| Franz Lehár |
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Operas
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The Land of Smiles (Das Land des Lächelns) is a romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner. The performance time is about 100 minutes.
This was one of Lehár's later works, and has a bittersweet ending which the Viennese loved. The title refers to the Chinese custom of smiling, whatever happens in life. (The leading character, Prince Sou-Chong has a song early in the show, "Immer nur lächeln" ("Always smiling") which describes this.)
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Lavishly produced, the show was built largely around the performance of the tenor Richard Tauber, a close friend of Lehár's, for whom he customarily wrote a Tauberlied —a signature tune exploiting the exceptional qualities of his voice— in each of his later operettas. On this occasion it was "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" ("You are my heart's delight"), probably the most famous of all the Tauberlieder. Tauber also appeared in the show in London, singing countless encores of his song.
The work was originally produced under the title Die gelbe Jacke (The Yellow Jacket). This was presented at the Theatre an der Wien, Vienna on 9 February 1923 with Hubert Marischka as Sou-Chong. It was not a great success, and Lehár later revised it, under the new title of Das Land des Lächelns, which was first performed, at the Metropol Theatre, Berlin, on 10 October 1929. Tauber reprised his role in London (1931) and New York (1946), as well as in Vienna in 1930 (again at the Theatre an der Wien) and in 1938 (at the Vienna State Opera).
Sadler's Wells Opera produced it in London in the late 1950s, after the success of Lehár's The Merry Widow starring June Bronhill had rescued the company from bankruptcy. Starring Charles Craig, Elizabeth Fretwell and Bronhill, the show didn't attract the same audiences as The Merry Widow. However, Craig's singing on a recording is outstanding, with some top D♭ notes at the end of his big numbers.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 9 February 1923 (Conductor: Franz Lehár) |
Premiere Cast, 10 October 1929 (Conductor: Franz Lehár) |
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| Lisa, Count Ferdinand Lichtenfels' daughter | soprano | Louise Kartousch | Vera Schwarz |
| Count Gustav von Pottenstein | tenor | Josef König | Willi Stettner |
| Prince Sou-Chong | tenor | Hubert Marischka | Richard Tauber |
| Princess Mi, Sou-Chong's sister | soprano | Betty Fischer | Hella Kürty |
| Tschang, Sou-Chong's uncle | baritone | Adolf Edgar Licho | |
| Chief eunuch | tenor | ||
| Ling, head priest | baritone | ||
| Count Ferdinand Lichtenfels | spoken | ||
| Lore, Lisa's niece | spoken | ||
| Officers, mandarins, friends, brides, servants, maids (Chorus, ballet, extras) | |||
The operetta is set in Vienna and China in 1912. In Act I, in Vienna, the heroine Lisa, a Countess, marries a Chinese prince and returns with him to his homeland despite the warnings of her friends and family. In Act II, in Beijing, she finds that she is unable to come to terms with his culture, and especially that he must take other wives. He assures her that it's just a formality, but unhappiness is inevitable, and she is locked in the palace. Her love changes to hate. In Act III, Prince Sou-Chong is left alone, while his beloved Lisa returns to her homeland. His sister, Princess Mi had also become attached to the Viennese official Gustav, and so the ending is doubly sad. But the prince respects the rule of his custom: always smile.
Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns —
Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns — WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne
Lehár: Le pays du sourire — Orchestre de l'Association des Concerts Lamoureux
Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns — Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra
There are also extracts in Franz Lehár Conducts Richard Tauber (1929–1931), with 6 tracks performed by Richard Tauber (Sou-Chong), Vera Schwarz (Lisa) and the Berlin State Opera Orchestra (Pearl CD).