Andrea Pilz

Department: Department of Art History, Musicology and Dance Studies

PhD Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Nils Grosch

PhD Co-Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Carolin Starenberg

Start: WiSe 2019/20

Thesis/Topic: Lehár’s late works: a story of artistic collaboration.

Abstract

Franz Lehár’s operettas are an integral part of Austrian musical theatre history. The 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth sparked public interest in a further exploration of his artistic oeuvre. One area of research that remains to be explored in relation to his works concerns his artistic collaboration with the librettists and performers of his operettas. The proposed research project aims to focus on three of Lehár’s late works – *Friederike* (1928), *The Land of Smiles* (1929) and *The World Is Beautiful* (1930) – drawing on archival materials, primary sources and secondary literature. What these pieces have in common is the production process, in which the creative team of Franz Lehár, Ludwig Herzer, Fritz Löhner-Beda and Richard Tauber were involved. The research will examine the routines of this collaboration and focus on the creative, artistic process by which the music and libretto were developed. Drawing on research into the authors’ estates, as well as cultural-historical and philological studies, three methodological approaches are employed to achieve the research objective: (1) the working processes, which are shaped by societal, political, cultural and social influences within the context of a work’s creation; (2) the development of the work through artistic collaboration with librettists and performers; and (3) the performance context, which is subject to constant change due to the choice of performers. The analysis of the original materials is intended to provide insights into the production conditions and processes and to fill a gap in research on popular musical theatre, thereby generating new insights into Lehár’s body of work.

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