Maske in Blau
Encyclopedia
Maske in Blau is a grand operetta
in two parts (six scenes) with music by Fred Raymond
to a libretto by Heinz Hentschke
and Günther Schwenn. The work had its premiere under Werner Schmidt-Boelke on 27 September 1937 at the Metropol Theater in Berlin. It was revived on 20 March 1955 at the Théâtre Municipal, Strasbourg
under the title Le masque bleu.
in Italy and the second part (scenes 4–6 ) on the Rio Negro in Argentina at the time of the premiere, that is, in the 1930s.
Evelyne Valera, a wealthy plantation owner from Argentina, arrives with her entourage at the Grand Hotel. Each visitor suspects that this "Mask in Blue" has to be her, and is thus correct. The lady intends to seek out the artist in his studio.
Armando Cellini is waiting longingly for the visit of the unknown beauty. When the doorbell rings, he thinks he is already on target, but gets the same bitter disappointment. A stranger enters his studio posing as Pedro dal Vegas. The only thing that interests him, is the painting "Mask in Blue". His request is that, the painter should it sell it to him, but the request remains unfulfilled.
Shortly after Pedro dal Vegas has left the atelier, a new guest is announced. This time it is the desired "Mask in Blue". The painter recognizes her immediately from her ring. Now things begin to spark between the two and they confess their love.
The next day a street festival is celebrated in Sanremo. This leads to the second meeting between Cellini and Pedro Armando dal Vegas. The painting would win by all means the favor of the wealthy plantation owner in order to rehabilitate his finances. Because he has noticed her love for the artist Cellini suggests he harbors a sinister plan: he has managed to steal the ring from Evelyn's purse. He gives it back to the painter, allegedly on behalf of the owner. Armando Cellini descends from jubilation to desperation. He had not imagined such a rapid change of his beloved.
In the hall of his palace of the Marchese Cavallotti gives a reception in honor of his protege Armando Cellini. Here are Gonzala, the major-domo of Evelyne Valera, and Franz Kilian, Armando best friend, in conversation. Gonzala would like to see if his employer would take the painter for a husband. He fears, however, that the deceitful Pedro dal Vegas could make his own advances. The two therefore decide to play fate. As the festival reaches its peak, they announce before all the guests the engagement of Evelyne Valera and Armando Cellini. The latter appears shocked; he feels the rich plantation owner used him a pawn. But there is no other way. Furious, she leaves the palace.
Suddenly, a post rider approaches with a telegram to the landowner. The intriguing Vegas manages to catch the telegram and read it. It announces that Armando Cellini has landed with a few friends in the nearby provincial capital, and they will soon visit her on her property, for he had since learned how the ring got into the possession of dal Vegas. The Argentine immediately grabs the next best horse to ride in the provincial capital. He is unaware that one of the gauchos has noticed how he intercepted the telegram. As soon as the gaucho made the major domo aware of this development, he does not hesitate and rides after the crook.
After Armondo Cellini had sent the telegram in the provincial capital, he heard the rumor that Evelyne's engagement with Pedro dal Vegas was imminent. Without much thought he made immediately his way to the hacienda. Half way he meets the fraudulent Argentine. The painter harangues Vegas to abandon his marriage plans.
When the major domo with Armandos friends arrives a bit later at the ranch, all celebrate a joyous festival in which it comes naturally to the expected engagement.
, two oboe
s, two clarinet
s (or clarinet and saxophone
), two bassoon
s, three horns
, two trumpet
s, three trombone
s, a harp
, a celesta
, percussion and strings
.
, Rudolf Schock
, Margit Schramm and the Berliner Symphoniker
under the direction of Werner Schmidt-Boelcke on Eurodisc
Operetta
Operetta 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:...
in two parts (six scenes) with music by Fred Raymond
Fred Raymond
Fred Raymond, actually Raimund Friedrich Vesely was an Austrian composer.Raymond, born in Vienna, was the third child of Vinzenz Vesely, an employee of the Austrian state railway system, and his wife Henriette, née Dluhos. Both parents were of Czech descent...
to a libretto by Heinz Hentschke
Heinz Hentschke
Heinz Hentschke was an actor, director and librettist of German-language operettas. Hentschke started out as a theatrical actor working mainly in Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg. He was the director of the Lessing Theatre in Berlin from 1934 to 1944...
and Günther Schwenn. The work had its premiere under Werner Schmidt-Boelke on 27 September 1937 at the Metropol Theater in Berlin. It was revived on 20 March 1955 at the Théâtre Municipal, Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
under the title Le masque bleu.
Roles
- Evelyne Valera sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Carla Carlsen - Juliska Varady soprano Clara Tabody
- Seppl Fraunhofer tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
- Armando Cellini tenor
- Franz Kilian bass
Place and time
The first part of the operetta (scenes 1–3) takes place in SanremoSanremo
Sanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
in Italy and the second part (scenes 4–6 ) on the Rio Negro in Argentina at the time of the premiere, that is, in the 1930s.
Part 1
Armando Cellini is a celebrated artist. With his painting "Mask in Blue" he was able to win the first prize in a competition, creating a breakthrough in the art market. Exactly one year ago, the painting was created when he was a guest at a ball and portrayed an unknown beauty. Since then this woman has haunted his visions. Because she had promised him to come back in a year to the exact day, he hopes to see her today. He would recognize her even without her blue mask, that he had given her after the completion of the picture along with a ring and asked her to wear them on her return.Evelyne Valera, a wealthy plantation owner from Argentina, arrives with her entourage at the Grand Hotel. Each visitor suspects that this "Mask in Blue" has to be her, and is thus correct. The lady intends to seek out the artist in his studio.
Armando Cellini is waiting longingly for the visit of the unknown beauty. When the doorbell rings, he thinks he is already on target, but gets the same bitter disappointment. A stranger enters his studio posing as Pedro dal Vegas. The only thing that interests him, is the painting "Mask in Blue". His request is that, the painter should it sell it to him, but the request remains unfulfilled.
Shortly after Pedro dal Vegas has left the atelier, a new guest is announced. This time it is the desired "Mask in Blue". The painter recognizes her immediately from her ring. Now things begin to spark between the two and they confess their love.
The next day a street festival is celebrated in Sanremo. This leads to the second meeting between Cellini and Pedro Armando dal Vegas. The painting would win by all means the favor of the wealthy plantation owner in order to rehabilitate his finances. Because he has noticed her love for the artist Cellini suggests he harbors a sinister plan: he has managed to steal the ring from Evelyn's purse. He gives it back to the painter, allegedly on behalf of the owner. Armando Cellini descends from jubilation to desperation. He had not imagined such a rapid change of his beloved.
In the hall of his palace of the Marchese Cavallotti gives a reception in honor of his protege Armando Cellini. Here are Gonzala, the major-domo of Evelyne Valera, and Franz Kilian, Armando best friend, in conversation. Gonzala would like to see if his employer would take the painter for a husband. He fears, however, that the deceitful Pedro dal Vegas could make his own advances. The two therefore decide to play fate. As the festival reaches its peak, they announce before all the guests the engagement of Evelyne Valera and Armando Cellini. The latter appears shocked; he feels the rich plantation owner used him a pawn. But there is no other way. Furious, she leaves the palace.
Part 2
Evelyne now returns to their ranch on the Rio Grande and tries to forget Armando Cellini, but it does not succeed. Meanwhile, she maintains an active correspondence with majordomo Armando's friend Franz Kilian. The two do not give up to bring the couple still together. But Pedro dal Vegas obstinately continues in his attempts to conquer Evelyne. However, she is undecided whether to give in to his wooing.Suddenly, a post rider approaches with a telegram to the landowner. The intriguing Vegas manages to catch the telegram and read it. It announces that Armando Cellini has landed with a few friends in the nearby provincial capital, and they will soon visit her on her property, for he had since learned how the ring got into the possession of dal Vegas. The Argentine immediately grabs the next best horse to ride in the provincial capital. He is unaware that one of the gauchos has noticed how he intercepted the telegram. As soon as the gaucho made the major domo aware of this development, he does not hesitate and rides after the crook.
After Armondo Cellini had sent the telegram in the provincial capital, he heard the rumor that Evelyne's engagement with Pedro dal Vegas was imminent. Without much thought he made immediately his way to the hacienda. Half way he meets the fraudulent Argentine. The painter harangues Vegas to abandon his marriage plans.
When the major domo with Armandos friends arrives a bit later at the ranch, all celebrate a joyous festival in which it comes naturally to the expected engagement.
Musical highlights
- "Die Juliska, die Juliska aus Buda-, Budapest"
- "Schau einer schönen Frau nicht zu tief in die Augen"
- "Am Rio Negro, da steht ein kleines verträumtes Haus" (Duet)
- "Sassa, Sassa!"
- "Ja, das Temp'rament"
- "In dir hab ich mein Glück gefunden" (Duet)
- "Maske in Blau"
Instrumentation
Two flutesWestern concert flute
The Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player....
, two oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, two clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s (or clarinet and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
), two bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, three horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, two trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, three trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, a harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, a celesta
Celesta
The celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, percussion and strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
.
Recordings
Excerpts with Marika RökkMarika Rökk
Marika Rökk was an Austrian-German singer, dancer and actress of Hungarian descent, who became famous in German films, notably in the Nazi era.- Life and work :...
, Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Schock
Rudolf Johann Schock was a German tenor.He sang a wide repertory from operetta to Lohengrin, recording among others opera and lieder, doing television, radio and film work. Slim and handsome, he made many films.His voice fell almost into the heldentenor fach but was smaller and more...
, Margit Schramm and the Berliner Symphoniker
Berliner Symphoniker
Berliner Symphoniker ia a Symphony orchestra in Berlin, Germany.The orchestra began its performing activity on 1 September 1967 as Symphonisches Orchester Berlin. In 1990 it was renamed Berliner Symphoniker...
under the direction of Werner Schmidt-Boelcke on Eurodisc
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
External links
- Details and short synopsis
- Synopsis
- 1941/1942 film
- 1952/1953 film
- Photos from a performance at the Deutsches Theater München in 2008