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Paganini

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description Paganini Overview

Paganini is an operetta by Franz Lehár, premiered in 1925 at the Johann Strauss Theater in Vienna. The work tells a fictionalized story of the Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, set during a period when he performs at a court in Lucca. Lehár composed the title role specifically for tenor Richard Tauber, who became closely associated with the part. The operetta was among Lehár's most successful later works and helped establish his shift toward more dramatic operetta subjects.

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What is Lehár's Paganini operetta about?

The plot presents a fictionalized romance between violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini and Princess Anna Elisa, Napoleon's sister. Their attraction is strained by politics, scandal and Paganini's unwillingness to surrender his freedom.

Did Richard Tauber sing at the 1925 Vienna premiere of Paganini?

No. Carl Clewing created the title role at the Vienna premiere in October 1925 because Tauber had another contractual engagement. Tauber first performed Paganini in the Berlin production in January 1926, opposite Vera Schwarz as Anna Elisa.

Which song from Paganini became particularly associated with Richard Tauber?

The tenor aria "Gern hab' ich die Frau'n geküsst" became one of the operetta's best-known numbers and a Tauber specialty. In English it is commonly known as "Girls Were Made to Love and Kiss."

How does Paganini differ from Lehár's The Merry Widow?

Paganini belongs to Lehár's later, more operatic period and gives its tenor hero a more bittersweet romantic story. The Merry Widow premiered in 1905, while Paganini followed 20 years later as a vehicle designed around Tauber's voice.

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