Having conducted this show over 100 times in my own country, the
Netherlands and Germany, I'd like adjusting some facts. The score is
right here on my desk.
"At the White Horse Inn" isn't an operetta in the Vienna tradition
like Strauss or Léhàr, but, according the score, a "Singspiel", also
a musical play. There are originally four (!) composers involved:
Ralph Benatzky, Robert Stolz, Bruno Granichstaedtchen and Robert
Gilbert. Stolz gave the most Viennese character by his well known
songs, e.g. "Die ganze Welt ist himmelblau" (the whole world is blue
like the sky), "Mein Liebeslied muß ein Walzer sein" (my love song
has to be a Waltz) and 2 others. Gilbert wrote "Was kann der
Sigismund dafür" (it isn't Sigismund's fault that he's that beauty)
and from Granichstaedtchen käm "Zuschau'n kann i net" (I can not stay
beside and look) - (My english translations of the song titles are
very free and personal, please excuse me) -
Benatzky has set up the score in 1929-1930. First performance in
Berlin on 8th november 1930. It was the first marriage between the
American musical in the Vienna tradition.
After WW II a fifth composer (Hans Frankowski) came up with a more
modern, more "jazzy" score for a new movie with Peter Alexander,
which was released in 1958.
This version is still performed, be it mostly by amateurs in the
Netherlands.
By these mish-mash from composers and therefore styles, I don't like
to speak of a masterpiece due to a lack of uniformity, but I agree,
some chorus settings are great! And it was a big success in Western
Europ, including England if my memory is correct. But I doubt that it
should have survived without the songs by Robert Stolz.
BTW: according the libretto comes the emperor in the 3d act and
that's no nonsense, because in Austria, at the Sankt Wolfgang Sea
exists really a big hotel wit this very name (Im weißen Rößl) and
it's historically correct that the Austrian Emperor Franz-Josef Iº
has stayed several times in this house.
Concerning the goat:
There is a scene in the Alps (2d act) where one of the vest
manufacturers (named Gieseke) has to run away for a he-goat. So, this
can't be the mentioned country girl. I suppose the maid in question
must be the post woman.
Hans
===
You will excuse me for any typo's due to a visual handicap
Op 05-mei-07, om 06:49 heeft Mark D Lew het volgende geschreven:
Benatzky. Properly the title is "AT the White Horse Inn" ("Im
weissen Rössl"). Large-scale operetta in the style of Léhar, J
Strauss, Kálmán, etc.
The usual operetta plotlines set at an über-quaint retreat
somewhere in the Austrian alps. Luscious score with an abundance
of melody. I don't remember a goat, but I vaguely recall there was
a bucolic country-girl character, so I assume it was hers.
mdl
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
Finale@shsu.edu
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
Finale@shsu.edu
http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
