The laughing husband (operetta)
| Work data | |
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| Title: | The laughing husband |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Edmund Eysler |
| Libretto : | Julius Brammer , Alfred Grünwald |
| Premiere: | March 19, 1913 |
| Place of premiere: | Citizens' Theater , Vienna |
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The Laughing Husband is an operetta in three acts by the composer Edmund Eysler and the librettists Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald . Its world premiere of this work took place on 19 March 1913 at the Citizens Theater to Vienna instead.
action
- Act 1 - Elegant salon of the Villa Bruckner in the royal seat
Factory owner Ottokar Bruckner is only interested in his factory and in making money; He rejects the interests of his wife Heloise - music, painting, literature - because he thinks dealing with such things is silly. Heloise sees herself as a misunderstood wife, but still wants to remain loyal to her husband. This project is made very difficult for her by Count Selztal, because he tries to persuade her to have an affair.
Lucinde, an elderly relative, persuades Bruckner to accompany a young couple on their study trip through Italy. Through this trip he could refresh his neglected education and thus also consolidate his marital happiness. Bruckner lets his wife believe that he is going to Italy; In reality, he wants to meet a friend at his Buchenau hunting lodge for a hunt.
- Act 2 - In the Buchenau hunting lodge
Since they think Bruckner is in Italy, Count Selztal can persuade Heloise to give a hunting party at her Buchenau hunting lodge. Spontaneous invitations to this festival are made and many friends and artists come. During the course of the evening, the count tries to persuade Heloise to fling. At the same time, the poet Nachtigall flirts with Etelka, a woman who is also married.
Now Bruckner arrives at the castle with his hunting friend Andreas Pipelhuber. Hoopoe, the servant, reports to Bruckner that his wife and the party are present. Heloise accidentally notices the arrival of her husband and suspects an affair. Now she wants to reward like with like and grants Count Selztal a rendezvous in her Boudooir. They are surprised by Bruckner and the immediate separation of the couple is the result.
- 3rd act - office of the lawyer Dr. Rose red
Dr. Rosenrot is a specialist in divorce matters. That is why almost everyone is meeting again in his office. First of all, Rosenrot reconciles Mr. Basewitz with Etelka, whom he caught in a literary café with the poet Nachtigal. The next problem is Hans Zimt, whose wife is also getting a divorce. Rosenrot locks the two in a boudoir for a final discussion. After a short time, the Zimt couple - somewhat deranged but happy - left the office; no more talk of divorce.
Pipelhuber, who vehemently supports Bruckner in his divorce plans, is now locked in this boudoir together with Lucinde and this couple has also found each other after a short time. In the meantime, Bruckner is asked to read the modern novel “The Laughing Husband” and he learns that the comic character is not the husband, but always the rejected lover. When a letter from his wife to Count Selztal is leaked to him, in which she assures her unbreakable loyalty to her husband, he immediately withdraws his divorce suit and takes his wife to the summer resort.
literature
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operettas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1917, pp. 110-112.