The yellow jacket (Lehár)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The yellow jacket |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Franz Lehár |
| Libretto : | Victor Léon |
| Premiere: | February 9, 1923 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater an der Wien , Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | Vienna and Beijing 1912 |
| people | |
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The yellow jacket is an operetta in three acts by the composer Franz Lehár . The libretto is by Victor Léon . The world premiere took place on February 9, 1923 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna . It was composed at the same time as the Blue Mazur and Frasquita . The work was not completed until later. The yellow jacket is a high Chinese honor (in operetta).
History of origin
The original idea of writing an operetta with a Chinese background came from Lizzy Marischka-Leon, the librettist's daughter. Shortly before her untimely death, she suggested an operetta libretto in front of a Chinese background during Christmas 1917. Franz Lehár immediately started with some musical sketches and in 1918 a contract had been signed with the Theater an der Wien, while Victor Léon was working on the textbook. The work dragged on, however, also because the composer, as mentioned above, was still working on two other operettas. It was not until Christmas 1922 that he finished the work with the piano reduction.
action
The plot is a love story between Sou Chong and Lea Limburger. Which, unlike the later version, has a happy ending in the land of smiles . Because the prince renounces his Chinese claims and marries his Leah.
reception
The operetta premiere on February 9, 1923 was well received by the audience. The composer had given his music a completely new character, adapted to the Chinese. Despite the success at the premiere, the operetta did not last long on the program. This was also due to the fact that the operetta composers, including Lehár, were pushing each other off the stage with their many works. At that time, the composer was also unable to fall back on Richard Tauber , who later helped launch many of Lehár's successful operettas. In 1929 he reworked the subject. Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda revised the textbook. The result was the world success The Land of Smiles . The original version of the Yellow Jacket has not been played since then.
Differences to the land of smiles
The yellow jacket differs in many ways from its later remake. On pages 96 and 97 of his Lehár biography, Norbert Linke highlighted some differences and similarities. It starts with the people. Lisa in the Land of Smiles is still called Lea Limburger in the first version and Gustl is called Claudius von Wimpach. Fashion dances like shimmy and foxtrot were not carried over to the land of smiles from the original. These did not fit into the operatic style of the new version. The following songs were taken from the original and are therefore also part of the Yellow Jacket: Freunderl don't worry , Always smile , When the chrysanthemums are in bloom and A wreath from apple blossoms . The duet It hangs the sky full of violins from the yellow jacket has been rewritten and moved from No. 14 ( Yellow Jacket ) to No. 4 ( Land of Smiles ) in the score . It has been called a deux for tea ever since . New compositions in the land of smiles and therefore not part of the Yellow Jacket include the duet Who has put love in our hearts and the song fairy tale of happiness . The finals and choirs were designed much longer in the yellow jacket . In addition, the original plot ended with a happy ending. The song I want to once again see the home , said in the Yellow Jacket still I want to once again see the Prater . The most successful change in the land of smiles was the makeover and repositioning of the song Scent pours out of your hair and your skin is like perfume . This has now turned into the Richard Tauber success Your is my whole heart , perhaps the most famous operetta song of all.
Songs that are only included in the yellow jacket include Li Tsching-Lu (song) , Wien Du mein Wien (waltz song), If you were with me now (song), and Vatter find me a bride (march song), a Chinese one step and a large divertissement. Some of these tracks are not listed under the music numbers below. This may be because they are part of one of the finals or sub-numbers of other numbers.
For the scene of the awarding of the yellow jacket , two versions are offered in the piano reduction of the Land of Smiles . One variant was reworked and shortened by the composer in 1929. The other longer version comes from the Yellow Jacket. When performing the Land of Smiles , the conductor is free to choose which of these versions they want to play.
Yellow Jacket music numbers
The following list of music numbers is taken from the Lehár catalog raisonné of the Franz Lehár Society.
1. Introduction and song
2. Duet: It's not the first time
3rd song: Always smile
4. A wreath of apple blossoms
5th trio: Be smart
6. Final I
7. The award of the yellow jacket
8th quartet: an angel has fled
9th song: I want to see the Prater again
10. The fairy tale of Li-Tsching-Lu
11. Waltz: Vienna, you my Vienna
12.Song: Zig, zig, zig (When the chrysanthemums bloom)
13. Finale II
14. Duet: Modern women ... The sky is full of violins
15th song: Now I can think of something good
16. Finale III: with Lea's song "I'll see him again now".
Trivia
Of all the attempts by Franz Lehár to breathe new life into an earlier, less successful work by reworking it, his attempt to transform the Yellow Jacket into the Land of Smiles has remained by far the most successful. Most of these attempts have failed. Only with the revision of the operetta Endlich Alone from 1914 Too Beautiful Is The World He had a certain but not nearly as great success.
literature
- Norbert Linke: Franz Lehár . rororo Verlag, ISBN 3-499-50427-8 , pp. 78ff, 96 and 97.