Lehár’s The Merry Widow

Libretto by Victor Léon and Leo Stein after the comedy L’attaché d’ambassade by Henri Meilhac.

• Opera in three acts (Sung in German)
• Recorded 2007
• From Semperoper Dresden, Germany
• Approximately run time is 2 hours and 23 minutes

The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe) had its premiere at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1905. Franz Lehár’s impressive entry into the world of operettas unexpectedly with The Merry Widow gave rise to a second resurgence of the genre. Often called “The Queen of Operettas”, this is certainly the most celebrated and successful show of its kind ever written.

Frequently staged in an abridged version, this production from the Staatsoper Dresden features many musical numbers that are usually omitted.

This staging by the famous opera director Jérôme Savary makes The Merry Widow a very colorful and a subtle tribute to the golden age of Hollywood.