The Duchess's tenor
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| Title: | The Duchess's tenor |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Eduard Künneke |
| Libretto : | Richard Keßler |
| Literary source: | Comedy by Heinrich Ilgenstein |
| Premiere: | February 8, 1930 |
| Place of premiere: | Prague, New German Theater |
| Place and time of the action: | Germany around 1900 |
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The Duchess's tenor is an operetta in three acts by Eduard Künneke . The libretto is by Richard Keßler and is based on a comedy by Heinrich Ilgenstein . The work had its world premiere on February 8, 1930 at the New German Theater in Prague .
orchestra
Two flutes, an oboe, three clarinets or saxophones, a bassoon, two horns, three trumpets, three trombones, a piano, a harp, a banjo, an accordion, large percussion and strings
action
The operetta takes place in the fictional smaller German residence town of Liebenstein at the beginning of the 20th century.
In search of an engagement, the opera singer Rudolf von Niemeyer ended up in the small duchy of Liebenstein, where a position has just become vacant at the court theater. It has got around to him that the widowed Duchess Ernestine leads a strict regiment. She is particularly supported by Frau Hofrat Wegebold and her virtuous association “Die Legitimen”, to which only mature women belong.
Rudolf von Niemeyer is accompanied by his wife Hilde. Their son “Bubi” is meanwhile in the care of his grandmother. Hilde recommends that her husband take off the wedding ring for the audition so that he would count as a single; otherwise, his chances of being hired are slim. He should just pass her off as his sister. - Said and done. The rehearsal concert is a complete success.
The Duchess made the Kavalierhaus available to the Niemeyer “siblings”. In the music room, Rudolf is currently giving singing lessons to the operetta soubrette Molly Bruck. From her he learns that the duchess' nephew, Prince Bernhard, has had an eye on her, which she is very flattering. Incidentally, the soubrette also notes that the Duchess is showing a strikingly great interest in the new single singers in her theater. He shouldn't be surprised if she soon began to ensnare him too.
Surprisingly, "Bubi" suddenly appears at his parents' house. His grandmother was tired of looking after her grandchildren and sent the little one after his parents. They decide to pass him off as their nephew.
Rudolf and Hilde von Niemeyer give a reception for the court society in the salon of the Kavalierhaus. Events soon come thick and fast: Prince Bernhard suddenly doesn't want anything more to do with Molly Bruck, because the “sister” of the new tenor pulls him much more under its spell. This fact, of course, evokes Molly's jealousy for all to see. Count Prillwitz, the director of the court theater, is also targeting Hilde. He even goes so far as to ask her to be his wife. Hilde does not reject him; she just asks him to think it over. But that's not all: Even Duchess Ernestine is extremely delighted by the very charming Hilde and offers her to become her first lady-in-waiting. However, this would mean that Hilde would have to move to the castle.
Suddenly, however, the reception spreads to a scandal: "Bubi" rushes in and complains to his mother that he cannot fall asleep because of the loud noise. There is nothing left for Hilde to do but acknowledge her motherhood. The court society is appalled, especially the ladies of the moral society “The Legitimate”. It is going too far for you when a married singer kisses another woman on stage. But now that! A future lady-in-waiting with an illegitimate child! And of course she is not the sister of the new tenor, but his lover! The Duchess insists that this “illegitimate love affair” be resolved immediately. Hilde agrees, but makes it a condition that Rudolf get a five-year contract as a singer at the court theater. After the Duchess has given her consent, Rudolf and Hilde confess that they have been "legitimately" married to each other for years. Now the Duchess also realizes that her courtship for the new tenor is doomed to failure. But whatever? After all, she has hired a new bass player for the next season at her theater.