THE COMPOSER
FRANZ LEHAR, THE LEHAR–PUCCINI CONNECTION, TWO FASCINATING
VERSIONS OF THE MERRY WIDOW, ONE ON THE STAGE AND THE OTHER
ON CD!
Franz Lehar (1870-1948),
best known as a composer of operettas, studied under his father,
who was a military bandmaster. From 1882 to 1888 he was a
pupil at the Prague Conservatory, studied violin, music theory
but concentrated on composition, following the advice of Dvorak.
After graduation, he played violin in the opera orchestra
at Elberfeld and later joined his father's band, the Fiftieth
Infantry, in Vienna, as assistant bandmaster. In Vienna, he
also free-lanced as a conductor and in the spring of 1902
he became a conductor at the Theater an der Wien.
His opera Wiener
Frauen was first performed there in November, 1902. From then
on, he lived in Vienna and devoted all his time to composition.
His greatest success was the operetta Die Lustige Witwe (The
Merry Widow), which had its world premiere at the Theater
an der Wein on December 30, 1905, and ran for more than five
thousand performances. At one time, it ran simultaneously
in five different languages and in as many theatres, in Buenos
Aires. Lehar’s other works include sonatas, symphonic
poems, marches and dances.
Among his dearest
recollections, Lehar cited in 1931 his first encounter with
Puccini in 1920 Vienna, and I quote:
“I felt a
great joy when Giacomo Puccini came to visit me. I will never
forget the honour bestowed upon me by the great Italian master.
He wanted me to play on the piano some pieces from Wiener
Frauen and some of my favourite waltzes. In return, he made
me hear some pieces from Turandot which he had not yet completed.
He played the piano with only one hand almost in amusement
but became serious all at a sudden and played with full artistry
and both hands as if he was accompanied by the orchestra.”
Among his dearest
things, Lehar kept a letter from Puccini after his visit to
Vienna in 1920 and sent from Torre Del Lago:
Dear friend,
I came back to my quiet nest and my first thought is towards
you. I am still under the spell of Vienna, the enchanting
city where the music vibrates in everybody’ souls and
there is rhythmic life in inanimate things. I find no right
word to tell you how happy I am to have made your acquaintance,
appreciated your generosity and enjoyed your melodies so well
known in the world. I and my wife thank you for your hospitality
from the bottom of our hearts. Please receive a warm hand
shake from your friend Puccini.
I saw The Merry
Widow at the Sydney Opera House in February 2004. I was enthralled
by The Merry Widow melodies and a new production in Sydney.
I had never heard it in full. The ensembles of local artists
had their highs, always eager and willing to let fly but the
young conductor Brad Cohen kept them under a tight rein. This
Widow provided an evening of exhilarating and merry entertainment,
a symbolic stage set of a giant roulette table turning slowly
then stopping and a huge fan used as stairs in all three acts,
rich and colourful costumes, lyrical duets and boisterous
first-rate finales.
I purchased a CD
on the same evening at the Opera House record shop which contains
highlights from the operetta The Merry Widow sung in English
by the celebrated Joan Sutherland (Hanna,
the widow), a top class of soloists under her husband Richard
Bonynge and studio recorded in 1978. The Austrian tenor Werner
Krenn is Danilo and English tenor John Brecknock
is Camille in love with Valencienne sung by the popular English
soprano Valerie Masterson. Camille and Valencienne
sing “Love in my heart was dying” in act II, to
me one of the most inspiring duets in the whole of operetta.
Valerie
Masterson as Mabel in the Pirates of Penzance
Audio file
Love
in my heart was dying sung by Camille (John Brecknock)
and Valencienne (Valerie Masterson) - The Merry Widow act
II
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