The Student Prince
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The Student Prince is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Alt Heidelberg. The show was the most successful of Romberg's works, running for 608 performances. It opened on December 2, 1924, at Jolson's 59th Street Theatre on Broadway. Ernst Lubitsch made a famous silent film of the operetta titled The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg and starring Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer. The stage work was revived twice on Broadway - once in the 1930s and again the 1940s.
The Student Prince has elements of melodrama but has a definite lack of the swashbuckling common to Romberg's other works. The plot is mostly faithful to its "Alt Heidelberg" source.
The operetta contains some of the most beautiful, yet gruelling, tenor arias in the operetta repertoire. Mario Lanza made many of the songs famous all over again with his singing on the soundtrack of the 1954 MGM film The Student Prince. Composer Nicholas Brodszky and lyricist Paul Francis Webster wrote three new songs for the film. Two of these songs — "I'll Walk With God" and "Beloved" — became closely associated with the tenor. Although Lanza's voice was heard in the film, he did not play the Prince on screen. That role went to British actor Edmund Purdom, who mimed to the tenor's recordings.
"Drinking Song," with its rousing chorus of "Drink! Drink! Drink!" was especially popular with theatergoers in 1924, as the United States was in he midst of Prohibition.
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[edit] Synopsis
The prince of Karlsberg attempts unsuccessfully to hide his identity at his new school. He soon makes friends and falls in love with his innkeeper's daughter, Kathie. But when Prince Karl's grandfather (the king) dies, he must return to Karlsberg and take up the role of the new king. Ultimately, the new King faces the reality that he must marry royalty, but his true love will always be Kathie.
[edit] Recordings
The 1926 London cast recorded selections for English Columbia (EMI). Other highlights recordings were made by Earl Wrightson with Al Goodman's Orchestra (RCA Victor, not on CD), Robert Rounseville (Columbia Records, released on CD by DRG), and Giorgio Tozzi (Columbia, not on CD). Gordon MacRae recorded the score twice for Capitol Records, in mono as a 10-inch LP in 1953 and again in stereo 10 years later. Mario Lanza sang for the 1954 film, but another actor played the role. Lanza made his first recording for RCA Victor in 1954 (this version is on CD), and re-recorded the full show in stereo just prior to his death. The most complete recording is a 2-CD set from That's Entertainment (TER/JAY) that includes much of the underscoring.
[edit] Principal Songs
- "Golden Days" (sung in the stage version by Prince Karl and his tutor, Dr. Engel; sung in the 1954 film by the Prince only)
- "Drinking Song" (Drink! Drink! Drink!)
- "In Heidelberg Fair"
- "Deep in My Heart, Dear"
- "Just We Two" (in the stage version this is sung by two secondary characters; in the 1954 film, it is sung by Prince Karl and Kathie)
- "To The Inn We're Marching"
- "Come Boys, Let's All Be Gay Boys"
- "Serenade" (Overhead the Moon is Beaming)
- "Thoughts Will Come Back To Me"
[edit] Cultural impact
- "Drink! Drink! Drink!" was used as background music in a recent series of Aquafina commercials.
- "Drink! Drink! Drink!" was also used as background music for Minute Maid orange juice TV commercials of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
[edit] Trivia
In the play Alt Heidelberg, on which the operetta is based, and in the 1927 silent film, the Prince's tutor is named Dr. Juttner. This was changed to Dr. Engel in the stage operetta, but in the 1954 film, the doctor's name was changed back to Juttner.
"Serenade" was arranged as a Euphonium Solo with Concert Band Accompaniment as well as a solo with Piano Accompaniment by David Werden in 2005.
[edit] External links
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