Der Zarewitsch
Encyclopedia
Der Zarewitsch is an operetta
in three acts by Franz Lehár
. The German
libretto by Heinz Reichert and Béla Jenbach is based on the play of the same name by Polish
author Gabriela Zapolska
. One his later operettas, Lehár composed the work as a vehicle for Richard Tauber
, the acclaimed Austria
n tenor
. The work received its first performance at the Deutsches Künstlertheater in Berlin
on 21 February 1927, with Tauber and Rita Georg in the leading roles.
, who shirked his father's command by running away to Naples
with his Finnish mistress disguised as a page. The couple spent two years galavanting around until Alexei was compelled by his father to return. His father was paranoid that Alexei was conspiring against him and ultimately Alexei ended up being imprisoned and tortured. The Russian senate convicted him of conspiring against his father and he was sentenced to death. He died due to ill health before he could be executed, most likely resulting from the poor treatment he received while imprisoned.
Reichert's libretto differs on several points from the life of Alexei. First, he changed the story so that the young girl, Sonja, is first seen disguised as a male Circassian dancer. When the Tsarevich runs away with Sonja he believes that she is a boy adding what Richard Traubner
of Opera News
called an "underlying homosexual frisson" to the operetta. Eventually the young prince discovers that Sonja is in fact a girl disguised as a boy. The two fall in love and escape to Naples. A further major difference is that the operetta does not have such a tragic ending, though it is not exactly happy either. Eventually the Zarewitsch learns that his father has died and he knows his relationship can not continue with Sonja as he is now the Tsar. The operetta ends with a "bittersweet royal–commoner parting".
under the direction of Austrian film director Arthur Maria Rabenalt. The production starred Wieslaw Ochman
in the title role and Teresa Stratas
as Sonja and was recently issued on DVD for the first time in 2009 in a Deutsche Grammophon
and Unitel collaboration. Rabenalt had previously directed a television version of the operetta in 1954.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in three acts by Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
. The German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
libretto by Heinz Reichert and Béla Jenbach is based on the play of the same name by Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
author Gabriela Zapolska
Gabriela Zapolska
Maria Gabriela Stefania Korwin-Piotrowska , known as Gabriela Zapolska, was a Polish novelist, playwright, naturalist writer, feuilletonist, theatre critic and stage actress. Zapolska wrote 41 plays, 23 novels, 177 short stories, 252 works of journalism, one film script, and over 1,500...
. One his later operettas, Lehár composed the work as a vehicle for Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber
Richard Tauber was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".-Early life:...
, the acclaimed Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. The work received its first performance at the Deutsches Künstlertheater in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 21 February 1927, with Tauber and Rita Georg in the leading roles.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 21 February, 1927. (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Tsarevich | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Richard Tauber Richard Tauber Richard Tauber was an Austrian tenor acclaimed as one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Some critics commented that "his heart felt every word he sang".-Early life:... |
| Iwan, a valet | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Paul Heidemann |
| Mascha, Iwan's wife | soprano | Charlotte Ander |
| Sonja | soprano | Rita Georg |
| Lina | soprano | |
| The First Minister | bass | |
| Master of ceremonies | bass | |
| Grand Duke | spoken | |
Synopsis
The plot of Der Zarewitsch is loosely based on a true story: the self imposed exile of the son of Peter the Great, AlexeiTsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia
Alexei Petrovich Romanov , was a Russian Tsarevich. He was born in Moscow, the son of Tsar Peter I and his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina.-Childhood:...
, who shirked his father's command by running away to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
with his Finnish mistress disguised as a page. The couple spent two years galavanting around until Alexei was compelled by his father to return. His father was paranoid that Alexei was conspiring against him and ultimately Alexei ended up being imprisoned and tortured. The Russian senate convicted him of conspiring against his father and he was sentenced to death. He died due to ill health before he could be executed, most likely resulting from the poor treatment he received while imprisoned.
Reichert's libretto differs on several points from the life of Alexei. First, he changed the story so that the young girl, Sonja, is first seen disguised as a male Circassian dancer. When the Tsarevich runs away with Sonja he believes that she is a boy adding what Richard Traubner
Richard Traubner
Richard Traubner is an American journalist, author, operetta scholar and historian, and lecturer on theatre and film. His book on the history of operetta was first published in 1983 and won the 17th annual ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award. Traubner is a frequent contributor to Opera News, The New York...
of Opera News
Opera News
Opera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
called an "underlying homosexual frisson" to the operetta. Eventually the young prince discovers that Sonja is in fact a girl disguised as a boy. The two fall in love and escape to Naples. A further major difference is that the operetta does not have such a tragic ending, though it is not exactly happy either. Eventually the Zarewitsch learns that his father has died and he knows his relationship can not continue with Sonja as he is now the Tsar. The operetta ends with a "bittersweet royal–commoner parting".
Famous arias
- Es steht ein Soldat am Wolgastrand (A soldier stands on the bank of the Volga)
- Duet: Dich nur allein, nenn' ich mein (You alone take I for mine)
- Einer wird kommen (Someone will come)
- Volga song: Allein, wieder allein (Alone, again alone)
- Willst du? (Do you want to?)
- Duet: Warum hat jeder Frühling, ach, nur einen Mai (Why does every spring have only one May?)
Recordings
A 1973 television production of the operetta was produced by UnitelUnitel
Unitel may refer to:*Unitel Communications Incorporated, a Canadian telecommunications company later known as AT&T Canada.*Unitel Bolivia, a Bolivian television network*Unitel , a Mongolian mobile phone network*Unitel...
under the direction of Austrian film director Arthur Maria Rabenalt. The production starred Wieslaw Ochman
Wieslaw Ochman
Wiesław Ochman is a Polish tenor.Ochman began learning voice under the direction of Gustaw Serafin in Kraków and Maria Szłapak in Bytom . In 1960 he joined the Silesian Opera in Bytom, where Ochman sang for three seasons, in 1963 and 1964; and then, at the Opera Krakowska...
in the title role and Teresa Stratas
Teresa Stratas
Teresa Stratas, OC , is a retired Canadian operatic soprano. She is especially well-known for her award-winning recording of Alban Berg's Lulu.-Early life and career:...
as Sonja and was recently issued on DVD for the first time in 2009 in a Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
and Unitel collaboration. Rabenalt had previously directed a television version of the operetta in 1954.