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opera Lehár's The Land of Smiles Andreas Homoki (stage direction), Fabio Luisi (conductor) — With Piotr Beczala (Prince Sou-Chong), Julia Kleiter (Lisa), Rebeca Olvera (Princess Mi) ...

Andreas Homoki (stage direction), Fabio Luisi (conductor) — With Piotr Beczala (Prince Sou-Chong), Julia Kleiter (Lisa), Rebeca Olvera (Princess Mi) ...

Lehár's The Land of Smiles Andreas Homoki (stage direction), Fabio Luisi (conductor) — With Piotr Beczala (Prince Sou-Chong), Julia Kleiter (Lisa), Rebeca Olvera (Princess Mi) ...

About

"We keep on smiling, we always stay cheery," sings Prince Sou-Chong in the introduction to the Franz Lehár operetta Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles), "always content, no matter what happens. We smile through the pain and a thousand torments." Like Puccini in Madame Butterfly, Lehár situates the action in Asia, dealing with themes of exoticism and the complexities in trying to reconcile divergent cultural traditions. World-renowned tenor Piotr Beczala returns to the Zurich Opera House in the role of Sou-Chong, alongside the marvelous Julia Kleiter as Lisa. Maestro Fabio Luisi conducts the Philharmonia Zürich in the delightful score by Lehár, while Andreas Homoki's staging pops with striking set pieces and vibrant colors.

In 1912 Vienna and China, countess Lisa marries Chinese prince Sou-Chong and accompanies him back to his homeland, despite the apprehensions of her friends and family. But when she finds herself unable to adjust to her husband's culture—especially its practice of polygamy—and begins to feel imprisoned within her palace, her love curdles into hatred. The custom, however, must be respected: keep on smiling, always stay cheery...

Cast

  • Andreas Homoki | Stage director
  • Wolfgang Gussmann | Stage sets and costumes
  • Ernst Raffelsberger | Choreographer
  • Piotr Beczała | Prince Sou-Chong
  • Julia Kleiter | Lisa
  • Rebeca Olvera | Mi
  • Spencer Lang | Graf Gustav von Pattenstein
  • Cheyne Davidson | Chang
  • Chorus & Children's Choir of the Opernhaus Zürich
  • Fabio Luisi | Conductor
  • Philharmonia Zürich

Program

  • Franz Lehár, Das Land des Lächelns (The Land of Smiles)
    • Overture
    • I: Da kommt Lisa! ... Hoch soll sie leben / Heut', meine Herr'n, war ein Tag (Gustl, Chorus, Lisa)
    • I: Flirten, bisschen flirten (Lisa, Chorus)
    • I: Ich trete ins Zimmer, von Sehnsuch durchbebt / Immer nur lacheln und immer vergnugt (Sou-Chong)
    • I: Ach, trinken Sie vielleicht mit mir ein Tasschen Tee? / Bei einem Tee a deux in selig susser Nah (Lisa, Sou-Chong)
    • I: Von Apfelbluten einen Kranz, ah (Sou-Chong)
    • I: Wir sind allein (Lisa, Sou-Chong)
    • I: Von Apfelbluten einen Kranz, ah (Sou-Chong, Lisa)
    • II: Dschinthien wuomen ju chon ma goa can (Chorus)
    • II: Onkel Tschang! Onkel Tschang! Jetzt ist er weg / Im Salon zur blau'n Pagode (Mi)
    • II: Als Gott die Welt erschuf / Meine Liebe, deine Liebe, die sind beide gleich (Gustl, Mi)
    • II: Dialogue: Mein leiber Neffe (Tschang, Sou-Chong)
    • II: Dein ist mein ganzes Herz! (Sou-Chong)
    • II: Mit welchem Recht? / Ich bin dein Herr! (Lisa, Sou-Chong)
    • II: Dein war mein ganzes Herz! (Sou-Chong)
    • III: Zig, zig, zig, zig, ih! ih! ih! / Wenn die Chrysanthemen bluh'n / Du bist so lieb, du bist so schon (Mi, Gustl)
    • III: Auf Wiederseh'n! / Wie rasch verwelkte doch das kleine Blumchen Gluck! (Mi)
    • III: Dialogue: Lisa, wir sind verloren! (Gustl, Sou-Chong, Lisa)
    • III: Liebes Schwesterlein, sollst nicht traurig sein (Sou-Chong, Mi)

Details

  • Venue: Zurich Opera House (Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Production date: 2017
  • Duration: 1 h 43 min
  • Production: © Accentus
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