Beatrice von Dovsky (14 November 1866, Vienna – 18 July 1923, Vienna) was an Austrian poet, writer, and actress. She is best known for writing the

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

for

Max von Schillings Max von Schillings (April 19, 1868 – July 24, 1933 in Berlin) was a German conductor, composer and theatre director. He was chief conductor at the Berlin State Opera from 1919 to 1925. Schillings' opera ''Mona Lisa'' (1915) was internationall ...

's opera ''

Mona Lisa The ''Mona Lisa'' ( ; it, Gioconda or ; french: Joconde ) is a half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known ...

'' which she presented to the composer in the spring of 1913. The subject was very topical at the time, because the

painting Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

had been stolen from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

in 1911, and rediscovered in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

in 1913. The opera premiered successfully at the

Staatsoper Stuttgart The Staatsoper Stuttgart (Stuttgart State Opera) is a German opera company based in Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Staatsorchester Stuttgart serves as its resident orchestra. History Performances of operas, ballet and ...

in September 1915, and, while not part of the standard opera repertory, has been commercially recorded three times and revived numerous times by major

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

s throughout the 20th century. Dovsky's other works include poems,

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

and works for children. Her

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

s are among her more well known works, including ''Der Wiener Fratz'', ''Die Gnä' Frau'', and ''Zwölf Märchen aus der Ostmark'' among others. She was also active as a stage actress in Vienna. She died in 1923 at the age of 57 and is buried in the

Hietzinger Cemetery The Hietzing Cemetery is a cemetery in Hietzing, the 13th district of Vienna. Notable burials (selection) * Alban Berg (1885–1935), composer * Jean-Baptiste Clery (1759–1809), valet to King Louis XVI * Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf (1852 ...

."Dovsky, Beatrice". ''Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 (ÖBL)''.
/ref> The Dovskygasse, a street in the 13th municipal District of Vienna,

Hietzing Hietzing () is the 13th municipal District of Vienna (german: 13. Bezirk, Hietzing). It is located west of the central districts, west of Meidling. Hietzing is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings, but also contains lar ...

, was named after her.

References

1866 births 1923 deaths Austrian opera librettists Austrian women poets Austrian stage actresses Austrian women short story writers 19th-century Austrian actresses 20th-century Austrian actresses Women opera librettists 19th-century Austrian women writers 20th-century Austrian women writers Austrian children's writers Austrian women children's writers Actresses from Vienna Writers from Vienna 19th-century short story writers 20th-century short story writers {{opera-bio-stub