A. M. Willner
Encyclopedia
Alfred Maria Willner was an Austria
n writer
, philosopher, musicologist, composer
and librettist. He began composing mostly music for the piano before making a career writing librettos for ballets, operas and operettas. One of his early operettas was Johann Strauss II
’s Die Göttin der Vernunft, a commitment that Strauss regreted. Strauss was forced to complete the commission only by the threat of a lawsuit and declined to attend a performance. Later the libretto and score were legally separated, and Willner revised the libretto for Lehár as Der Graf von Luxemburg
. Willner's first big success was his libretto for Leo Fall
’s Die Dollarprinzessin
and Willner soon became a much sought after operetta librettist. He wrote several successful librettos for Lehár operettas, particularly in collaboration with Heinz Reichert. The two also collaborated on highly successful adaptations of music by Schubert, such as Das Dreimäderlhaus, and by Johann Strauss' father and son, such as Walzer aus Wien. In addition, Willner and Reichert were the contracted librettists for Puccini's La rondine
which was later adapted by Giuseppe Adami
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, philosopher, musicologist, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and librettist. He began composing mostly music for the piano before making a career writing librettos for ballets, operas and operettas. One of his early operettas was Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
’s Die Göttin der Vernunft, a commitment that Strauss regreted. Strauss was forced to complete the commission only by the threat of a lawsuit and declined to attend a performance. Later the libretto and score were legally separated, and Willner revised the libretto for Lehár as Der Graf von Luxemburg
Der Graf von Luxemburg
Der Graf von Luxemburg is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to German libretto by Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, on 12 November 1909 and was an immediate success...
. Willner's first big success was his libretto for Leo Fall
Leo Fall
Leo Fall was an Austrian composer of operettas.-Life:Born in Olmütz , Leo Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall , a bandmaster and composer, who settled in Berlin. The younger Fall studied at the Vienna Conservatory before rejoining his father in Berlin...
’s Die Dollarprinzessin
Die Dollarprinzessin
Die Dollarprinzessin is an operetta by Leo Fall. The German libretto was by Alfred Maria Willner and Fritz Grünbaum.-Performance history:...
and Willner soon became a much sought after operetta librettist. He wrote several successful librettos for Lehár operettas, particularly in collaboration with Heinz Reichert. The two also collaborated on highly successful adaptations of music by Schubert, such as Das Dreimäderlhaus, and by Johann Strauss' father and son, such as Walzer aus Wien. In addition, Willner and Reichert were the contracted librettists for Puccini's La rondine
La rondine
La rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
which was later adapted by Giuseppe Adami
Giuseppe Adami
Giuseppe Adami was an Italian librettist, known for his collaboration with Puccini on La rondine , Il tabarro and Turandot ....
.
Librettos
- Das Heimchen am Herd (operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
), Karl GoldmarkKarl GoldmarkKarl Goldmark, also known originally as Károly Goldmark and later sometimes as Carl Goldmark; May 18, 1830, Keszthely – January 2, 1915, Vienna) was a Hungarian composer.- Life and career :...
, 1896. - Die Schneeflocke (opera), Heinrich BertéHeinrich BertéHeinrich Berté, born Heinrich Bettelheim - August 23, 1924, in Perchtoldsdorf, Austria) was an Austria-Hungarian composer of operas and operettas.-Life:...
, 1896. - Der Schmetterling (operettaOperettaOperetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
with Bernhard Buchbinder), Charles Weinberger, 1896. - Die Göttin der Vernunft (operetta with Buchbinder), Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, 1897. - Fräulein Hexe (operetta with Buchbinder), Josef BayerJosef BayerJosef Bayer was an Austrian composer and the director of the Austrian Court Ballet from 1883 until his death. He was born and died in Vienna...
, 1898. - Die Debutantin (operetta with H. von Waldberg), Alfred ZamaraAlfred ZamaraAlfred Zamara was an Austrian composer and harpist.He was the son of Antonio Zamara and was born in Vienna. Like his father, became professor of harp at the Vienna Conservatory and solo harpist at the Vienna Hofoper. He and his sister, Theresa, were both taught the harp by their father...
, 1901; - Das Baby (operetta with Waldberg), Richard HeubergerRichard HeubergerRichard Franz Joseph Heuberger was an Austrian composer of operas and operettas, a music critic, and teacher....
, 1902; - Die Millionenbraut (operetta with E. Limé), Berté, 1904;
- Der schöne Gardist (operetta with A. Landesberg), Berté, 1907
- Der kleine Chevalier, (operetta) Berté, 1907;
- Die DollarprinzessinDie DollarprinzessinDie Dollarprinzessin is an operetta by Leo Fall. The German libretto was by Alfred Maria Willner and Fritz Grünbaum.-Performance history:...
(operetta with F. Grünbaum), Leo FallLeo FallLeo Fall was an Austrian composer of operettas.-Life:Born in Olmütz , Leo Fall was taught by his father Moritz Fall , a bandmaster and composer, who settled in Berlin. The younger Fall studied at the Vienna Conservatory before rejoining his father in Berlin...
, 1907; - Ein Wintermärchen (Oper), Goldmark, 1908;
- Baron Trenck (komische Operette, with R. Bodanzky), Felix Albini, 1908;
- Ein Mädchen für Alles (operetta with Waldberg), Heinrich ReinhardtHeinrich Reinhardt (composer)Heinrich Reinhardt was an Austrian composer.Reinhardt was born on 13 April 1865 in Pressburg . The son of a jeweller, he went to Vienna to study at the conservatory of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde where he was one of Anton Bruckner's pupils...
, 1908; - Die Paradiesvögel (operetta with J. Wilhelm), P. Silber, 1908;
- Die Glücksnarr (operetta with Landesberg), Berté, 1908;
- Die Sprudelfee (operetta with Wilhelm), Reinhardt, 1909
- Der Graf von LuxemburgDer Graf von LuxemburgDer Graf von Luxemburg is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár to German libretto by Alfred Willner, Robert Bodanzky, and Leo Stein. It premiered at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, on 12 November 1909 and was an immediate success...
(operetta with Bodanzky), Franz LehárFranz LehárFranz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
, 1909. - Zigeunerliebe (romantische Operette, with Bodanzky), Lehár, 1910;
- Schneeglöckchen (operetta with Wilhelm), G. Kerker, 1910;
- Das Puppenmädel (operetta with L. Stein), Fall, 1910;
- Die schöne Risette (romantische Operette, with Bodanzky), Fall, 1910;
- Die Sirene (operetta with Stein), Fall, 1911;
- Der Eisenhammer (Opera), B. Bersa, 1911, as Oganj
- Der flotte Bob (operetta with W. Sterk), K. Stigler, 1911;
- Die kleine Freundin (operetta with Stein), Straus, 1911;
- Eva [Das Fabriksmädel] (operetta with Bodanzky), Lehár, 1911;
- Casimirs Himmelfahrt (burleske Operette, with Bodanzky), B. Granichstaedten, 1911; *Prinzess Gretl (operetta with Bodanzky), Reinhardt, 1913;
- Endlich allein(operetta with Bodanzky), Lehár, 1914;
- Der Schuster von Delft (Opera, with Wilhelm), Bersa, 1914, as Postolar iz Delfta;
- Der Märchenprinz (operetta with Sterk), Berté, 1914
- Der Durchgang der Venus (operetta with R. Oesterreicher), E. Eysler, 1914;
- Der künstliche Mensch (operetta with Oesterreicher), Fall, 1915;
- Die erste Frau (operetta with Oesterreicher), Reinhardt, 1915;
- Wenn zwei sich lieben (operetta with Bodanzky), Eysler, 1915;
- Das Dreimäderlhaus (Singspiel, with H. Reichert, after R. H. Bartsch: Schwammerl), Berté, 1916;
- Die Faschingsfee (operetta with Oesterreicher), Kálmán, 1917;
- Die schöne Saskia (operetta with Reichert), O. Nedbal, 1917
- La rondineLa rondineLa rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert...
(opera), Giacomo PucciniGiacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
, 1917.
- Hannerl [Dreimäderlhaus, 2. Teil] (Singspiel, with Reichert), K. Lafite, 1918;
- Wo die Lerche singt (operetta with Reichert), Lehár, 1918;
- Johann Nestroy (Singspiel, with Oesterreicher), E. Reiterer, 1918;
- Nimm mich mit (operetta with Waldberg), H. Dostal, 1919;
- Der heilige Ambrosius (Schwank, with A. Rebner), Fall, 1921;
- Nixchen (operetta with Oesterreicher), Straus, 1921;
- Frasquita (operetta with Reichert), Lehár, 1922;
- Libellentanz (Revue-Operette), Lehár, 1923;
- Agri (operetta with Sterk), E. Steffan, 1924
- Ein Ballroman [Der Kavalier von zehn bis vier] (operetta with Oesterreicher and F. Rotter), Stolz, 1924;
- Das Milliardensouper (operetta with H. Kottow), Steffan, 1925;
- Der Mitternachtswalzer (operetta with Oesterreicher), Stolz, 1926;
- Ade, du liebes Elternhaus [Die Lori] (Singspiel, with Reichert), O. Jascha, 1928;
- Rosen aus Florida (operetta with Reichert), Korngold, after Fall, 1929;
- Walzer aus Wien (Singspiel, with Reichert and E. Marischka), J. Bittner and Korngold, after J. Strauss and J. Strauss (the elder), 1930
Sources
- The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5 - The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), ISBN 0-19-869164-5