Die lustige Witwe

F. Lehar

THE MERRY WIDOW

Opera in two acts
Libretto by Viktor Leon and Leo Stein
At the Abay Opera House, the premiere took place on 01.12.2012

Characters

• Hanna Glawari, a wealthy widow
• Count Danilo, a secretary at the embassy
• Baron Zeta, the ambassador
• Valencienne, his wife
• Camille de Rosillion, French attaché
• Njegus, an executive secretary of the embassy
• Vicomte Cascada
• Raoul de St Brioche
• Kromow, commercial attaché
• Olga, his wife
• Bogdanovitch, an embassy employee
• Sylviane, his wife
• Pritschitsch
• Praskowia, his wife

PRODUCTION TEAM
Stage Conductor – Yerbolat Akhmedyarov, Honored Figure of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Production Director – Miklos Sinetar (Hungary)
Directors – Andras Atsel (Hungary), Kayrat Magavin
Art Director – Irina Dolgova (Russia) on projects of scenery by Miklos Fekher and costumes by Fanny Kemenesh
Chief Chorus Master – Aliya Temirbekova, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Choreographer – Peter László (Hungary) based on original choreography by László Peto
Assistant to the Choreographer – Eric Hatsegi (Hungary)

The events take place in the Pontevedrian Embassy
(a fictitious country in southeast Europe) in Paris, in the beginning of the 20th century.

Act One

In Paris, Ambassador Mirko Zeta and his staff are holding a reception in honour of the prince, while pondering possible actions to prevent bankruptcy of their small, indebted, but nonetheless proud country. That is why the ambassador has invited Hanna Glawari, a rich widow of a Pontevedrian banker living in Paris, hoping that she would fall in love with a fellow citizen and return to her country, bringing back her immense wealth. Zeta has chosen the candidacy of Count Danilo Danilovitsch, third secretary of the embassy, a known womanizer, who has had a relationship with Hanna, their engagement prevented by his uncle. Danilo had submitted to the wish of the head of the family, and poor Hanna married a rich old royal banker and soon became a widow. However, the ambassador’s plan is likely to fail, because there is resentment, still, between Hanna and Danilo. Moreover, Hanna accuses the Count that he, too, courts her only for her money, and the count answers by vowing to never declare love for Hanna. Meanwhile, the ambassador’s reception is tumultuous with events. Kromow’s wife Olga and de St Brioche, council Bogdanovitch’s wife and Vicomte Cascada are going to celebrate their first anniversary. At the same time, even the ambassador’s wife Valencienne is flirting with the French attaché Camille de Rosillion. The young diplomat, infatuated with Valencienne, writes a love confession on her fan: “I adore you!”

At the banquet room all the men, who are after her money, court the beautiful widow. Zeta is worried that Ms. Glawari will end up choosing the Frenchman. The widow enjoys the situation, especially Danilo’s jealousy of the army of suitors, although the count was supposed to “scare away” all the admirers according to the ambassador’s instructions. Finally, Danilo and Hanna are left alone, but despite her expectations Danilo doesn’t confess his love…

Act Two

The party continues the next day in Hanna Glawari’s garden, where the hostess sings a popular song about Vilja (a dryad of the woods), and the national ballet entertains the guests with a thrilling spectacle. Danilo arrives later and soon continues his verbal duel with Hanna. Zeta becomes more worried when she learns that de Rosillion is terminally in love with one of the Pontevedrian women. He is afraid that he has chosen Hanna. He instructs Danilo to find out the truth. The count begins his investigation. As soon as he finds out that de St Brioche and Cascada have affairs with Pontevedrian diplomats’ wives, while they still seek the beautiful widow’s hand in marriage, he blackmails them into abandoning their courting. Meanwhile, de Rosillion is besieging Valencienne with his love. At first, the ambassador’s wife rejects the young man’s flirtations, but she cannot resist a wonderful declaration of love and the couple hides in a garden pavilion. However, at this moment Zeta calls for an embassy staff meeting at the same pavilion. The lovers are almost caught, but with thanks to Njegus they avoid an awkward situation. He replaces Valencienne with Hanna. When Zeta violently opens the pavilion door, to everyone’s surprise, Hanna emerges in the company of de Rosillion and solemnly announces of her engagement. The jealous Danilo insults the widow and leaves to “Maxim” club in dismay.

Hanna Glawari announces to the staggered crowd that Count Danilo will return soon, because he will find his favourite club closed, since all the girls are at her house. The guests are entertained with sensational cancan, performed by dancers from “Maxima”, as well as Valencienne, Olga, and Sylviane, who, as it becomes clear, are former dancers at “Maxima”. When Danilo returns, Hanna tells him that there is no love between her and de Rosillion, and she only wanted to save Valencienne’s honour. The count almost confesses his love, but he remembers his vow and remains silent. But once the widow tells him that according to her late husband’s will, she will lose her fortune, should she marry again, Danilo finally says the magical words: “I love you”. Whereupon Hanna adds that the fortune, according to the same will, goes to her new husband. By the end of the evening Zeta and Valencienne reconcile, and she assures him of her love.