This retelling of Franz Lehár’s humorous tale promises an entertaining night for both novices and aficionados
Opera Hong Kong is set to bring a treat to the city’s classical music scene this summer with two performances of Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár’s beloved operetta, The Merry Widow, at City Hall on August 15 and 16.
For those intimidated by or unfamiliar with the art form, an operetta offers an inviting first step: short, humorous and more conversational in music and story than capital-O opera.
Based on an 1861 French comic play, L’attaché d’ambassade, by Henri Meilhac, The Merry Widow has earned a reputation for being as approachable as it is melodically rich.
Premiering in Vienna in 1905, it tells the story of the recently widowed Hanna Glawari, in the fictional nation of Pontevedro, who has recently inherited a vast fortune from her late husband.
