Count of Luxembourg, The (Maschwitz/Douglas English version)

Lehár’s Der Graf von Luxemburg (The Count from Luxembourg -1909) is one of three operettas that he produced in a three-month period following the comparative unpopularity of his Der Mann mit den drei Frauen (The Man with Three Wives - 1908). Of these three new works - Das Fürstenkind, Der Graf von Luxemburg and Zigeunerliebe - the latter two became international hits. Interestingly, Johann Strauss II had set the libretto of Der Graf von Luxemburg in 1897, under the title Die Göttin der Vernunft (The Goddess of Reason), but had done so reluctantly to fulfil a contract. The resulting work soon vanished from the stage. Lehár’s own version was an immediate success, and by 1911 it had spread through theatres in Germany, and soon after created a frenzy in London and Paris. In Lehár’s treatment, the dramatic clash between money and marriage has its musical parallel in the work’s contrast of Parisian inflections and Slavic flavours. A revised version of the operetta appeared in 1937.
SYNOPSIS: The Grand Duke may not marry Angela, with whom he is infatuated, unless she bears a title. He therefore arranges for the penniless spendthrift, Count René, to marry a lady whose face he is not to see, and to agree to a divorce in three months. For this the Count receives the sum of half a million francs. At the wedding ceremony, the Count and his mystery bride are separated by a screen - but later they meet and fall in love. Little knowing that they are already husband and wife, they believe their romance is hopeless. But a happy ending is worked out,

Instrumentation
2(1,2 dbl Picc).2.2.2. / 4.2.3.0. / Timp / Perc / Cel / Hp / Str Stage band: Cl / Hca / Gtr / Pno / Str 1.1.0.1.0

Publisher
GV