From the cover of the Piano Score

The Chocolate Soldier is an operetta by Oscar Straus based on George Bernard Shaw's 1894 Arms and the Man. The libretto was by Rudolf Bernauer and Leopold Jacobson. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 618 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (844 × 819 pixels, file size: 147 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From an old piano score in my possession. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 618 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (844 × 819 pixels, file size: 147 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) From an old piano score in my possession. ... Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. ... Oscar Straus (6 March 1870 - 11 January 1954) was a Viennese composer of operettas. ... George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856–2 November 1950) was an Irish dramatist, literary critic, and socialist. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Arms and the Man is a comedy by G. Bernard Shaw. ... Antonio Ghislanzoni, nineteenth century Italian librettist. ...

Performance history

As Der tapfere Soldat, it premièred in 1908 at the Theater an der Wien under the baton of Robert Stolz, but had only moderate success. The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre in Vienna. ... Robert Elisabeth Stolz (August 25, 1880 – June 27, 1975) was an Austrian songwriter and conductor as well as a composer of operettas and film music. ...

The first English-language version premiered in New York, translated by Stanislaus Stange, on 13 September 1909, where it was the hit of the Broadway season. It was revived in 1910, 1921, 1930, 1931, 1934, and 1947 . Its London premiere at the Lyric Theatre in 1910 was also a tremendous success, running for 500 performances. The operetta was also filmed (as a silent movie) in 1915. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Lyric Theatre in April 2007 The Lyric Theatre is a West End theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. ...

Recent performances

In 1987, Light Opera Works in Illinois produced the operetta with a new English translation by its artistic director Philip Kraus (book) and Gregory Opelka (lyrics). The work in this new translation was subsequently produced by the Ohio Light Opera and recorded by Newport Compact Discs.^{[citation needed]} Light Opera Works is a resident professional not-for-profit musical theatre company in Evanston, Illinois. ... Philip Kraus Philip Kraus (born November 17, 1950) is an American operatic baritone and stage director known for his performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, starting in 1991, and for his co-founding of Light Opera Works, a professional light opera company in Chicago, in 1980. ... The Ohio Light Opera was founded as a cultural and educational endeavor by the College of Wooster in 1979 and is the only professional company in the United States entirely devoted to operetta. ...

In 2002, there was production at the Hamburger Kammeroper under Katja Klose and Hans Thiemann.

Background

When Shaw had given Leopold Jacobson the rights to adapt the play, he had given three conditions: none of Shaw's dialogue, nor any of the character's names, could be used; the libretto must be advertised as a parody, and Shaw would accept no monetary compensation. Shaw despised the result, calling it "a putrid opera bouffe in the worst taste of 1860", but grew to regret not accepting payment when, despite his opinion of the work, it became an international success. Although Shaw's anti-romantic and pacifist message is less marked in the operetta than in the play - a good deal of Shavian irony survives. The main love aria, for instance, is sung by the heroine just before she meets the "other man" - and the "brave" soldier turns out to be a much worse coward than his unmilitaristic rival. 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

When Shaw heard, in 1921, that Franz Lehár wanted to set his play Pygmalion to music, he sent word to Vienna that Lehár be instructed that he could not touch Pygmalion without infringing Shaw's copyright and that Shaw had "no intention of allowing the history of The Chocolate Soldier to be repeated." Pygmalion was eventually adapted by Lerner and Loewe as My Fair Lady, but this was possible only because they were, at least in theory, adapting a screenplay co-authored by Shaw, with rights controlled by the film company. Lehár Franz Lehár (30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austrian composer of Hungarian descent, mainly known for his operettas. ... Play cover, depicting Mrs Campbell as Eliza Pygmalion (1913) is a play by George Bernard Shaw based on Ovids tale of Pygmalion. ... Lerner and Loewe is a designation for the musical comedy writing team of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. ... My Fair Lady is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, based on George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion. ...

Roles

• Aurelia (contralto)
• Bumerli (tenor)
• Mascha (soprano)
• Nadina (soprano)
• Popoff
• Alexius
• Massakroff

In music, an alto is a singer with a vocal range somewhere between a tenor and a soprano. ... This article is about Tenor vocalists in music. ... This article is about the voice-type. ... This article is about the voice-type. ...

Synopsis

• ACT I

The operetta is set in 1885, near the Dragoman Pass. Serbia and Bulgaria are at war, and the wife and daughter of the Bulgarian Colonel Popoff are missing their menfolk – the Colonel himself, and Major Alexius Spiridoff, who is engaged to the daughter, Nadina. Mascha, a young cousin of Nadina who is staying at the Popoff’s residence, also hero worships Alexius. Alone in her bedroom, Nadina clutches her sweetheart’s photograph and sings of her admiration and love for “brave hussar” and longs for his return.

An intruder (Bumerli) climbs in through her bedroom window. He is a very ordinary person, nothing like the ideal hero Nadina has been worshipping. In fact he has escaped the battle taking place nearby by climbing the Popoff’s drainpipe. He is in Serbian uniform, but responds to Nadina’s patriotic posturing by revealing that his is actually Swiss, and is serving in the Serbian army as a mercenary. When she threatens to call for help he briefly threatens her with his revolver – but soon puts it down. When she picks it up and threatens him he laughs at her – he uses his ammunition pouch to carry chocolates and has no cartridges to load his weapon. In spite of herself Nadina is amused and charmed by this “Little Chocolate Soldier”. He recounts a incident in battle when a foolish Bulgarian officer lost control of his horse, thus leading an inadvertent cavalry charge against Serb guns that happened to have been supplied with the wrong ammunition and were thus overrun. Nadina is furious to realise that the officer concerned was her Alexius, and orders Bumerli to leave at once – when he starts to leave she calls him back. Just in time, as a squad of bumbling Bulgarian soldiers, led by Captain Massakroff, arrive in pursuit. Fortunately Bumerli has had time to hide behind the bed curtains, and Nadina assures them that she has not seen the intruder. While the Bulgarian soldiers search the rest of the house, Aurelia, Nadina’s mother, and young Mascha come to the bedroom. They are sure something is going on, and when they spot Bumerli’s revolver the secret is out.

By the time the soldiers have left the house and Nadina opens her bed curtains Bumerli is asleep, and the lonely women are all very taken with him. They awaken him with their chatter, but he is exhausted and only wants to go back to sleep again. They ransack the house for civilian clothes to enable him to escape – each, unknown to the others, slipping a photograph of herself into the pocket of his jacket – a favourite house coat of the Colonel’s.

• ACT II

Six months have passed, and the war is over. Outside the Popoff residence the family and servants are welcoming their heroes home. Nadina is delighted to have her Alexius back, but she soon realises that he is far from the hero she imagined, but is boastful and self-centred. When he boasts of the incident of the charge on the guns he is embarrassed to realise that Nadina knows more about the matter than she should. The ladies are embarrassed in their turn when Popoff tells them of a Swiss soldier in the Serbian army that they met after the fighting was over – and who told them a very funny story of escaping from a battle by hiding in a house where he was sheltered by three ladies who all fell in love with him.

The plot thickens as Bumerli himself returns to the scene. He has come to return the clothes he used to escape, and manages to slip them to the ladies without suspicion being aroused. The menfolk are a little puzzled to meet him again, but they invite him to stay for the wedding of Nadina and Alexius. Bumerli manages to get Nadina alone, and confesses that it is his love for her that has drawn him back. He cannot bear to see her married to another, and goes to leave. Heartbroken herself, Nadina asks for her photograph – but Bumerli never looked in the pocket of her father’s housecoat – it is still there!

The Colonel is wearing his favourite coat – there is some slapstick as the ladies try to stop him looking in his pocket by finding him matches and a handkerchief. Eventually they all retrieve a photograph from the pocket – each assuming it is their own. When Nadina goes to return her photograph to Bumerli she finds that it is Mascha’s, and that there is a compromising message on the back of it. She flies into a jealous fury that removes all possible doubt that it is Bumerli she really loves.

The guests gather for the wedding ceremony – including Captain Massakroff, who recognises Bumerli as the intruder he saw climb the drainpipe in Act I – in the resulting chaos Mascha produces Nadina’s photograph, with its compromising message. Popoff and Alexius are not very bright, but even they start to put two and two together. Alexius is furious with Nadina, and she in her turn declares that she no longer loves him. As the act curtain falls the wedding is definitely off.

• ACT III

The scene returns to Nadina’s bedroom, where she is writing a letter to Bumerli. It is not friendly, as she is still jealous of Mascha. As she finishes the letter, Bumerli himself appears through the window. Nadina gives him his letter, but he does not take it seriously. If she did not love him she would not be so jealous.

Massakroff appears, with a challenge to a duel from Alexius to Bumerli. Bumerli accepts without hesitation, much to Nadina’s consternation. Alexius is also terrified – he would never have challenged his rival if he had not been sure he was too much of a coward to accept. It seems Alexius is coming round to the idea he would be happier with Mascha anyway.

Any doubts among the family that Bumerli would not make a good husband for Nadina are dispelled by the revelation that he is the son of a wealthy Swiss businessman, and all ends happily.

Musical numbers

Act I

Scene 1 – The Popoff Residence - Nadina’s Bedroom

• "We Are Marching Through the Night" - Soldiers
• "We Too, Are Lonely" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha
• "We Are Searching for the Foe" - Soldiers
• "What Can We Do Without a Man?" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha
• "Say Good Night" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha
• "Melodrama" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha
• "My Hero" - Nadina
• "Chocolate Soldier" - Chocolate Soldier, Nadina
• "Sympathy" - Chocolate Soldier, Nadina
• "Seek the Spy" - Massakroff, Nadina, Aurelia, Macha, Bumerli, Soldiers
• Finaletto - Act I - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha

Scene 2 - The Popoff Residence - The Garden

• "The Fatherland is Free" - Company
• "Alexius the Hero" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha, Poppoff, Alexius, Bumerli, Ensemble
• "Never Was There Such a Lover" - Alexius, Nadina

Act II

Scene 1 - The Popoff Residence - The Garden - The Same Time

• "The Tale of the Coat" - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha, Poppoff, Alexius, Bumerli
• "That Would Be Lovely" - Chocolate Soldier, Nadina
• Finaletto - Scene 1 - Nadina, Aurelia, Macha, Poppoff, Alexius, Bumerli, Ensemble

Scene 2 - The Popoff Residence - The Garden - That Afternoon

• Opening Chorus - Ensemble
• "Falling in Love" - Alexius, Macha
• "The Letter Song" - Nadina
• "Melodrama" - Chocolate Soldier
• "The Letter Song" (reprise) - Chocolate Soldier, Nadina
• Finale - Company

The operetta was continually reworked during Straus's lifetime. Among those songs that were dropped is the (now) amusingly titled "Why Is It Love Makes Us Feel Queer?"; the more well-known songs include "My Hero", "Thank the Lord the War Is Over", "Sympathy", "Seek the Spy", "Tiralala", "The Chocolate Soldier", and "Forgive".

Film version

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer tried to make a filmed version of The Chocolate Soldier in 1940, but were refused permission (or at least permission at a reasonable price) by Shaw. Instead, Louis B. Mayer bought the rights to Straus's music, and used the plot from Ferenc Molnár's play Testőr (also known as Playing With Fire and Where Ignorance is Bliss, and ultimately adapted by Philip Moeller as The Guardsman with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne) as the plot of a 1941 film, The Chocolate Soldier, starring Nelson Eddy and Risë Stevens, incorporating music from other works as well. For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ferenc Molnár (b. ... The Guardsman is a 1931 movie based on the play Testör by Ferenc Molnar and the play Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson. ... Alfred Lunt photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1932 Alfred Lunt (August 12, 1892–August 3, 1977) was an American actor. ... Lynn Fontanne (December 6, 1887 – July 30, 1983) was an Emmy Award winning actress who was a major stage star for over 40 years and who with her husband Alfred Lunt was part of the most acclaimed acting team in the history of the American theater. ... Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (born June 29, 1901; died March 6, 1967) was an American singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. ... Rise Stevens was the leading mezzo-soprano at New Yorks Metropolitan Opera for two decades Rise Stevens (born 1913, New York City) (first name properly spelled Risë and pronounced REE-sah) was an American mezzo-soprano who captured a wide popular audience at the height of her career (1940...

The plot of the 1941 film concerns the jealousy of a pair of Viennese singers, Maria and Karl Lang. To test her loyalty, Karl masquerades as a Russian guardsman and tries to seduce Maria. Complications ensue.

The film includes the following non-Straus selections:

• "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Camille Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila
• "Evening Star" from Richard Wagner's Tannhäuser
• "Song of the Flea" by Modest Mussorgsky
• "While My Lady Sleeps" by Bronisław Kaper

Charles Camille Saint-Saëns () (9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor, and pianist, known especially for his orchestral works The Carnival of the Animals, Danse Macabre, and Symphony No. ... This article or section should be merged with Samson and Delilah (opera) Samson et Dalila is an opera in three acts (or four tableaux) composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, initially in 1866 to 1868, and reworked from 1873 to 1877. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... In the Venusberg by John Collier, 1901: a gilded setting that is distinctly Italian quattrocento. ... Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Russian: , Modest Petrovič Musorgskij, French: ) (March 9/21, 1839 – March 16/28, 1881), one of the Russian composers known as the Five, was an innovator of Russian music. ... BronisÅ‚aw Kaper (misspelled by the U.S. immigration authorities as Bronislau Kaper) (1902 - 1983) was a Jewish Polish-born composer of popular music. ...

External links

• Information about the broadway productions
• Information about the 1941 film
• The Chocolate Soldier at the Internet Movie Database
• Extensive analysis of The Chocolate Soldier
• List of longest running plays in London and New York
• List of songs, links to reviews and other information