Das Dreimäderlhaus
Das Dreimäderlhaus ("House of the Three Girls") is a Viennese pastiche operetta, with music by Franz Schubert, rearranged by Heinrich Berté (1857–1924), with a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert.
Contents
The original text
Set in Old Vienna it tells of the shy, young composer, Franz Schubert, who writes a beautiful love song to his beloved Mitzi, bt then gets his best friend Baron Schober to sing it to her. She falls in love with the singer instead of poor Franz, who has to find consolation in their happiness and in his music.
The work is adapted from the novel Schwammerl by Dr. Raimer H. Bartsch and was first performed at the Raimundtheater, Vienna - on 15 January, 1916.
An immediate success, the operetta is said to have received productions in over 60 countries and has been translated into numerous languages[1].
Translations and adaptations
A French adaptation by Hugues Delorme and Léon Abric called Chanson d'amour ("Song of Love") premiéred in Paris on May 7, 1921, to great acclaim.
Adapted and translated into English as Blossom Time by Dorothy Donnelly and music arranged by Signmund Romberg it was performed at the Ambassador's Theatre, Broadway on 29 September, 1921
Performed as Lilac Time at the Lyric Theatre, London on 22 December, 1922, with an adapted libretto by Adrian Ross and music arranged by George H. Clutsam, using some of Berté's work.
It was filmed as Blossom Time in 1934, starring Richard Tauber as Schubert.
Performance history in South Africa
1953: Performed in English as Lilac Time by the Port Elizabeth Musical and Dramatic Society in November. Directed by Leontine Sagan, with Percy W. Pickering, Phyllis C Taylor, Molly Tomalin, Ruth Thomas, Bill Turner, Victor Borgognano, Carl Scott, Rupert Bellairs, Monica Hunter, Joyce Scotcher, Valerie Stirk, Basil Lavender, William Woodin, Arthur White, George Jones, Ernest Barnes, Ronald W Davis, Colin Neilson, Wynton Ferreira, Nellie Bonny, Elaine Campbell, and Molly Kauffman.
Musical Director: Robert Selley. Dancing Mistress: Bessie Collett. Stage Manager: Cliff Collett. Lighting: A Alyn Lane. Props: Joan Adey. Prompts: Ivy Foster and Lorraine Victor. Wardrobe Mistress: Nellie Bonny. Business and Publicity: Harold Davidson. Programme Cover Design: Maurice Weightman. Set Designed by Solly Price. Costumes executed under the personal supervision of Leontine Sagan.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Dreim%C3%A4derlhaus
http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_l/lilac_time.htm
Lilac Time theatrical programme - 1953.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leontine_Sagan
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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