Franz Lehár’s Friederike was a relatively
late composition. The huge success of The Merry Widow occurred
back in 1905. Between the Widow and Friederike came
other successes like: Der Graf von Luxemburg (1909), Zigeunerliebe (1910), Frasquita (1922), Paganini (1925)
and Der Zarewitsch (1927). Lehár, despite hostility
loved Friederike and regarded it as more opera than
operetta - a realisation that would fully flower in his last
great production, Giuditta (1934) after another great
success Das Land des Lächelns (1929)
Friederike was considered to be very daring. Its concept
was the early life and ill-fated love of Germany’s beloved
Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Just imagine an English composer being
rash enough to consider creating an operetta around the life
of William Shakespeare! The critics loathed it. The public
adored it. Friederike with its more than 300 performances,
was Berlin’s most successful work during the 1928/29
season. Yet, later, Hitler’s Third Reich would subsequently
crush it as subversive to patriotic German sensibilities.
Richard Traubner writing in his book, “Operetta, A Theatrical
History”, remarked, “Friederike is one of
the most passionate Léhar works, allowing Tauber a field-day.” Richard
Tauber played Goethe for the then exorbitant evening fee of
2,000 marks. He had to repeat the operetta’s hit song ‘O
Mächen, mein mädchen…’, alone, a total
of five times at the premiere. In fact at the Berlin Six-Day
cycle race in 1928 the crowd of 6,000 spectators frenetically
demanded that he sing that song. ‘O mädchen, mein
mädchen, wie lieb’ ich dich’ (‘O maiden … how
I love you’) appears again and again, either subtly or
overtly throughout the work as its basic motif; it is not sung
until Act II.
Friederike, tells the rather improbable story of how
the young Goethe had been kissed by a French girl who then
cursed the girl who would kiss him after her. Consequently
Goethe had been wary of allowing any other maiden within kissing
distance of him - even Friederike the object of his love. Friederike,
unafraid of the curse, kisses him and seals her doom because
her lover is soon summoned to the court of Duke Karl August
of Weimar who does not welcome attached creative artists. Friederike,
anxious not to stand in the way of Goethe’s career sacrifices
her love for him.
Lehár’s music scintillates as ever. Much of the
music is true to 18th century styles - the dainty
and elegant Minuet that opens Act II - but it is also tinged
with more modern, often ironic little orchestral colourations
to comment on character, atmosphere and action. Ulf Schirmer
directs the ensemble in a sunny and animated performance. Klaus
Florian Vogt is hardly a new Tauber but he does make a good
fist of Goethe. Both sopranos shine as the two sisters, Friederike
and Salomea. Theirs are ingénue and soubrette roles
that depart from the usual stock stereotypes. There are many
highlights as well as that song. These include Goethe’s
dreamily romantic Act I arias ‘O, wie schön, wie
wunderschön’ (O how lovely, how wondrously lovely’)
and ‘Sah ein Knab’ ein Röslein stehn …’ in
which he confesses his love for Friederike, the magical Act
II duet for Friederike and Goethe ‘All mein Fühlen,
all mein Sehen …’; and the glittering tune-filled
finale to Act I.
CPO are gradually working through and recording the Lehár
operettas (see below). As before, one has to be familiar with
the German language to enjoy these recordings to the full,
especially
the many German dialogue tracks so important to fully grasp
the subtleties of the plot developments. Is it not possible
for CPO to follow the lead of so many other recording companies,
these days, and include access, via the Internet, to the libretto
(preferably in three or more languages including English)?
Another Lehár hit from CPO.
Ian Lace
Reviews of other Lehár operattas on CPO
7770552
Schön is die Welt
7771482 Eva
7773032 Das land des Lachelns
7773312 Bleue Mazur
9993262 Wiener Frauen
Friederike - Kristiane
Kaiser (soprano) 
