''Casanova'' is an

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

in three acts by

Ralph Benatzky Ralph Benatzky (5 June 1884 – 16 October 1957), born in Mährisch Budwitz (Moravské Budějovice) as Rudolph Franz rantišekJosef Benatzky, was an Austrian composer of Moravian origin. He composed operas and operettas, such as ''Casanova'' ( ...

with music by

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

and 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 ...

Rudolph Schanzer Rudolf (or Rudolph) Schanzer (12 January 1875 – 1944) was an Austrian playwright and journalist. He is primarily known for the numerous operetta librettos that he wrote for composers such as Leo Fall, Jean Gilbert, Emmerich Kálmán, and Ralph ...

and

Ernst Welisch Ernst Welisch (27 February 1875 – 26 March 1941) was an Austrian playwright and theatre director. He is primarily known for the numerous operetta librettos that he wrote for composers such as Leo Fall, Jean Gilbert, Emmerich Kálmán, and Ralph ...

. Its first performance was on 1 September 1928 at the

Großes Schauspielhaus The Großes Schauspielhaus (Great Theater) was a theatre in Berlin, Germany, often described as an example of expressionist architecture, designed by Hans Poelzig for theatre impresario Max Reinhardt. The structure was originally a market built by ...

in Berlin. ''Casanova'' was one of a series of spectacular "

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...

-operettas" Benatzky wrote for producer and revue director

Erik Charell Erik Charell (April 8, 1894 – July 15, 1974), born as Erich Karl Löwenberg, was a German theatre and film director, dancer and actor. He is best known as the creator of musical revues and operettas, such as '' The White Horse Inn'' (''Im wei� ...

at the Großes Schauspielhaus. The star-studded original cast of ''Casanova'' included

Michael Bohnen Franz Michael Bohnen (2 May 1887 – 26 April 1965) was a German bass baritone opera singer and actor. Bohnen was very popular in the Roaring Twenties. Life Michael Bohnen was born in Cologne. He trained in opera singing at the Hochschule fü ...

, the well-known opera bass-baritone in the title role,

Anni Frind Anni Frind (3 February 1900 – 8 April 1987) was one of the most highly recorded lyric sopranos in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. Anni Frind was born into a German family in Nixdorf, a small town in Bohemia (now Czech Republic). Career S ...

Anny Ahlers Anny Ahlers (21 December 1902 – 14 March 1933) was a German actress and singer. She was born in Hamburg. Career She was born to Wilhelm Ahlers and his wife Augusta Victoria (Lieberg). Her father was an Army officer and her maternal grandmother ...

, Paul Morgan, and Siegfried "Sig" Arno.

La Jana La Jana is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Baix Maestrat in the Valencian Community, Spain. The Cervera Mountains rise just east of the town extending southwards. It is an agricultural town located west of the Muntanyes de Cervera surround ...

was a dancer, and the

Comedian Harmonists The Comedian Harmonists were an internationally famous, all-male German close harmony ensemble that performed between 1928 and 1934 as one of the most successful musical groups in Europe before World War II. The group consisted of Harry Frommerm ...

appeared there with enormous success.Moritz Loeb: "''Casanova''", in: ''

Berliner Morgenpost ''Berliner Morgenpost'' is a German newspaper, based and mainly read in Berlin, where it is the second most read daily newspaper. History and profile Founded in 1898 by Leopold Ullstein, the paper was taken over by Axel Springer AG in 1959. It ...

'', 5 September 1928.

References

External links

Record details of "Nun's Chorus ''Casanova''" by Anni Frind, soprano
on 45cat.com German-language operettas Compositions set in Austria 1928 musicals Operas by Ralph Benatzky Compositions by Johann Strauss II Operas {{German-opera-stub