The world is beautiful
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The world is beautiful |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Franz Lehár |
| Libretto : | Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda |
| Premiere: | 3rd December 1930 |
| Place of premiere: | Berlin |
| Place and time of the action: | Tyrol around 1930 |
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The world is beautiful is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár based on a libretto by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda . The work had its world premiere on December 3, 1930 at the Metropol Theater in Berlin with Richard Tauber and Gitta Alpár . This is the new version of the operetta Endlich alone , which was staged for the first time on February 10, 1914 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner .
action
first act
Image: Hotel lobby
According to his father's wish, Prince Georg should marry Duchess Brankenhorst's niece, Princess Elisabeth von und zu Lichtenberg. The two young people do not dream of having their spouse prescribed. Here in the “Hotel des Alpes” in Tyrol, they are supposed to meet for the first time and forge tender bonds. So it happens; but neither of the two knows who the other really is. What they have in common is their love for the mountains.
Second act
Changing pictures: rock plateau - alpine pasture - mountain hut
Elisabeth and Georg go on a high mountain tour in the Alps and enjoy nature. The world is beautiful high above the valleys! As the hikers rested in front of a hut, they heard on the radio a call to the population to help them find the missing princess. She was last seen by a local in the company of an unknown young man. Elisabeth wants to return to the valley immediately; but a sudden change in the weather causes the plan to fail. For better or worse, the couple has to spend the night in the mountains. Both get closer and confess their love.
Third act
Image: Hotel lobby
Elisabeth and Georg secretly sneak back into the hotel. The princess immediately visits her aunt and explains to her that she has found the love of her life, namely her mountain companion. Both the king and the duchess are annoyed to find that they cannot impose their will on the children. But just at this moment Georg appears and reveals Elisabeth his incognito. When the lovers sink into each other's arms, the Duchess and the King are also happy because their plan has worked out after all.
music
Lehár wrote one of his most demanding scores for Schön ist die Welt . The specialist criticism was full of praise; only the audience did not find the work as well received. The composer succeeded best in the music for the second act, in which - unique in the history of the operetta - only the two protagonists can be seen on stage. Of the individual music numbers, Georg's song Dearest, Believe in Me , the title melody Beautiful is the world when happiness tells you a fairy tale that serves as a leitmotif, the duet Free and Young , the waltz song Say, poor heart, say and Mercedes del Rossa's Tango Rio de Janeiro . The second act is almost identical to the second act of the 1914 operetta Endlich alone . Only the mentioned song Dearest Believe in Me has been added. The melody for this song comes from the original version of the unsuccessful operetta Der Sterngucker . There the song was still with the text And the Lord laughs because it gives him pleasure to hear. The first and third act of Endlich alone was almost completely redesigned for Schön . Styles were introduced that the composer had not yet used in 1914 and / or that were not yet relevant in 1914. These included u. a. Tango and Slow Fox.
Music numbers
The CD from 2006 mentioned below contains the following music titles, which essentially represent the entire musical work of the operetta:
- Foreplay (orchestra)
- Waltz scene (orchestra)
- Say poor heart, say (scene and song of Elisabeth)
- English Waltz (orchestra)
- Just a quarter of an hour (duet Sascha, Mercedes)
- The world is beautiful (Georg's performance song)
- Free and young in it (marching duet Elisabeth-Georg)
- Rio de Janeiro (Tango Mercedes, choir)
- Finale I yes what about me (Georg, Elisabeth)
- It is written so often about love (duet Elisabeth, Georg)
- Dearest believe in me (Lied Georg)
- Finale II What happened (Elisabeth, Georg)
- Yes love is brutal (director, choir, Mercedes)
- In the small bar (duet Slow-Fox - Elisabeth, Georg)
- I'm in love (Valse Boston - Elisabeth)
- Laughing women are beautiful (Rumba dance duet - Mercedes, Sascha, women's choir)
- Finale III, dearest believe in me, because I love you (Elisabeth, Georg)
Sound carrier
In 2004 a CD recording of the operetta was made, which was released in 2006 by the CPO label . The Munich Radio Orchestra plays under the overall direction of Ulf Schirmer . The Bavarian Radio Choir will sing . Elena Moșuc , Zoran Todorovich , Roland Kandlbinder, Isabella Stettner, Masako Goda, Andreas Hirtreiter and Wolfgang Klose took part as soloists .
filming
In 1957 a film was made under the title Schön ist die Welt, based on a few motifs from the libretto and with music by Franz Lehár with Rudolf Schock in the leading role. Directed by Géza von Bolváry , Renate Holm , Mady Rahl and Willy Millowitsch appeared in other roles .
literature
- Anton Würz : Reclams Operettenführer , 23rd edition, ISBN 3-15-010512-9