Opera Scotland

Count of Luxembourg Der Graf von Luxemburg; The Count of Luxembourg

Tours by decade

Tours by location

Music

Franz Lehár (born Komorn, 30 April 1870; died Bad Ischl, 24 October 1948)

Text

Alfred Maria Willner and Robert Bodansky.

Source

Libretto for Die Göttin der Vernunft (1897) by Willner and Bernhard Buchbinder (set by J Strauss)

 

Premieres

First Performance: Vienna (Theater an der Wien), 12 November 1909.

First Performance in UK: London (Daly's Theatre), 20 May 1911.

First Performance in Scotland: Edinburgh (Royal Lyceum Theatre), 5 February 1912.

First Performance by Scottish Opera: n/a.

 

Plot Summary

The story revolves around the complications that ensue from a marriage of convenience.

Angèle is a wealthy and fashionable opera star who wants to rise in the social sphere. A title of some sort will assist her in the hunt for the wealthy aristocrat of her dreams. An elderly Grand Duke is a suitable candidate, enthusiastic and wealthy. He comes up with a scheme for narrowing the vast social gap that prevents him from marrying her. His young friend René has a title, but no money, and owes the Duke a favour. A trade is arranged whereby René and Angèle marry, but never meet - they are screened from one another during the ceremony. They will immediately separate, and, after a few months, divorce, leaving her with the much-desired title. Some time later, inevitably, they do meet and fall in love, but cannot marry until the apparent barriers are removed. There is a subplot dealing with the romance between an artist, Brissard, and his model, Juliette.