The dollar princess
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The dollar princess |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Leo case |
| Libretto : | Alfred Maria Willner and Fritz Grünbaum |
| Literary source: | Comedy “Die Dollarprinzessinnen” by Emerich von Gatti and Thilo Friedrich Wilhelm von Trotha |
| Premiere: | November 2, 1907 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater an der Wien , Vienna |
| Playing time: | 150 min. |
| Place and time of the action: | USA and Canada around 1905 |
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The Dollar Princess is a three-act operetta by the composer Leo Fall . The libretto was written by the team of authors Alfred Maria Willner and Fritz Grünbaum ; They were based on a comedy "The Dollar Princess" by Emerich von Gatti and Thilo Friedrich Wilhelm von Trotha. The dollar princess belongs to the silver operetta era and was premiered on November 2, 1907 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna . The first performance of the piece in Dresden took place in the presence of the composer in the central theater, whereby the musical direction was in the hands of the conductor Georg Pittrich .
action
- Act One - Elegant business room in the luxury New York mansion of John Couders
The American multimillionaire John Couder admires the European noble houses. He divorced his wife a few years ago and now plans to remarry. But this time it should be a European who can at least come up with the title “Countess”. He has therefore sent his brother Tom and his nephew Dick on a trip to the old continent. The two should put out their feelers there and look for a noble lady who would suit him.
Baron Hans von Schlick lost his fortune in Germany through unskillful behavior and emigrated to America. Now he serves John Couder as a stable boy. On the side he gives Daisy, his boss's niece, riding lessons. On this occasion he fell in love with his student. On the other hand, she initially regards the relationship with her teacher as purely platonic.
On the advice of his friend Hans, Fredy, also from the old European aristocracy, comes to Couder and applies for the vacancy as private secretary for his daughter. Soon it starts to crackle between her and Fredy.
Tom and Dick are returning from Europe with a lady in tow, a Russian countess, as they suspect. In reality, however, she is a tangle dancer and both Hans and Fredy were best known under the name Olga from earlier times. But they immediately signal to her that they will not divulge this secret. Opposite Couder, Olga exudes all her charm and soon notices that he has fallen for her.
- Act Two - Conservatory in John Couder's luxury villa
Alice has feelings for her secretary, but does not show them to him. She lives - and she is very similar to her father - according to the motto that money can buy anything. That's why she expects Fredy to crawl to her cross and whimper to ask her to become his wife. After all, it is she who brings the greatest dowry into the marriage. Fredy realizes what Alice is getting at, but his pride prevents him from going so far towards her.
Couder has decided to marry Olga. But he would prefer to see him and his daughter celebrate a double wedding. But first of all, today should be engagement. Couder has invited numerous guests to his villa for this purpose. After the landlord announced his engagement to Olga, his daughter explains, purely in a business-like manner, that she has decided to enter into a relationship with Fredy. Although Couder holds out the prospect of a lucrative dowry, he remains steadfast and says “No!” The rich society sees this as a scandal. Fredy quits the Couders on the spot and leaves New York.
And two more people have left Couders: Because he had spoken out against his niece Daisy's marriage to the stable master Hans von Schlick, the two married secretly and never returned to the villa.
- Third act - country house in Canada
Fredy Wehrburg emigrated to Canada. His savings made it possible for him to buy a totally run-down company cheaply there. With a lot of skill and cleverness, he managed to get the company going again. Today he runs a flourishing business.
A year has passed since Fredy's move from New York. Though he hadn't exactly been treated like a lover by the dollar princess, his thoughts keep drifting back to her. He would love to see her again to see if the year of separation has changed her for the better. So he tries to get into business contact with his former employer. His plan works: Couder announces his visit to him and soon arrives with his wife Olga and daughter Alice. Because Fredy is also currently accommodating the married couple Daisy and Hans von Schlick as guests, there is a great reunion. Couder has long since forgiven his niece for marrying his former stable boy against his advice. He is much more worried about how to get rid of his Russian "Countess" again; because marriage does not keep what he had promised of it. Fredy acts as negotiator and succeeds in getting Olga to agree to the divorce for a large sum of money. For them, too, life with Couder has not turned out to be a treat. She longs to go back to being in Europe.
Fredy realizes that Alice has actually matured and improved in that one year. So nothing stands in the way of the happy ending, namely their engagement.
music
- orchestra
Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, a harp, a percussion, a small drum, two timpani and strings.
- Musical highlights
- A real self-made girl from real Yankeerass'
- We dance rows of rings
- I want my student to rest (riding duet)
- Then I want to love her faithfully and ardently
- These are the dollar princes, the poorest beauties in the world!
- At one point my cradle stood on the gray waters of the Volga
literature
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operettas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1917, pp. 29-30.
- Clemens Wolthens: Opera and Operetta . Tosa-Verlag, Vienna 1970.
Sound carrier
Large cross-section (CD) at Philips with Gabriele Jacoby , Horst Niendorf , Regina Lemnitz , Gerhart Lippert , Tatjana Iwanow and the Graunke Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Bert Grund
Film adaptations
- 1908 under the title Die Dollar-Princess and production as directed by Alfred Duskes with Ludwig Herold , Grete Holm , Arnold Rieck and Helene Winter
- 1927 under the title The dollar princess and her six suitors and directed by Felix Basch with Liane Haid , Georg Alexander and Hans Albers
- 1962 under the title Dollarprinsessen as a television film for the Norwegian television NRK , directed by Erik These
- 1971 as a ZDF film adaptation directed by Klaus Überall with adapted music by Mischa Mleinek and Lothar von Trotha
Individual evidence
- ^ FA Geißler (music critic) in: "Die Musik", published by Schuster & Loeffler, Berlin, VII. Year, 1907/1908, issue 10; Second February issue, p. 234