Viktoria und ihr Husar
Encyclopedia
Viktoria und ihr Husar is an operetta
in three acts and a prelude
by Paul Abraham
with a libretto
by Alfred Grünwald
and Fritz Löhner-Beda
, based on a work by the Hungarian
Emmerich Földes (also Emric or Imre Foeldes).
It premiered under the baton of the composer on 21 February 1930 in Budapest
. The German premiere was on 7 July 1930 in Leipzig
, and it was then given on 23 December 1930 at the Theater an der Wien
, Vienna
. An adaptation into English by Harry Graham
was performed at the Palace Theatre
in London on 17 September 1931.
, Japan
, Hungary; after 1918.
Viktoria is a Hungarian countess who believes her first love, the Hussar captain Stefan Koltay, was killed in World War I. She marries the American legate John Cunlight and resettles at the American embassy in Tokyo
. Koltay reappears, alive; the American generously releases Viktoria from their union.
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 three acts and a prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
by Paul Abraham
Paul Abraham
Paul Abraham was a composer of operettas.Abraham studied at the Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest from 1910 to 1916...
with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Alfred Grünwald
Alfred Grünwald (librettist)
Alfred Grünwald was an Austrian author, librettist, and lyricist. Some of his better-known works were written in conjunction with the composers Franz Lehár, Emmerich Kálmán, Oscar Straus, Paul Abraham, and Robert Stolz.After the Anschluss the family emigrated to the United States in 1940 via France...
and Fritz Löhner-Beda
Fritz Löhner-Beda
Fritz Löhner-Beda , born Friedrich Löwy, was an Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer.- Life :He was born in Wildenschwert, Bohemia ....
, based on a work by the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Emmerich Földes (also Emric or Imre Foeldes).
It premiered under the baton of the composer on 21 February 1930 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. The German premiere was on 7 July 1930 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, and it was then given on 23 December 1930 at the Theater an der Wien
Theater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. An adaptation into English by Harry Graham
Harry Graham (poet)
Jocelyn Henry Clive 'Harry' Graham was an English writer. He was a successful journalist and later, after distinguished military service, a leading lyricist for operettas and musical comedies, but he is now best remembered as a writer of humorous verse in the tradition of grotesquerie and black...
was performed at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
in London on 17 September 1931.
Roles
| Role | Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types... |
Premiere cast, 21 February 1930 (Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... : Paul Abraham) |
|---|---|---|
| John Cunlight, American legate Legation A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.... |
bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
|
| Countess Viktoria, his wife | soprano Soprano A 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... |
|
| Count Ferry Hegedüs of Dorozsma, her brother | tenor Tenor The 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... |
|
| O Lia San, Ferry's bride | soprano (soubrette Soubrette A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:... ) |
|
| Riquette, Viktoria's chamber maid | soubrette | |
| Stefan Koltay, Hussar Cavalry Master Rittmeister Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different... |
tenor | |
| Jancsi, his batman | tenor | |
| Béla Pörkölty, mayor of Dorozsma | baritone | |
| A Japanese priest | baritone | |
| Tokeramo Yagani, Japanese attaché | spoken | |
| A Russian officer | spoken | |
| A Japanese footman | spoken | |
| Japanese cavaliers and girls, guests, servants, chamber maids, coolie Coolie Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century... s, Cossacks, Hussars. |
||
Synopsis
Place and time: SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hungary; after 1918.
Viktoria is a Hungarian countess who believes her first love, the Hussar captain Stefan Koltay, was killed in World War I. She marries the American legate John Cunlight and resettles at the American embassy in Tokyo
Embassy of the United States in Tokyo
The Embassy of the United States in Tokyo represents the United States to Japan. Along with consulates general in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Naha, the embassy provides assistance to American citizens and issues visas to foreign nationals who wish to visit or immigrate to the United...
. Koltay reappears, alive; the American generously releases Viktoria from their union.
Notable arias
- Nur ein Mädel gibt es auf der Welt
- Ja so ein Mädel, ungarisches Mädel
- An der Newa steh ein Haus
- Pardon, Madame, ich bin verliebt
- Ungarland, Donauland (or Ungarland, Heimatland)
- Meine Mama war aus Yokohama, aus Paris ist der Papa
- Mausi, süß warst du heute Nacht
- Reich mir zum Abschied noch einmal die Hände
Recordings
- Abraham: Viktoria und ihr Husar — Blume von Hawaii (Querschnitt), Eurodisc, (excerpts, with Rudolf SchockRudolf SchockRudolf 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...
)