The piece was recorded with the original Viennese cast and has since been recorded in several languages. It has remained in the repertory until the present day, especially in German-speaking countries, and several film and stage adaptations have been produced. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien, in Vienna, on 12 November 1909 and was an immediate success, being revived in Germany and translated into other languages for successful foreign productions including in France as Le comte de Luxembourg and in English-speaking countries as The Count of Luxembourg. A Viennese take on bohemian life in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century, the story revolves around an impoverished aristocrat and a glamorous opera singer who have entered into a sham marriage without ever seeing each other and later fall in love at first sight, unaware that they are already husband and wife. Despite Danilo’s scruples, the wedding will take place, for the greater happiness of all.Der Graf von Luxemburg ( The Count of Luxembourg) is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to a German libretto by Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein. But in order to avoid her thinking that he is only attracted to the rich widow’s money, Danilo feigns indifference, until the unfolding of certain misunderstandings leads him to declare his love. Count Danilo seems to be the ideal candidate, especially as Hanna is visibly taken with him. In recent times these included Joan Sutherland, Gundula Janowitz, and Kiri Te Kanawa and, on disk, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.Īt the Paris embassy of the Principality of Pontévédro, Baron Mirko Zeta and his wife Valencienne are giving a reception in honour of a rich Pontevedrian widow, Hanna Glawari, whom they would like to see married off to one of her compatriots so that her late husband’s fortune will not leave the country. While Franz Lehar easily managed to win over audiences who were carried away by the rhythm of a dreamlike world as light as a dream, his originality and musical know-how carried “The Merry Widow” to the greatest opera stages where the most illustrious stars performed it. People went wild for the apparent flightiness of a super-rich widow seeking true love. Belle Époque France immediately waxed enthusiastic over the hesitations of Danilo, the elegant diplomat who frequents Maxim’s. Between its creation in Vienna in 1905 until its arrival in Paris four years later, the work was performed triumphantly 20,000 times all over the world! Staged in Paris in 1909 with the composer in attendance, the French adaptation by Robert de Flers and Gastyon de Vaillavert was so popular it outshone the original German version. Petersburg, from Berlin to London by way of New York. As in Johann Strauss’s operettas, the waltz is the heart of this three-act work that has played all around the world, from Milan to St. The public was immediately captivated by the melodic richness of the score, which offers many catchy tunes that can be hummed with pleasure, like the famous “Song of Vilja”, the “pavilion duet” and the “Merry Widow Waltz”. Reflecting the splendour of Imperial Vienna with its whirlwind of sumptuous parties and décor, the operetta stands out for the elegance and colour of an orchestration of symphonic scale. The Merry Widow is one of the gems of Viennese operetta its dazzling success made Franz Lehar heir to Johann Strauss II.
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