UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Operetta after the Habsburg Empire Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7xk5c77w Author Petersen, Ulrike Publication Date 2013 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Operetta after the Habsburg Empire by Ulrike Petersen A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Richard Taruskin, Chair Professor Mary Ann Smart Professor Elaine Tennant Spring 2013 © 2013 Ulrike Petersen All Rights Reserved Abstract Operetta after the Habsburg Empire by Ulrike Petersen Doctor of Philosophy in Music University of California, Berkeley Professor Richard Taruskin, Chair This thesis discusses the political, social, and cultural impact of operetta in Vienna after the collapse of the Habsburg Empire. As an alternative to the prevailing literature, which has approached this form of musical theater mostly through broad surveys and detailed studies of a handful of well‐known masterpieces, my dissertation presents a montage of loosely connected, previously unconsidered case studies. Each chapter examines one or two highly significant, but radically unfamiliar, moments in the history of operetta during Austria’s five successive political eras in the first half of the twentieth century. Exploring operetta’s importance for the image of Vienna, these vignettes aim to supply new glimpses not only of a seemingly obsolete art form but also of the urban and cultural life of which it was a part. My stories evolve around the following works: Der Millionenonkel (1913), Austria’s first feature‐length motion picture, a collage of the most successful stage roles of a celebrated operetta comedian, which aimed to advertise the artistic potential of the new and controversial medium of film; Bruno Granichstaedten’s Der Orlow (1925) and Reklame! (1930), two of a series of jazz‐ inspired, American‐themed revue operettas meant to prove that—even after World War I—the genre was still relevant and Vienna remained its foremost innovator; Ralph Benatzky’s Das kleine Café (1934) and Herzen im Schnee (1937), two “intrinsically Austrian” operettas, endorsed by the Austrofascist government and tourism office to promote the geographical and cultural treasures of the “New Austria,” both at home and abroad; Rudolf Weys’s version of Franz Lehár’s Der Rastelbinder (1902/1944), one of the Third Reich’s many operetta revisions, with which the Nazis hoped to replenish Greater Germany’s repertory of “Aryan” works; Die Straussbuben (1946), Vienna’s first postwar Singspiel, a trusty Strauss pastiche that became the touchstone for a recovering Austrian national pride, and likewise proved a last— missed—chance to find operetta a new lifeline. 1 The patchwork adumbrated by these historical scraps points to a larger trend: after the fall of the Habsburg Empire, operetta was considered cultural capital for Vienna and, as such, increasingly became an object of political relevance. While this development inextricably linked operetta to the image of Vienna (and Austria), and at points helped to keep this form of musical theater alive, it was also largely responsible for operetta’s hopeless stagnation. 2 to MuVa with love and gratitude i Table of Contents Acknowledgements iii INTRODUCTION 1 PROLOGUE: THE HABSBURG EMPIRE 11 Setting the Screen CHAPTER 1: THE FIRST REPUBLIC 25 “Spiel’, My Jazzband, Spiel’!” CHAPTER 2: THE CORPORATE STATE 59 Of Mehlspeis’, Ski Holidays, and Other Austrian Delights CHAPTER 3: THE OSTMARK 91 Revising Lehár’s Rastelbinder for the Reich CHAPTER 4: THE SECOND REPUBLIC 121 “Operetta is Dead—Long Live Operetta!” EPILOGUE: ACROSS THE POND 139 The Emperor’s Old Whiskers Bibliography 144 Appendix 1: Alexander Girardi’s Roles in Der Millionenonkel (1913) 158 Appendix 2: The Operetta Commissions of the Reichsstelle für Musikbearbeitungen 159 Appendix 3: Rudolf Weys: “Der Wiener Januskopf” 161 Appendix 4: Pastiche Operettas based on Strauss Family Music 164 Appendix 5: Rudolf Weys: Straussbuben Texts (1943/1946) 166 Appendix 6: Operetta Premieres in Vienna from 1945 to 1970 170 ii Acknowledgements This project could not have been completed without the generous financial support of a Dissertation Fellowship of the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, an Ernst Mach Fellowship of the Austrian Exchange Service (ÖAD), and a UC Berkeley Graduate Fellowship. I am immensely grateful to the members of my dissertation committee: Richard Taruskin, who has provided wise counsel ever since my first semester at Berkeley, encouraged and supported this project, and never doubted my ability to finish it; Mary Ann Smart, who in turns pushed me with her perspicacious insights and offered heartening advice; and Elaine Tennant, who first proved a canny interlocutor in my qualifying exam and later acted as an enthusiastic reader. There are others who have been equally encouraging. Without the inspiration and still continuing support of my Cambridge mentors, Martin Ennis and Roger Parker, I would never have made it to Berkeley. Siegfried Mattl, always willing to share his expertise on Viennese history, was the best “local adviser” I could have wished for during my research trips to Austria. Günter Krenn answered my many film‐related questions. Marie‐Theres Arnbom and Stefan Frey advised me on operetta‐specific matters. A late‐night phone conversation with Kevin Clarke gave me fresh inspiration and ended a barren spell. Helga Benatzky and Ernst Kauffmann provided me with both materials and insider information on their respective relatives, Ralph Benatzky and Bruno Granichstaedten. Axel Sikorski enlightened me about his grandfather Hans Sikorski. Franz Fröhlich from the AKM, Boris Priebe from Felix Bloch & Erben, and Sabine Hansmann from Josef Weinberger Publishers offered information about various primary sources. The staff at the following libraries and archives made my research not only an adventure but also a pleasure: Wienbibliothek im Rathaus (especially Elisabeth Köhler and Thomas Aigner); Österreichisches Theatermuseum (especially Christiane Mühlegger and Kurt Ifkovits); Filmarchiv Austria (Thomas Ballhausen and Günter Krenn); Wiener Stadt‐ und Landesarchiv; Österreichische Nationalbibliothek; Österreichisches Staatsarchiv; Bezirksmuseum Wien Hernals; Archiv der Wiener Volksoper; Universitätsbibliothek Wien; Deutsches Bundesarchiv Berlin; Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin; Ernst Marischka Archiv, Hallein; Universitätsbibliothek Bayreuth (Georg Prechtl); Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library and Interlibrary Borrowing Services at UC Berkeley. My extended research stays in Vienna were made much more pleasant by my godmother Eva Nowotny and the Wiener Singakademie. I could share my subject‐related excitement with Viennese colleague Clara Huber during extended coffeehouse meetings and operetta‐film viewings in the charming Bellaria‐Kino. My dear friend Geelke Meier came to explore the city with me when I first arrived; she, Anna Prowse, and Jenny Clark managed to stay in touch all the way, and cheered me on from afar. At Berkeley, I was blessed with the company of many kind‐hearted and intelligent colleagues as well as incredibly supportive staff. Among my more senior siblings, Adeline Mueller, Bill Quillen, Esther Criscuola de Laix, Lisa Jakelski, Rebekah Ahrendt, and Emily iii Richmond Pollock gave especially sympathetic, levelheaded advice toward the end. Holly Replogle‐Wong, Nicholas Mathew, and James Davies kindly read and commented on early chapter drafts. Melissa Hacker, Lisa Robinson, and Jim Coates helped me jump all administrative hurdles. Jamie Apgar acted as a reliable courier of draft manuscripts. Anicia Timberlake and Nell Cloutier, as well as my Viennese friends Sarah Noemi Schulmeister and Magdalena Peyrer‐Heimstätt, looked up sources in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna when I could not do it myself. Most essential to my positive graduate‐school experience, however, were my year mates and later dissertation group, Emily Frey, Rachana Vajjhala, and Garrick Trapp who, in many friendly gatherings, offered their smart insights and emotional support as well as their precious friendship. Without them I might not have made it through. I can only hope that I have been able to give them some of what they have given me. Finally, and above all, I want to thank my parents, Elke and Erwin, who have weathered the highs and lows of my academic journey thus far with unfailing patience and good humor. Their encouragement, love, and advice kept me grounded throughout the entire process; as obliging listeners, assiduous footnote editors, and caring companions, they have been even more invaluable during these last few months. To them I dedicate this work. iv INTRODUCTION Vienna, January 2013. Arriving for my final research visit, I enter the Austrian capital through the international airport’s sparkling new terminal. As I escape the long flights of narrow corridors into the arrival hall, I am faced with a vast wall display of score excerpts from Die lustige Witwe. This operetta is Franz Lehár’s (1870–1948) most popular. Following its world premiere at the Theater an der Wien in 1905, the work quickly found a special place in music lovers’ hearts the world over, I read on the awkward English label behind an assortment of high‐tech trashcans. Directly opposite, brightly colored billboards advertise historic buildings as