Franz Lehár and the Silver Age of Viennese Operetta
In the first decades of the 20th century, Viennese operetta experienced a remarkable renaissance under Franz Lehár. This golden age, known as the "Silver Age," owes not only to the worldwide success of "The Merry Widow" but also to his later operettas from the 1920s and early 1930s, in which he consciously approached grand opera.
Image gallery
Matthias Creutziger
These works are distinguished by their artistic ambition and sophisticated dramaturgy and often focus on important figures in cultural history – such as the legendary "Devil's Violinist" Niccolò Paganini or the "poet prince" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the operetta "Friederike."
Lehár even premiered "Giuditta," described as a "musical comedy," at the Vienna State Opera. His compositions combine melodic lightness and melancholic depth in a fascinating way – a trademark that makes his music unforgettable to this day.
Franz Lehár
- Music from the operettas Friederike, Paganini, and Giuditta
with Christian Thielemann
Additional information
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