Dragonfly dance

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Work data
Title: Dragonfly dance
Original title: Dragonfly Dance or La Danza delle Libellule
Shape: operetta
Original language: German or Italian
Music: Franz Lehár
Libretto : Alfred Maria Willner
Premiere: March 30, 1923
Place of premiere: City Theater, Vienna
Place and time of the action: Nancy around 1923
people
  • Helene Cliquot, a young widow
  • Charles Bouquet, Duke of Nancy
  • Toutou gratin
  • Charlotte Pommery
  • Mr Pommery, her husband
  • Piper, owner of Nancy Castle
  • and much more

Libellentanz is an operetta in three acts by the composer Franz Lehár and the librettist Alfred Maria Willner . The premiere took place on March 23, 1923 in the Stadttheater in Vienna. Sometimes the work is also mentioned under the title The Three Graces . The stage work is a reworking of the operetta Der Sterngucker from 1916. As early as 1922, an Italian-language version of this work was performed in Milan under the title La Danza delle Libellule , which was quite successful in Italy for years.

action

Mr Piper bought Nancy Castle and is now inviting some friends to ice skate in the park. In addition, they are supposed to act in a play written by him in the theater of the castle. Among the guests is Charles, Count of Nancy in disguise. In addition to the Count, the young widow Helene, the Parisian actor Bouquet, former choir girls and citizens of the city, and their wives also take part in the play. From this starting point, some stories of confusion that are typical of operettas develop. In the meantime, the wives of the respected citizens also go astray. In the end, however, there is a happy ending and all couples get together again.

reception

To the displeasure of Franz Lehár, the action on the stage was determined by films, fashion shows, ice skating scenes and other revue effects. Large parts of the music were taken from the star gazer or reworked and rewritten. While the aforementioned Italian version was able to stay on the repertoire for a long time in Italy, the dragonfly dance was unsuccessful in German-speaking countries. This operetta suffered the same fate as the original version under the title of Star Gazers . Occasionally, but rarely, one or the other song number is performed at concerts. The operetta as a whole has disappeared from the repertoire of musical theaters.

Music numbers

According to the piano reduction, the operetta contains the following 17 music numbers, which also correspond to the score:

  • No. 1 Introduction and chorus: Everyone who sits by the stove today is foolish
  • No. 2 Terzett (dragonfly song): Whether you want it or not (Helene, Toutou, Charlotte)
  • No. 3 song: Unknown Fairy (Charles)
  • No. 4 Duet: Every woman is and remains a secret for me (Helene, Charles)
  • No. 5 dance song: When I love, I love enormously (Totou, choir)
  • No. 6 Duet: I want to be at the cinema (Toutou, Bouquet)
  • No. 7 Finale I (All)
  • No. 8 choir and entrance hall of Helene
  • No. 9 Mythological Quartet: You outshine all the stars
  • No. 10 Bambolina, go through with me (Toutou, Bouquet)
  • No. 11 Duet: Please Madame, enter her dressing room (Helene, Charles)
  • No. 12 Gigolette Foxtrot: (Toutou, Bouquet, Grisetten)
  • No. 13 Finale II (All)
  • No. 13a Intermezzo: (orchestra)
  • No. 13b Terzett: Reminiscence, Whether you like it or not (Helene, Toutou, Charlotte)
  • No. 14 Valse Boston: Heart, my heart (Helene)
  • No. 15 Duet: Dear good moon, look away (Toutou, Bouquett)
  • No. 16 Duet: Spring Wind (Helene, Charles)
  • No. 17 closing song (Finale III): Bambolina, go through with me (all)

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literature