Die Lustige Witwe / The Merry Widow [Edition Marking 75th Anniversary of the Operetta's World Premiere]

Presentation edition published to mark the 75th anniversary of the world premiere on December 30, 1905 of The Merry Widow, ( Die lustige Witwe), an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár (1870-1948). In addition to the vocal score, this special edition includes the story, cast and contents in German and English, with coverage of the productions of the operetta by the English National Opera London and the Deutche Oper Berlin (Season 1979/80). The librettists of The Merry Widow, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play, L'attaché d'ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) by Henri Meilhac. The operetta has enjoyed extraordinary international success since its 1905 premiere in Vienna and continues to be frequently revived and recorded. Film and other adaptations have also been made.