To be broadcast at 8 pm on Wednesday 26 December 2007. When broadcast on 23 May 2004 the program also featured excerpts from, Viktoria und ihr Husar & Die Blume von Hawaii both by Paul Abraham

THE DUCHESS OF CHICAGO

by Emerich Kálmán (1882 - 1953), an operetta in two acts with a prologue and an epilogue. Book and lyrics by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grunwald. Premiered in Vienna, April, 1928.

Synopsis

The action takes place in the Balkans, some time in the mid-1920s.

Prologue

Set in Budapest in the 'Grill Americaine' club.

Prince Sandor, the impoverished heir to the throne of Sylvaria, is enjoying himself incognito, trying to forget that his country's oil wells have been pawned to Benjamin Lloyd, a millionaire from Chicago and that he is soon to enter into an arranged marriage with his cousin, the equally impoverished Princess Rosemarie of Morenia. Apart from these worries, Prince Sandor's enjoyment is marred somewhat by the fact that the music being played in the 'Grill Americaine' is very up to date and includes the Charleston and other jazzy music - he prefers good old Hungarian csardas and Viennese waltzes. His enjoyment is further put to the test when Benjamin Lloyd's daughter, Mary (on a trip to Europe with other members of the 'Young Ladies Eccentric Club of New York') arrives at the night-club with her father's secretary, Johnny Bondy. She announces that while in Europe she hopes to win a million dollar bet, made with members of her Ladies Club, through purchasing something money usually can't buy. She also wants to dance the Charleston with Prince Sandor, but Prince Sandor, pretending to be his adjutant, refuses on his master's behalf. Although he would be happy to dance a waltz with her, an auction ensues in which Mary and the supposed adjutant bid against each other. Mary wins, and the guests of the 'Grill Americaine' sing the praises of jazz while Mary proclaims that before too long Prince Sandor will be dancing the Charleston with her.

Act 1

Prince Sandor's uncle, King Pancras, has had to go to Monte Carlo on business and in his absence Sandor assumes the regency. He is also celebrating his birthday but his enjoyment is short lived when he is told that Mary Lloyd has arrived in Sylvaria with her father's secretary, Bondy, sixteen dancing girls and a jazz band, to teach the locals the Charleston, an activity he immediately outlaws. Shortly afterwards, Bondy arrives at the palace and interrupting discussions between government officials about the proposed marriage of Prince Sandor to his cousin, Princess Rosemarie, announces that Mary intends to buy and modernise the royal palace, spending up to six-million dollars for this purpose. News of this infuriates Prince Sandor, who still has not revealed his true identity to Mary Lloyd. However when Sandor explains to her that the run down palace she intends to modernize is his childhood home she realises just who she's been dealing with all the time. And after he agrees to the plan, which he hopes will improve the lot of his people, Mary cables her father that while she has succeeded in buying a palace she now intends to buy the prince who goes with it as well. Meanwhile, Bondy and Princess Rosemarie have met and find that they are in similar situations with others trying to force them into loveless arranged marriages.

Act 2

A reception is being held in the palace by Mary LLoyd to celebrate it's modernisation, and although Prince Sandor has not yet arrived, Mary hopes that it will not be too long before he is dancing either the Charleston or the fox trot with her. In fact he has been taking lessons secretly as has Mary in the old fashioned Viennese waltz. Members of the government are very pleased with the renovations, although when Prince Sandor arrives, he feels that tradition has been somewhat sacrificed. But the talk soon turns to the dance music of their respective countries, and it seems that some rapprochement has been reached at last. After Prince Sandor's departure, the Ministers of his government, after selling most of Sylvaria's other assets to Mary Lloyd, report on the progress of their plan to have Sandor betrothed to Mary.The absent King Pancras cables that he thinks this to be rather a good idea, and to facilitate it, has elevated Mary to the rank of Duchess of Chicago, and her father's secretary, Bondy, to the rank of Count, for services rendered. Meanwhile, Benjamin LLoyd, intrigued by his daughter's cable, has arrived from Chicago with members of the 'Young Ladies Eccentric Club'. Although he understands the challenge that his daughter has undertaken in respect of winning her million dollar bet with the other ladies, he senses that she is now in love with Prince Sandor and agrees to meet with him. At first Lloyd thinks the Prince useless, but later changes his mind, considering him to be a man of character.The newly enobled Count Bondy and Princess Rosemarie, have, in the meantime, met again, and encouraged by his somewhat changed status, agreed to marry. After all, it is so much easier to say yes to a rich count, than to a poor prince. It is then the turn of the ladies of the 'Eccentric Club' to inspect Sandor and to declare that Mary has won the bet. However the proposed pairing of Prince Sandor with the Duchess of Chicago and Count Bondy with Princess Rosemarie falls apart when the Prince not only discovers what his ministers have been plotting but sees a copy of Mary's original cable to her father. And in a fit of temper, announces his engagement --- not to the Duchess of Chicago, but to his cousin Princess Rosemarie. Bondy and Mary are shattered, and so, presumably is the Princess.

Epilogue

King Pancras has returned from Monte Carlo, rather annoyed that his neplew Prince Sandor has not married the rich American heiress Mary Lloyd. whose monies would have helped secure his country's future. He is thinking about these matters in the 'Grill americaine' in Budapest, when Mary arrives with a mysterious stranger, who later turns out to be the Chief Executive of Paramount Fox, on the lookout for a happy ending to the film he is currently making. Although King Pancras considers marrying the heiress Mary LLoyd himself, Prince Sandor fortuitously turns up at the night club as well, after learning that his bride Rosemarie has eloped with a rich American, Count Bondy. He sees Mary, and affronted by her mysterious friend, who is staring at him quite shamelessly, summonses them both over to explain themselves. And of course, all the movie executive wants is for Prince Sandor to be provoked into admitting and reciprocating the love Mary Lloyd already feels for him, and help ensure that the new film, which he has already titled 'The Duchess of Chicago' will be given the ending which will make American movie-goers happy. Both Mary and Sandor oblige by expressing their love for each other, but when asked to dance the Charleston with her, counters that he would prefer a slow foxtrot, as the Charleston is now, in his view, somewhat passe.

The Composer

Kálmán was born Imre Kálmán on October 24, 1882 in the village of Siófok, on the eastern shore of Lake Balaton in western Hungary. The young Kálmán had hoped to be a concert pianist but was forced to abandon that career when he suffered a nerve injury to his hand. Eventually, he enrolled in the Budapest Royal Academy of Music, along with fellow students Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Leo Weiner, and future operetta composers Albert Szirmai and Viktor Jacobi.

His works elegantly and deftly combine Hungarian folk songs, and their distinctive rhythms, with the typical Viennese waltz. His waltzes are easily the equal of Lehár's, yet Kálmán's gift for natural melody, catchy comedic duets, and inventive ensemble and choral writing is far ahead of his contemporaries.' He is known for his colorful and opulent orchestrations and fine instrumental counterpoint, and often makes use of distinctive percussion instruments, harp, celesta, banjo, guitar, cimbalom, and even the native Hungarian tárogátó, a woodwind instrument similar to the soprano saxophone.

In a bizarre turn of events, Hitler was so impressed with Kálmán's music that he offered the composer honorary Aryan status. He refused; his music was banned by the Nazis; and he fled Vienna, traveling first to Paris in 1939 and then to the United States when the Germans occupied Paris. He became an American citizen in 1942 but returned to Europe in 1949, eventually settling in Paris.

Paul Abraham

(1892 - 1960)

Victoria und ihr Husar (highlights only)

An operetta premiered in 1930.

Synopsis: Viktoria and her Hussar, Koltay, must bid each other farewell, as the Hungarian cavalry officer has to go to war against Russia. Viktoria promises her lover that she will wait for his return, but Koltay is taken prisoner and reported dead. However, Koltay has survived and eventually escapes, making his way to Tokyo, where he finds to his dismay that Viktoria, presuming him dead, has since become the wife of the American envoy, Cunlight. Enjoying diplomatic immunity, Koltay goes to St Petersburg, where he confronts Viktoria, who though not in love with her husband, is reluctant to ask for a divorce. Koltay then gives himself up to the Russians and Viktoria, although unwilling to divorce her husband (who is now aware of her dilemma), leaves him instead, returning to Hungary. Some time later, the three meet again, at Viktoria's estate, Doroszma, during the grape harvest festival, and her husband, Cunlight, who has since obtained Kolaty's release from the Russians, relinquishes his claim to her, bringing Viktoria and her Hussar happily together at last.

Blume von Hawaii (highlights only)

An operetta premiered in 1931

Synopsis: The "Flower of Hawaii" is the name given to Princess Laya, who has returned to her South Seas kingdom, after being exiled in Paris. While a royalist faction on the island is hoping to reinstate the Hawaiian monarchy, Prince Lilo-Taro, who was bethrothed to Princess Laya when they were children, has long since come to terms with the fact that Hawaii is now governed by the Americans. Even so, there are a few political and romantic intrigues, and the operetta ends in Monte Carlo, far removed from Hawaii, celebrating the union of two happy couples.