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With its charmingly romantic theme, effective stage action and abundance of spirited and delicate moods, this Parisian-flavoured libretto gave Franz Lehár every opportunity to display his talent. After the sensational success of the “Merry Widow” (1905), Lehár completed this operetta in only three weeks in 1909 and at first referred to it himself as „a slovenly piece of work“. Once again, however, impulsiveness and spontaneity proved to be the ingredients of an outright success. „The Count of Luxembourg“ is - with regard to its inventiveness, originality and instrumental colouring - on a par with Lehár‘s other international successes. This film version offers a wealth of artistic entertainment, with a superb cast that includes Eberhard Wächter, Lilian Sukis, Erich Kunz, Jane Tilden, Peter Fröhlich and Helga Papouschek.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR

Running Time: 95 mins

FSK: 0

Musical Arrangement BERT GRUND

Franz Lehár (1870-1948) found remarkably expressive and brilliantly colorful sounds for the drama and romantic moods of this unique topic. The style was decisively infl uenced by the familiar cadence of Hungarian gypsy music in the composer‘s native country. This is not only evidenced by the csárdás rhythms or the inclusion of the cymbalom in the arrangement, but above all by the many pronouncedly melancholy hues of the melody and harmony produced by the use of minor keys.

After „The Merry Widow“ and „The Count of Luxembourg“, „Gypsy Love“ is Franz Lehár‘s third most successful operetta. After its triumphant Vienna premiere in 1910, it was performed all over the world from Broadway to the Far East, for example at the Empire Theater in Darjeeling, at the foot of the Himalayas! This 1974 film features major artists with extensive operatic experience such as Janet Perry, Ion Buzea and – last but not least – Adolf Dallapozza.

Script by PAUL KNEPLER AND BELA JENBACH

Television adaptation by ROLF AND ALEXANDRA BECKER, EUGEN YORK

Franz Lehár’s operetta „Paganini“ (Vienna, 1925) marked the start of a new period in the composer’s work that was strongly influenced by the tenor Richard Tauber. Lehár now began to write works that were highly demanding in vocal terms and stylistically closely modelled on the opera repertoire.

The enormous success achieved by these works prove how right he was in not merely trying to make people laugh, but also to provide them with emotionally moving situations. One of the most successful operettas from this period was undoubtedly „Paganini“, which includes the immortal melody „Gern hab‘ ich die Frau’n geküsst“. Now for the first time, the legendary 1973 film version of the operetta offers an opportunity to experience once again stars like Teresa Stratas, Peter Kraus, Dagmar Koller and, last but not least, Johannes Heesters.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo

Picture Format: 4:3 Colour

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Subtitle Languages: DE (Original Language), GB, FR

Running Time: 107 mins

FSK: 0

This compilation DVD features the best performances of Viennese classics from the BBC television archive, spanning a vintage period in the history of the Viennese Night Proms concerts: 1974 – 1979.

Audiences at the Viennese Nights rival the enthusiasm of Last Night Prom audiences, a tradition that has been part of the Proms concert season since 1947 and which draws concert goers from all over the world.

Classics featured on this DVD include the Blue Danube Waltz, Radetsky March and the Csardas and Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus, performed by Sheila Armstrong, who made her Covent Garden debut four years prior to the performances recorded here.

The characteristic Viennese waltzes, polkas and overtures are performed with exuberance, good humour and panache by these three great conductors. Both Susskind and Loughran recorded Strauss and other Viennese composers for EMI, with Loughran succeeding Sir John Barbirolli at the Hallé where Viennese Nights are still a strong tradition.

These performances, released for the first time on DVD, will appeal to a wide cross section of the public with branding targeted at the large Viennese/Strauss market, currently dominated by André Rieu.

1DVD

Sound format: LPCM stereo/enhanced mono

Picture format: 4:3

Running time: 86’

Subtitles: n/a

Menu languages: English

Booklet languages: E/F/G

Region code: 0

Territory Restrictions: None

Major stars of the international opera stage come together with the Chor und Orchester of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, under the baton of the illustrious Kent Nagano, in this opera gala in aid of the German AIDS Foundation.

Highlights from operas by Mozart, Puccini, Leoncavallo, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Dvorák, Wagner, Richard Strauss, Lehár and Johann Strauss II are performed by world-class musicians from around the globe.

Proceeds from the sales of this title go to support the work of the German AIDS Foundation.

Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Region code: 0

Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Running time: 78 mins

FSK: 0

This is the auspicious premiere of a series of New Year's Eve Concerts from the famous Semperoper in Dresden. Deutsche Grammophon is proud to announce a long-term cooperative association with Christian Thielemann, Staatskapelle Dresden and Unitel/Classica to brand a new series of CDs and DVDs, beginning at the turn of the year.

Christian Thielemann, no stranger to the Yellow Label, and designated Principal Conductor of Staatskapelle Dresden, pours his expertise into Lehár’s evergreen The Merry Widow, with the American megastar Renée Fleming in the title role.

STEREO: PCM / SURROUND: DTS 5.0

Picture Format: 16:9

A star-studded benefit concert to celebrate Ioan Holender’s farewell after 19 years as the director of one of the world’s leading and most famous opera houses. The highly acclaimed cast was headed by brilliant singers such as Diana Damrau, Natalie Dessay, Angelika Kirchschlager, Waltraud Meier, Anna Netrebko, Pjotr Beczala, Plácido Domingo, Thomas Hampson, Leo Nucci, Thomas Quasthoff, Ramon Vargas and many others. No fewer than twelve conductors including Marco Armiliato, Bertrand de Billy, Fabio Luisi, Zubin Mehta, Antonio Pappano and Franz Welser-Möst led the way through a program lasting over four hours at the fully-packed Wiener Staastoper.

Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese

This year’s Mörbisch Lake Festival has brought an operetta classic to the stage. It has an unusually tragic plot for this genre but became a hit, largely though Richard Tauber’s association with the work. Here the Romanian tenor Tiberius Simu sings the role of the Zarewitsch.

Ton: STEREO Dolby Digital

Region Code: 0

Bildformat: PAL

Bildseitenformat: 16:9

Booklet: Englisch, Spanisch, Französisch, Italienisch, Deutsch.

Spieldauer: 150 Minuten. Subtitles: English, French, Italian

The heroine of La Veuve joyeuse is called Missia Palmieri, but she had started off in 1905 as Hanna Glawari in Vienna, where this operetta is known as Die lustige Witwe; its French premiere followed in 1909. The story of the merry widow and her rekindled romance with dissipated diplomat Count Danilo takes place in Paris – notably chez Maxim’s in the final act – and in fact has its roots in a French play, L'attaché d'ambassade by Henri Meilhac. With Ludovic Halévy, Meilhac was the librettist of Carmen, a number of Offenbach’s operettas and a play called Le Réveillon, which forms the basis of that other supreme Viennese operetta Die Fledermaus. Johann Strauss’ waltzes and polkas were clearly an influence on Lehár, but his sumptuous and often touching score also frequently furnishes reminders that he was a contemporary both Richard Strauss and Giacomo Puccini.

This production, mounted in December 2007 at the Opéra de Lyon (the source of Virgin Classics’ DVD of Offenbach’s La Vie parisienne in a riotous contemporary updating by Laurent Pelly) is by the French director Macha MakeIeff. She treats the work as the masterpiece it is: ”Macha Makeleff’s reading … turns its back on the conventions of operetta frippery, of musical champagne bubbles to keep the crowds happy … In defining the personalities of the two lovers – two wounded birds who have put up barriers to protect themselves from love – she brings depth and gravity to the work, giving it new stature.” (Le Progrès)

In the title role is the leading French lyric soprano, the graceful Véronique Gens, whose two Tragédienne recitals are on Virgin Classics; her Danilo is the dashing British baritone Ivan Ludlow, while the roles of the secondary pair of errant lovers are played by the Canadian tenor Gordon Gietz and the delightful Magali Léger, with the latter’s long-suffering husband portrayed by François Le Roux, a proverbially elegant and witty singer. Conducting is Gerard Korsten, born in South Africa but with long experience as both a student and performer in Austria, notably Salzburg.

Subtitles in French and English NB No subtitles for dialogue

World-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo is joined by Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna and a host of other international stars including Susan Graham, in the famously glittering 1996 Gala Concert on the stage of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Asher Fisch conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House in a programme of many of the world’s best-loved operatic arias with music by composers including Bizet, Massenet, Gounod, Mozart and Donizetti.

Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 12th December 1996.

Stage Director: David Edwards