Studio recording 1958:
Live recording 1959:
But this is not apparent from the performance history of the operetta:
In 1930 successfull premieres take place in Vienna and afterwards Berlin. Still in 1930 the Americans are rushing ahead to perform the work under the title 'Paris in Spring', and in 1932 Paris and London are introduced to the operetta.
Up to the present day I signalise performances in the USA (Ohio 2004), Belgium (Kortrijk 2017), Ukraine (Kiev 2016 and 2018), Russia (Moskow and Saint Petersburg 2012), Estonia, Latvia and in 2018 also in Donetsk.
Hereby is striking the great popularity of 'Violet of Montmartre' in Eastern Europe (see YouTube)!
In Germany, Austria and Hungary the work seems to be forgotten, except 'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir/This night I dreamed of you...' (lyrics: Alfred Grünwald). which although could not be heard in Vienna! It turned out to a hit in the later Berlin premiere.
In 1952 Werner Schmidt-Boelcke conducted on radio the complete, original Viennese version of 'The Violet...'. So without the song 'This night...'! A CD of the recording is still available. Most important roles are sung by Erika Köth (27 years old then) and the tenor Richard Holm (1912-1988).
'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir' was getting through to the repertoire of famous tenors. On YouTube you can hear interpretations - disconnected from the operetta - by Helge Roswaenge, Jussi Björling (in Swedish), Rudolf Schock (in the film 'Die Emmerich Kálmán-Story/Der Czárdáskönig'), Nicolai Gedda, Piotr Beczala, Juan Diego Florez (who accompanies himself on guitar!), etc.
According toVera Kálmán, her husband Imre has written the song for her. This is certainly possible. In 1929 Imre Kálmán, 47 years old and hopeless in love, marries the 22 (possibly 19) years old, Russian migrant Vera Mendelsohn.
What's the plot of 'Violet of Montmartre'?
Raoul (= Eugène) Delacroix, a painter, Florimond Hervé, a composer, Henri Murger, a poet live without work and money in a mansard in Montmartre.
The earnings of Raoul's female friend Ninon, who poses for him and elsewhere in Paris also works as a model, make, that the trio does not starve to death.
Violetta, a sweet and sincere streetsinger, who sells violets, joins the four friends. Then Raoul's love for Ninon begins to falter.
Florimond and Henri write an operetta. Ninon is getting ready for the major part in this operette. But it becomes clear now to her, that Raoul falls for Violetta.
After the first act of the premiere Ninon escapes with a wealthy admirer.
However, Violetta covers for her with great success and saves the performance.
This operetta is not an error!
In 2005 the American mezzosoprano Dr. Jessie Wright Martin delves deeply into the operettas of Imre Kálmán.
With her dissertation "A survey of the operettas of Emmerich Kálmán" she holds her Docotorate of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Martin sings the praises of 'Violet of Montmartre': "... a fascinating mixture of French music-hall and soaring Pucciniesque melody and coloratura...with harmonies owing greater debt to Korngold and Richard Strauss than to the world of operetta...".
I want to point out, that for the honored composer Kálmán the jump into the love affair with the unknown fortune hunter Vera must have been a major source of inspiration. The setting of 'Violet of Montmartre' is similar to Puccini's realistic opera 'La Bohème'. The 'vie de bohème', which his five protagonists live, is indeed 'the daily, normal life', to which Kálmán, time and again, refers. There's his sympathy, the essence of his character, which desires for ordinary people, who are carrying art around in their hearts. Like wandering gypsies and fairground artists. Like the real, romantic painter Eugène Delacroix (1778-1863), the real fellow composer Florimond Hervé (1825-1892) and the real Henri Murger (1822-1861), author of 'Scènes de la Vie de Bohème'. And like the real Imre Kálmán, the famous, but still modest composer, who is concerned about an ordinary girl's fate and wants to share with her a compelling life for the arts.
Undoubtedly Kálmán was familiar with Bernard Shaw's play 'Pygmalion' from 1913. Then it is conceivable that for the figure of violet girl Violetta Shaw's flower girl Eliza Doolittle was a model (also compare the musical 'My fair Lady'!). But not only Eliza Doolitte. Vera Mendelsohn too!
Rudolf Schock & Erika Köth in 'Violet of Montmartre'
Rather surprisingly, a Viennese (also authentic) song selection from the "almost forgotten" Kálmán operetta 'Violet of Montmartre' is on April 19, 1959 the grand finale of a Munich "Sonntagskonzert/Sunday concert". Erika Köth sings Violetta, Rudolf Schock Raoul Delacroix and Kurt Eichhorn conducts the 'Munich Broadcast Orchestra'. The complete recording can be heard on YouTube (please, look and listen at the top of this article!).
Rudolf Schock sings Raoul's 'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir/This night I dreamed of you...'
Some comments on other interpretations of 'Heut' Nacht.../This night...':
The great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling (1911-1960) fully convinces. The orchestral accompaniment puts on the one hand a heavy emphasis on the tango rhythm, but on the other hand she gives the singer all space for sincere passion.
The equally great Danish tenor Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972). who was brilliant both in heroical and lyrical roles, seems to model himself in his 100% lyrical recitation on the touching singing style of the Comedian Harmonists, who also included 'Heut' Nacht...' in their repertoire.
Roswaenge's orchestra chooses a very strong tango rhythm, against which Roswaenge's singing contrasts remarkably.
In 2012 Piotr Beczala sings live 'Heut' Nacht...' in terms of vocality, phrasing
and diction impressivily. However, the song sounds more carefreely, even cheerfully than melancholy.
Nicolai Gedda also remains - unexpected for me - on the outside of a random tenor song. The voice is excellent, but his loudness ignores completely Raoul's regretful dream.
A special case is the live-performance of the Peruvian singer Juan Diego Florez.
Florez exudes - with guitar accompaniment of himself - a breathless-sensitive, Latin atmosphere, which makes melancholy and dreamy. But, at the end he tears with a sudden and shrill high fortississimo dream and song entirely out of the frame...
Krijn de Lege, 26.6.2023
Last night I dreamed of you 1959:
In standard reference works about 'OPERETTA' Imre Kálmán is praised as one of the most important composers of the genre.
However: his 'Violet of Montmartre' (lyrics: Julius Brammer & Alfred Grünwald) does not enthuse the operetta experts: they see the 'Violet' as an error.
In 1930 successfull premieres take place in Vienna and afterwards Berlin. Still in 1930 the Americans are rushing ahead to perform the work under the title 'Paris in Spring', and in 1932 Paris and London are introduced to the operetta.
Up to the present day I signalise performances in the USA (Ohio 2004), Belgium (Kortrijk 2017), Ukraine (Kiev 2016 and 2018), Russia (Moskow and Saint Petersburg 2012), Estonia, Latvia and in 2018 also in Donetsk.
Hereby is striking the great popularity of 'Violet of Montmartre' in Eastern Europe (see YouTube)!
In Germany, Austria and Hungary the work seems to be forgotten, except 'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir/This night I dreamed of you...' (lyrics: Alfred Grünwald). which although could not be heard in Vienna! It turned out to a hit in the later Berlin premiere.
In 1952 Werner Schmidt-Boelcke conducted on radio the complete, original Viennese version of 'The Violet...'. So without the song 'This night...'! A CD of the recording is still available. Most important roles are sung by Erika Köth (27 years old then) and the tenor Richard Holm (1912-1988).
'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir' was getting through to the repertoire of famous tenors. On YouTube you can hear interpretations - disconnected from the operetta - by Helge Roswaenge, Jussi Björling (in Swedish), Rudolf Schock (in the film 'Die Emmerich Kálmán-Story/Der Czárdáskönig'), Nicolai Gedda, Piotr Beczala, Juan Diego Florez (who accompanies himself on guitar!), etc.
According toVera Kálmán, her husband Imre has written the song for her. This is certainly possible. In 1929 Imre Kálmán, 47 years old and hopeless in love, marries the 22 (possibly 19) years old, Russian migrant Vera Mendelsohn.
What's the plot of 'Violet of Montmartre'?
Raoul (= Eugène) Delacroix, a painter, Florimond Hervé, a composer, Henri Murger, a poet live without work and money in a mansard in Montmartre.
The earnings of Raoul's female friend Ninon, who poses for him and elsewhere in Paris also works as a model, make, that the trio does not starve to death.
Violetta, a sweet and sincere streetsinger, who sells violets, joins the four friends. Then Raoul's love for Ninon begins to falter.
Florimond and Henri write an operetta. Ninon is getting ready for the major part in this operette. But it becomes clear now to her, that Raoul falls for Violetta.
After the first act of the premiere Ninon escapes with a wealthy admirer.
However, Violetta covers for her with great success and saves the performance.
This operetta is not an error!
In 2005 the American mezzosoprano Dr. Jessie Wright Martin delves deeply into the operettas of Imre Kálmán.
With her dissertation "A survey of the operettas of Emmerich Kálmán" she holds her Docotorate of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Martin sings the praises of 'Violet of Montmartre': "... a fascinating mixture of French music-hall and soaring Pucciniesque melody and coloratura...with harmonies owing greater debt to Korngold and Richard Strauss than to the world of operetta...".
I want to point out, that for the honored composer Kálmán the jump into the love affair with the unknown fortune hunter Vera must have been a major source of inspiration. The setting of 'Violet of Montmartre' is similar to Puccini's realistic opera 'La Bohème'. The 'vie de bohème', which his five protagonists live, is indeed 'the daily, normal life', to which Kálmán, time and again, refers. There's his sympathy, the essence of his character, which desires for ordinary people, who are carrying art around in their hearts. Like wandering gypsies and fairground artists. Like the real, romantic painter Eugène Delacroix (1778-1863), the real fellow composer Florimond Hervé (1825-1892) and the real Henri Murger (1822-1861), author of 'Scènes de la Vie de Bohème'. And like the real Imre Kálmán, the famous, but still modest composer, who is concerned about an ordinary girl's fate and wants to share with her a compelling life for the arts.
Undoubtedly Kálmán was familiar with Bernard Shaw's play 'Pygmalion' from 1913. Then it is conceivable that for the figure of violet girl Violetta Shaw's flower girl Eliza Doolittle was a model (also compare the musical 'My fair Lady'!). But not only Eliza Doolitte. Vera Mendelsohn too!
Rudolf Schock & Erika Köth in 'Violet of Montmartre'
Rather surprisingly, a Viennese (also authentic) song selection from the "almost forgotten" Kálmán operetta 'Violet of Montmartre' is on April 19, 1959 the grand finale of a Munich "Sonntagskonzert/Sunday concert". Erika Köth sings Violetta, Rudolf Schock Raoul Delacroix and Kurt Eichhorn conducts the 'Munich Broadcast Orchestra'. The complete recording can be heard on YouTube (please, look and listen at the top of this article!).
Recent surprises came from Mr. Franz Hainzl (Vienna), and I am very grateful to him for that!!
Mr. Hainzl offered me the opportunity to present TWO never officially released recordings:
1) a second, almost identical Viennese song selection of 'Violet of Montmartre' from the Munich radio studio on June 18, 1958 with Erika Köth, Rudolf Schock, but with another conductor: Werner Schmidt-Boelcke (see at the top of this article!)
2) a very good sound Schock recording of Raoul's 'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir/This night I dreamed of you' (April 19, 1959), conducted by Schmidt-Boelcke again (see at the top of this article!).
Rudolf Schock sings Raoul's 'Heut' Nacht hab ich geträumt von dir/This night I dreamed of you...'
Schock & orchestra don't emphasize the tango time, what is typical for the mild "Argentine tango style". Argentine tango style emphasizes the tango melody. Melodiousness and pregnant text transmission create in Schock's well thought-out interpretation a 'chanson', in which melancholy about what has happened predominates. Raoul must have sung the song in the 1st act of the Berlin premiere. Melancholy could have represented his final farewell to Ninon.
Some comments on other interpretations of 'Heut' Nacht.../This night...':
The great Swedish tenor Jussi Björling (1911-1960) fully convinces. The orchestral accompaniment puts on the one hand a heavy emphasis on the tango rhythm, but on the other hand she gives the singer all space for sincere passion.
The equally great Danish tenor Helge Roswaenge (1897-1972). who was brilliant both in heroical and lyrical roles, seems to model himself in his 100% lyrical recitation on the touching singing style of the Comedian Harmonists, who also included 'Heut' Nacht...' in their repertoire.
Roswaenge's orchestra chooses a very strong tango rhythm, against which Roswaenge's singing contrasts remarkably.
In 2012 Piotr Beczala sings live 'Heut' Nacht...' in terms of vocality, phrasing
and diction impressivily. However, the song sounds more carefreely, even cheerfully than melancholy.
Nicolai Gedda also remains - unexpected for me - on the outside of a random tenor song. The voice is excellent, but his loudness ignores completely Raoul's regretful dream.
A special case is the live-performance of the Peruvian singer Juan Diego Florez.
Florez exudes - with guitar accompaniment of himself - a breathless-sensitive, Latin atmosphere, which makes melancholy and dreamy. But, at the end he tears with a sudden and shrill high fortississimo dream and song entirely out of the frame...
Krijn de Lege, 26.6.2023
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