The Count of Luxembourg
The Count of Luxembourg is an operetta in two acts with English lyrics and libretto by Basil Hood and Adrian Ross, music by Franz Lehár, based loosely on the German original, entitled "Der Graf von Luxemburg", which had premiered in Vienna in 1909.
The Count of Luxembourg opened at Daly's Theatre in London on 20 May 1911 and ran for 240 performances. It starred Lily Elsie, Huntley Wright, W. H. Berry and Bertram Wallis. The operetta also had a good run at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York in 1912.
There was an American silent film version in 1926.[1]
Synopsis
The Grand Duke may not marry Angela, with whom he is infatuated, unless she bears a title. He therefore arranges for the penniless spendthrift, Count René, to marry a lady whose face he is not to see, and to agree to a divorce in three months. For this the Count receives the sum of £20,000 (half a million francs). At the wedding ceremony, the Count and his mystery bride are separated by a screen – but later they meet and fall in love. Little knowing that they are already husband and wife, they believe their romance is hopeless. But all ends happily.
Hood wrote about rewriting the libretto of the operetta for British audiences:
- "...there are not, I think, thirty lines of dialogue in the English adaptation which are actually translated from the German; the action of the play has been constructed in two acts, instead of the original three; while the entire part of Brissard, played by Mr. W. H. Berry, has been invented and introduced, and, as a consequence, new situations and scenes have arisen which do not exist in the original play. Three of four minor characters also have been created to help the construction of the new effects, such as the opening of Act I, and the dialogue scene towards the end of Act II, where Angele and the Count each discovers the identity of the other, through the jealous interference of Monsieur de Tresac. This particular episode was in the original treated musically, with a full stage, being the subject of the Finale of Act II; and in doing away with the third act it became necessary, of course, to sacrifice this Finale and to approach and develop the dramatic moments of the recognition by different methods, in spoken dialogue...."[2]
Roles and London cast
- Count René of Luxembourg – Bertram Wallis
- Registrar – Fred Kaye
- Jean Baptiste (A Waiter) – Willie Warde
- Mons. De Trésac – Alec Fraser
- Mons. De Valmont – Paul Plunket
- Pelegrin, Mentschikoff, Paulovitch (The Grand Duke's Attendants) – Frank Perfitt, Ridgwell Cullum, C. Coleman
- Lavigne, Boulanger (Artists) – G. Whitehead, G. Wilson
- Brissard (An Artist) – W. H. Berry
- The Grand Duke Rutzinov – Huntley Wright
- Juliette (A Model) – May de Sousa
- Countess Kokozeff – Gladys Homfrey
- Mimi – May Marton
- Lisette (Maid to Angèle Didier) – Kitty Hanson
- Angèle Didier – Lily Elsie
Musical numbers
- Act I – Brissard's Studio, Paris
- No. 1 – Opening Chorus – "Carnival! Make the most of Carnival! Let the bottle pass who has got the wine..."
- No. 2 – Song – Brissard and Chorus – "Anyone who knows me could not suppose me gloomy, or glum, or sad! ..."
- No. 3 – Song – Juliette and Chorus – "Pierrot and Pierrette (just like you and me) had their little supper set..."
- No. 4 – Entrance Chorus and Song – René – "Carnival! Make the most of Carnival! ..."
- No. 4a – First Exit – "So lend it, spend it, end it, and out of the window send it..."
- No. 4b – Second Exit – "So lend it, spend it, end it, and out of the window send it..."
- No. 5 – Duet – Juliette and Brissard – "Tonight we'll have a special boom, a Carnival for two! ..."
- No. 6 – Song – Grand Duke and Attendants – "I am in love, I cannot contradict it! ...."
- No. 7 – Scene and Air – Angèle – "Someone's here to marry me, and I don't know who! ..."
- No. 8 – Duet – Angèle and Grand Duke – "You will be a Royal Highness! ..."
- No. 9 – Quintet – René, Grand Duke and Attendants – "Your cheque upon Coutts's and Co. ..."
- No. 10 – Finale Act I – "Fair Countess, may I wish that now you'll be happy for ever? ..."
- Act II – Reception Hall at the Grand Duke Rutzinov's, Paris
- No. 11 – Opening Scene and Dance
- No. 12 – Entrance Chorus and Solo – Angèle – "Hail, Angèle, our nightingale, hail to the lovely Diva! ..."
- No. 12a – Fanfare
- No. 12b – Stage Music
- No. 13 – Song – Grand Duke – "Once a Butterfly came flutt'ring to a tender little Rose! ..."
- No. 14 – Song – René – "Ah, the perfume, how it lingers! What a dainty little glove..."
- No. 15 – Duet – Juliette and Brissard – "Now if you really mean to mix in high society..."
- No. 16 – Duet – Angèle and René – "What are you doing? Are you mad? You must have lost your senses! ..."
- No. 17 – Russian Dance – Kukuska
- No. 18 – Song – Grand Duke and Girls – "Since first I burst upon the scene in beauty bright and glorious..."
- No. 19 – Duet – Angèle and René – "Are you going to dance? ... No, merci, mon ami? ... May I not have a chance? ..."
- No. 20 – Quartet – Juliette, Mimi, Grand Duke, Brissard and Girls – "A man is a boy while he can enjoy his whole life long..."
- No. 21 – Finale Act II – Angèle and René – "Say not love is a dream, say not that hope is vain..."
Notes
References
External links