The phone or love for three
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The phone or love for three |
| Original title: | The Telephone, or L'amour à trois |
| Shape: | one act, thoroughly composed |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Gian Carlo Menotti |
| Libretto : | Gian Carlo Menotti |
| Premiere: | February 18, 1947 |
| Place of premiere: | Heckscher Theater in New York |
| Place and time of the action: | Lucy's apartment, ca.1947 |
| people | |
The telephone or love for three is an opera buffa in one act by Gian Carlo Menotti . The libretto in English is also from the composer. The work premiered in 1947 at the Heckscher Theater in New York . The work was commissioned by the Ballet Society to complement the short opera Das Medium , which premiered in 1946, as a "curtain raiser" .
action
The opera takes place in Lucy's apartment, an apartment in the USA , probably at the time this opera was written. Ben has to leave soon, but first he goes to his girlfriend Lucy to propose to her. Before he can begin, Lucy's phone rings. She chats for a long time with her friend Margaret. When the conversation is over, Ben wants to start talking again, but another call comes in. The caller made a mistake. Ben asks Lucy to hurry, pointing out the urgent time, but after this remark, Lucy chooses the time announcement . Ben wants to start talking for the third time, but now George calls, who accuses Lucy of spreading a rumor about him. After a small but violent argument, Lucy bursts into tears. Ben wants to cut the telephone line, but Lucy can prevent this at the last moment - she has to seek solace from her friend Pamela and complain to her about George's behavior. Meanwhile, Ben is leaving the apartment. When Lucy ends the conversation, she realizes that Ben has left and wants to blow gloom. Shortly afterwards, a call comes from Ben from a telephone booth asking for her hand. Lucy happily says yes and tells him never to forget her phone number.
literature
- Rainer Franke: The Telephone or L'Amour à Trois. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Vol. 4. Works. Massine - Piccinni. Piper, Munich and Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-492-02414-9 , p. 56 f.
Web links
- Plot from Das Telefon or Die Liebe zu threesome on Opera-Guide landing page currently unavailable due to URL change