''Gipsy Love'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

title ''Zigeunerliebe'') 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

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

with a

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 ...

by Alfred Willner and

Robert Bodanzky Robert Bodanzky, also known as Danton (born Isidor Bodanskie, 8 March 1879 – 2 November 1923), was an Austrian journalist, playwright, poet and artist. While he became famous for his apolitical poems before World War I, he turned an anarchist ...

, provided with English translations and revisions by several hands. The story centres on the daughter of a Romanian landowner who is engaged to a man of her own class but is attracted to a gipsy violinist at her engagement party. The brooding, romantic story featured dance music.Traubner
pp. 238–239
/ref> The original production, ''Zigeunerliebe'', had its premiere at the

Carltheater The Carltheater was a theatre in Vienna. It was in the suburbs in Leopoldstadt at Praterstraße 31 (at that time called Jägerzeile). It was the successor to the Leopoldstädter Theater. After a series of financial difficulties, that theater had ...

, Vienna, on 8 January 1910. A French version, ''Amour Tzigane'', toured France with great success in 1911, and the piece continues to be played in Eastern Europe. The first English-language production of ''Gipsy Love'' opened at the Globe Theatre on Broadway, on 17 October 1911, with a libretto and lyrics by Harry B. Smith and Robert B. Smith, and starring

Marguerite Sylva Marguerite Sylva (also known as Marguerita Sylva) (10 July 1875 – 21 February 1957) was a Belgian born mezzo-soprano who achieved fame not only on the opera stage but also in operetta and musical theatre. She was particularly known for he ...

. A new translation and revision by

Basil Hood Basil Willett Charles Hood (5 April 1864 – 7 August 1917) was a British dramatist and lyricist, perhaps best known for writing the libretti of half a dozen Savoy Operas and for his English adaptations of operettas, including ''The Merry Wid ...

and

Adrian Ross Arthur Reed Ropes (23 December 1859 – 11 September 1933), better known under the pseudonym Adrian Ross, was a prolific writer of lyrics, contributing songs to more than sixty British musical comedies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries ...

opened at

Daly's Theatre Daly's Theatre was a theatre in the City of Westminster. It was located at 2 Cranbourn Street, just off Leicester Square. It opened on 27 June 1893, and was demolished in 1937. The theatre was built for and named after the American impresar ...

, London, on 1 June 1912. For the London production,

George Edwardes George Joseph Edwardes (né Edwards; 8 October 1855 – 4 October 1915) was an English theatre manager and producer of Irish ancestry who brought a new era in musical theatre to the British stage and beyond. Edwardes started out in theatre ma ...

had Hood write into the new libretto the comic part of Lady Babby for

Gertie Millar Gertrude Ward, Countess of Dudley ( Millar; 21 February 1879 – 25 April 1952), known as Gertie Millar, was an English actress and singer of the early 20th century, known for her performances in Edwardian musical comedies. Beginning her care ...

. He also imported Hungarian operetta star Sári Petráss for the romantic role of Ilona (renamed from the original Zorika), with

W.H. Berry William Henry Berry (23 March 1870 – 2 May 1951), always billed as W. H. Berry, was an English comic actor. After learning his craft in pierrot and concert entertainments, he was spotted by the actor-manager George Grossmith Jr., and appeared ...

as Dragotin, her father, and with

Robert Michaelis Robert Armand René Michaelis (22 December 1878 – 29 August 1965) was a French-born actor and singer who worked in musical theatre, mainly in England, but he also made appearances on Broadway. By 1901, Michaelis and his parents had settled in ...

and

Daisy Burrell Daisy Burrell (born Daisy Isobel Eaglesfield Ratton; 16 June 1892 – 10 June 1982) was a British stage actress and Edwardian musical comedy performer who also appeared as a leading lady in silent films and in pantomime. In 1951 she appeared i ...

.Rodway, p. 177 The piece was a flop in New York, but a success in London, running for 299 performances and then touring Great Britain in 1913.

Notes

Sources

* Traubner, Richard, ''Operetta: a theatrical history'' (London: Routledge, 2004) *Rodway, Phyllis Philip and Lois Rodway Slingsby. ''Philip Rodway and a Tale of Two Theatres'', Birmingham: Cornish Brothers (1934) ASIN: B0006AMU3O

External links

Gipsy Love
at guidetomusicaltheatre.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Gipsy Love Operas by Franz Lehár English-language operettas German-language operettas 1910 operas Romania in fiction Fictional representations of Romani people