Die Lustige Witwe (or The Merry Widow) is a musical comedy or operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer, Franz Lehár. The librettists for the operetta were Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, who based the story - concerning a rich widow, Anna Glawari, and her attempt to find a husband - on an 1861 comedy play, L'Attache d'ambassade (The Ambassador's Attache) by Henri Meilhac. Comedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Franz Lehár (30 April 1870 - 24 October 1948) was a Hungarian composer, mainly known for his operettas. ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Henri Meilhac (February 21, 1831 - 1897), French dramatist, was born in Paris. ...

The operetta was first performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna on 30 December 1905. Well-known music from the score includes the songs "Vilja", "You'll Find Me at Maxim's", and "The Merry Widow Waltz". The Theater an der Wien is a historic theater in Vienna. ... Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs, Czech: Vídeň, Slovak: Viedeň, Romany Vidnya; Serbian: Beč) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine states (Land Wien). ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Score can mean one of several things: Look up score in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Plot

Act I

Act I is set in the ballroom of the Paris embassy of the fictional kingdom of Pontevedro (a thinly-disguised Montenegro). The ambassador, Baron Zeta, is scheming to save his country from bankruptcy. His plan is to ensure that Anna Glawari, who has inherited twenty million francs from her late husband, will marry another Pontevedrian and keep her fortune in the country. He has in mind Count Danilo, an embassy attache, but his plans are not going well. Danilo is not at the party, which was intended to bring the couple together, and Zeta sends N'jegus, his factotum, to fetch him from Maxim's. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia    â€“ Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    â€“ Vojvodina  â€“ Montenegro Official language Serbian Capital Podgorica Former Royal Capital Cetinje President Filip Vujanović Prime Minister Milo Đukanović Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  13,812 km²  n/a Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ Density  616,258  48. ... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, administration - see text) in the UK. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... Maxims de Paris is a Parisian restaurant of the Belle Epoque. ...

After the party has broken up, Danilo finally arrives and meets Anna. She encourages his attentions, recognising him as the young soldier who had courted her years ago before his uncle interrupted their romance. Their old love revives, but Danilo refuses to court Anna because of her fortune. She vows she will not marry him until he says 'I love you'. Ostensibly to save the country, Danilo looks for a suitable Pontevedrian husband for Anna.

Meanwhile, Zeta's wife Valancienne has been flirting with a French count, Camille, who writes "I love you" on her fan. She puts off his advances, saying that she is a respectable wife. However, they lose the incriminating fan, which is found by N'jegus and given to Baron Zeta.

Act II

Act II is set at a party in the garden at Anna's house. Zeta fears that Camille is a threat to his plan to marry Anna to a Pontevedrian. Not recognising the fan as Valancienne's, he orders Danilo to find out the identity of its owner, who he assumes to be Camille's married lover. Anna sees the fan, and thinks the message on it is Danilo's declaration of love for her (which he denies).

Camille persuades Valancienne to meet him in the summerhouse. Zeta peeps through a keyhole and recognises his own wife. Anna changes places with Valancienne, confounding the Baron when they appear. Anna announces that she is to marry Camille, leaving Zeta distraught at the thought of losing the Pontevedrian millions. Danilo storms off to seek the distractions at Maxim's. Anna realises that his anger at the announcement of her engagement shows that Danilo loves her. Maxims de Paris is a Parisian restaurant of the Belle Epoque. ...

Act III

Act III is set at a theme party in Anna's ballroom, which she has decorated as Maxim's, complete with grisette from Maxim's. Valancienne, who has dressed herself as a grisette, entertains the guests. When Danilo arrives, having found the real Maxim's empty, he tells Anna to give up Camille for the sake of the country. She agrees, much to Danilo's delight. On the discovery that the fan belongs to Valancienne, Zeta swears to divorce his wife and marry the widow himself, but Anna tells him that she loses her fortune if she remarries. Hearing this, Danilo confesses his love for her and Anna triumphantly points out that she will lose her fortune only because it will become the property of her husband! Valancienne produces the fan and assures Zeta of her fidelity by reading out what she had replied to Camille's declaration: "I'm a highly respectable wife"; and all ends happily.

Cast of characters

A basso (or bass) is a male singer who sings in the lowest vocal range of the human voice. ... Look up Soprano on Wiktionary, the free dictionary In music, a soprano is a singer with a voice ranging approximately from the A below middle C to high C two octaves above middle C (i. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as a countertenor). ... Look up Soprano on Wiktionary, the free dictionary In music, a soprano is a singer with a voice ranging approximately from the A below middle C to high C two octaves above middle C (i. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as a countertenor). ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as a countertenor). ...

Operetta versions

Die Lustige Witwe was subjected to many revisions during translation and adapatation in the early 1900s. For instance, the 1907 London production, out of diplomacy, renamed many of the characters partly to avoid offence to Montenegro, where the royal family's surname was Njegus, the crown prince named Danilo, and Zeta was the principal founding state. Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... // Events and Trends Technology Lawrence Hargrave makes the first stable wing design for a heavier-than-air aircraft Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first documented flight in a powered heavier-than-air aircraft Mass production of automobile Wide popularity of home phonograph Panama Canal is built by the United... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Zeta was one of the first Montenegrin states in the Middle Ages. ...

Two different English versions of the score exist. The first is a Dover edition of the 1907 Chappell & Co., London score, with character and place-names altered from their names in the original German. The second, published in 1958 by Glocken Verlag Ltd, London, is based on the edition by Ludwig Doblinger, Vienna. This last is said to be a "new version" with "orchestration carefully arranged" for modest or large orchestras. The 1958 version is one whole-tone lower. In the 1907 edition, Camille sings a high C in the "Rosebud Romance", instead of B flat. The Danilo and Sonia/Anna humming of the waltz theme becomes a chorus number in the 1958 score, and the 1907 ending of the "Rosebud Romance" is sung mostly in unison rather than as a conversation. 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the use of the term orchestration in computer science, see orchestration (computers) Orchestration or arrangement is the study and practice of arranging music for an orchestra or musical ensemble. ... Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The musical interval of a major second — also called a whole-tone — is the relationship between the first note (the root or tonic) and the second note in a major scale (and also a minor scale). ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The first C located above the treble cleff staff. ... This article is about music. ... The waltz is a dance in 3/4 time, done primarily in closed position, the commonest basic figure of which is a full turn in two measures using three steps per measure. ... In classical music a chorus is any substantial group of performers in a play, revue, musical or opera who act more or less as one. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... UNISON logo UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom, with over 1. ...

Ballet version of the operetta

Australian ballet star Sir Robert Helpmann obtained permission from the Franz Léhar Estate to create a ballet, based on the operetta, for the Australian Ballet. Helpmann also created the scenario and staging for the ballet. The Merry Widow ballet version was made by courtesy of the composer's and librettists' heirs and by special arrangement with Glocken Verlag Ltd. of London. Robert Helpmann Sir Robert Helpmann (April 9, 1909 – September 28, 1986), Australian dancer, actor and choreographer, was born in Mount Gambier, South Australia. ... Franz Lehár (30 April 1870 - 24 October 1948) was a Hungarian composer, mainly known for his operettas. ... Estate may have a number of meanings: Estate is a term used in common law to signify the total of a persons property, entitlements and obligations. ... Operetta (literally, little opera) is a performance art-form similar to opera, though it generally deals with less serious topics. ... The Australian Ballet was founded in 1962. ... Australian ballet star Sir Robert Helpmann obtained permission from the Léhar Estate to create a ballet based on The Merry Widow operetta. ...

The Merry Widow ballet premiered on 13 November 1975 at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ballet version, like the operetta, has proven to be very popular, and the ballet has been adopted by many ballet companies around the world as part of their repertoire, including the Ballet of the Vienna State Opera House. Australian ballet star Sir Robert Helpmann obtained permission from the Léhar Estate to create a ballet based on The Merry Widow operetta. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... City of Melbourne Local Government Area State Victoria Lord Mayor John So (since 2001) Area 36 km² Population (2001) 57,960 Density 1,601/km² (1999) Greater Melbourne Subdivisions Local Government Areas Area 7,694 km² (1999) Population 2001 census (2nd in Australia) 3,555,321 Density 462. ... Emperess Victoria of the United Kingdom etc. ...

References

• The Merry Widow: A Brief History - Part 1
• The Merry Widow: A Brief History - Part 2

External link

• Die Lustige Witwe - (The Merry Widow)