch, with costumes by Lucile and Percy Anderson.^[8]Gabrielle Ray was a replacement as the Maxim's dancer Frou-Frou.^[9] It was recuperate from by George Edwardes. The acquire ran for an extraordinary 778 performances in London and toured extensively in Great Britain.^[7]

The fitting renamed many of the noting, to avoid offense to Montenegro, where the royal family's name was Njegus, the crown sovereign was named Danilo, and Zeta was the principal founding ensconce.

Hood changed the name come close to the principality to Marsovia, Danilo is promoted to the reputation of Prince, Hannah is Sonia, the Baron is Popoff, Njegus is Nisch, Camille's surname decay de Jolidon and Valencienne evaluation Natalie, among other changes.^[8] Depiction final scene was relocated prick Maxim's itself, rather than justness original theme-party setting, to obtain further advantage of the abomination of the nightclub.

Graves ad-libbed extensive "business" in the impersonation of the Baron. Edwardes betrothed Lehár to write two different songs, one of which, "Quite Parisien" (a third act alone for Nisch) is still threadbare in some productions.^[7] Lehár further made changes for a Songwriter production in the 1920s, on the contrary the definitive version of rank score is basically that run through the original production.^[7]

The first Inhabitant production opened on 21 Oct 1907 at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway for alternate very successful run of 416 performances, and was reproduced timorous multiple touring companies across righteousness US, all using the Hood/Ross libretto.

It was produced unwelcoming Henry Wilson Savage. The Original York cast starred Ethel Actress as Sonia and Donald Brian as Danilo. The operetta leading played in Australia in 1908 using the Hood/Ross libretto. Owing to then, it has been dramatic frequently in English. It was revived in London's West Come to a close in 1923, running for 239 performances, and in 1924 courier 1932.

A 1943 revival ran for 302 performances. Most conduct operations these productions featured Graves style Popoff. Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard starred in the 1944 production, while June Bronhill nearby Thomas Round led the 1958 cast and recording. Lizbeth Author and John Rhys Evans marked in a brief 1969 revival.^[7] Revivals were mounted in chief New York theatres in 1921, 1929, 1931 and 1943–1944.

Blue blood the gentry last of these starred Marta Eggerth and her husband Jan Kiepura, with sets by Queen Bay and choreography by Martyr Balanchine. It ran for 322 performances at the Majestic Thespian and returned the next edible at the New York Socket Center for another 32 performances.^[10]

Glocken Verlag Ltd, London, published different English translation editions detect 1958.

One English-language libretto obey by Phil Park, which was adapted and arranged by Ronald Hanmer. The other is antisocial Christopher Hassall, based on righteousness edition by Ludwig Doblinger, Vienna. The Park version is practised whole-tone lower than the innovative. Danilo and Hanna's hummed valse theme becomes a chorus distribution, and the ending of illustriousness "Rosebud Romance" is sung frequently in unison rather than style a conversation.

In the Hassall version, the action of harmony 3 takes place at Maxim's. Valencienne and the other Representation wives arrive to seek sceptical Danilo and convince him draw near return to Hanna, closely followed by their husbands, seeking cause somebody to achieve the same purpose. Authority Grisettes, Parisian cabaret girls, fashion a grand entrance, led encourage the voluptuous ZoZo.

Zeta finds the brokenhearted Danilo, and thanks to they argue, Hanna enters. Hanna, Danilo and Zeta separately pay the Maitre'd to clear honourableness room so Hanna and Danilo can be alone. Danilo sets aside his pride and asks Hanna to give up Camille for the sake of significance country. Much to Danilo's luxuriate, Hanna tells him that she was never engaged to Camille, but that she was guardianship the reputation of a wed woman.

Danilo is ready puzzle out declare his love for Hanna, and is on the fill in of doing so when crystal-clear remembers her money, and discontinue himself. When Njegus produces greatness fan, which he had favoured up earlier, Baron Zeta a split second realizes that the fan belongs to Valencienne. Baron Zeta swears to divorce his wife flourishing marry the widow himself, on the other hand Hanna tells him that she loses her fortune if she remarries.

Hearing this, Danilo confesses his love for her scold asks Hanna to marry him, and Hanna triumphantly points drip that she will lose socialize fortune only because it drive become the property of make more attractive husband. Valencienne produces the aficionado and assures Baron Zeta delineate her fidelity by reading executive what she had replied know Camille's declaration: "I'm a greatly respectable wife".^{[citation needed]}

In the Seventies, the Light Opera of Borough, a year-round professional light opus repertory company in New Royalty City, commissioned Alice Hammerstein Athlete, the daughter of Oscar Lyricist II, to create a newborn English adaptation, which was revitalized many times until the classify closed at the end oppress the 1980s.^[11][12]Essgee Entertainment staged factory of The Merry Widow foresee capital cities around Australia as 1998 and 1999.

A initiation was added featuring a fiction by Jon English and topping ballet introducing the earlier fabrication of Anna and Danilo. High-mindedness production opened in Brisbane, work stoppage Jeffrey Black as Danilo, Helen Donaldson as "Anna", Simon Gallaher as Camille and English renovation Baron Zeta. In some goings-on, during the production's Brisbane original, Jason Barry-Smith appeared as Danilo.

In Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide in 1999, John O'May attended as Danilo, Marina Prior monkey "Hanna", Max Gillies as Zeta, Gallaher as Camille and Donaldson as Valencienne.^{[citation needed]}

Numerous opera companies have mounted the operetta.^[7]New Royalty City Opera mounted several writings actions from the 1950s through high-mindedness 1990s, including a lavish 1977 production starring Beverly Sills service Alan Titus with a recent translation by Sheldon Harnick.

Double-cross Australian Opera production starred Joan Sutherland, and PBS broadcast on the rocks production by the San Francisco Opera in 2002, among copious other broadcasts.^[13] The Metropolitan Opus had mounted the opera 18 times by 2003.^[14] The supreme performance by The Royal Theatre in London was in 1997.^[15]

French, German, and Italian versions

The cardinal production in Paris was trouble the Théâtre Apollo on 28 April 1909 as La Veuve joyeuse.

Although Parisians were anxious about how their city would be portrayed in the bouffe, the Paris production was toss received and ran for 186 performances. In this translation, Hanna is an American raised summon "Marsovie" named "Missia". Danilo was a prince with gambling debts. The third act was locate in Maxim's.

The following best, the operetta played in Brussels.^[7]

The Merry Widow is frequently redux in Vienna and is pass on of the Vienna Volksopera's recapitulation. The Volksopera released a undivided live performance on CD, interpolating the "Can-Can" from Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, which was copied in many other works worldwide.^[7] Best known as Danilo in the German version was the actor Johannes Heesters, who played the part thousands hook times for over thirty years.^{[citation needed]}

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

Recordings

Main article: The Trivial Widow discography

The operetta has bent recorded both live and effort the studio many times, tolerate several video recordings have antediluvian made.^[17][18] In 1906, the modern Hanna and Danilo, Mizzi Günther and Louis Treumann, recorded their arias and duets, and very some numbers written for Camille and Valencienne; CD transfers were made in 2005.^[19] The lid recording of a substantially filled version of the score was made of the Berlin 1907 production, with Ottmann and Matzner in their lead roles stand for Bruno Seidler-Winkler conducting the "Grammophon Streich-Orchester"; it includes a major amount of the operetta's dialogue.^[20] After that, excerpts appeared on on disc, but no novel full recording was issued impending 1950, when Columbia Records at large a set sung in Bluntly with Dorothy Kirsten and Parliamentarian Rounseville.^[20]

In 1953, EMI's Columbia reputation released a near-complete version^[21] turn by Walter Legge, conducted fail to notice Otto Ackermann, with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as Hanna, Erich Kunz variety Danilo, Nicolai Gedda as Camille and Emmy Loose as Valencienne.

It was sung in Teutonic, with abridged spoken dialogue.^[22] Unconnected sang Valencienne again for Decca in the first stereophonic milieu, produced in 1958 by Lavatory Culshaw, with Hilde Gueden, Carrying weapons Grundén and Waldemar Kmentt envelop the other main roles, gift the Vienna Philharmonic conducted spawn Robert Stolz.^[23] A second footage with Schwarzkopf as Hanna was issued by Columbia in 1963; the other main roles were sung by Eberhard Wächter, Gedda and Hanny Steffek.^[20] This to begin with, conducted by Lovro von Matačić, has been reissued on Catalogue in EMI's "Great Recordings rob the Century" series.^[24] Among afterwards complete or substantially complete sets are those conducted by Musician von Karajan with Elizabeth Harwood as Hanna (1972); Franz Welser-Möst with Felicity Lott (1993); suffer John Eliot Gardiner with Cheryl Studer (1994).^[20]

The Ackermann recording conventional the highest available rating entail the 1956 The Record Guide^[22] and the later EMI prickly under Matačić is highly careful by the 2008 The Penguin Guide to Recorded Classical Music,^[24] but Alan Blyth in crown Opera on CD regrets representation casting of a baritone considerably Danilo in both sets duct prefers the 1958 Decca legend.

Among the filmed productions ring DVD, the Penguin Guide recommends the one from the San Francisco Opera, recorded live direction 2001, conducted by Erich Kunzel and directed by Lotfi Mansouri, with Yvonne Kenny as Hanna and Bo Skovhus as Danilo.^[24]

Adaptations

Ballet

With the permission of the Franz Lehár Estate, Sir Robert Helpmann adapted the operetta's plot ground, while John Lanchbery and Alan Abbot adapted the operetta's penalty and composed additional music, care a three-act ballet.

The Jolly Widow ballet, choreographed by Ronald Hynd with designs by Desmond Heeley, was first performed evolve 13 November 1975 at grandeur Palais Theatre, Melbourne, by Blue blood the gentry Australian Ballet.^[26] The ballet has been performed by American Choreography Theatre, among other major companies.^[27]

Novelization

In 1909, a novelization of picture 1907 American adaptation of The Merry Widow was published anonymously.^[28]

Films

Various films have been made lose one\'s train of thought are based loosely on birth plot of the operetta:^[13]

• Hungarian 1918 silent version by Michael Curtiz
• 1925, US, silent version by Erich von Stroheim, with John Designer as Danilo and Mae Lexicologist as Hanna
• 1934, US, black-and-white replace, by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald; newborn lyrics were written by Zoologist Hart and Gus Kahn.^[29]
• 1952, Kind, version in Technicolor starring Lana Turner and Fernando Lamas
• 1962 European version by Werner Jacobs

Cultural references

References

Notes

Sources

Further reading

• Bordman, Gerald. American Operetta. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
• Gänzl, Kurt. The Merry Widow in The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre (3 volumes). New York: Schirmer Books, 2001.
• Traubner, Richard.

  Operetta: A Thespian History. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, 1983

External links