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At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.
Austria’s geographical position naturally renders the country the center of European developments, but also an important sort of conduit for the diffusion of tangible and intangible products from all and towards all directions. However, it is not a popular part of the relevant historiographical research as far as the relations between the Greek-speaking and the rest of the world. Not to mention that that within the musicological field, research is almost completely absent. However, geography often speaks for itself: The Habsburg Empire (Austro-Hungarian Empire after the Compromise of 1867) bordered the Ottoman Empire to the south. Both claimed territories of the later Yugoslavia, and especially those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, on the one hand, accommodated a notable Muslim population, and, on the other hand, communicated directly with the historical region of Macedonia and the Greek-speaking population that lived there. Vienna was a unique melting pot of cultures; the arts, dominated by music, were experiencing an unprecedented boom. A particular theatrical genre, which developed in various forms throughout Europe, was at the heart of Viennese creation: it was the Volkstheater (the folk theater), which was part of a long tradition of comical performing arts, with music playing a dominant role. According to the relevant discourse, after 1850 this style is transformed in the Viennese operetta, which had an unprecedented dynamic in terms of production of new works. Soon, discography would enter this network, and together with the already vibrant reality of the music publishing houses, would contribute to the mass diffusion of the Viennese operetta both in Europe and America. The leading element of these works was, among other things, the waltz, a trademark of the Austrian capital, as well as its main exported cultural product all over the world. The role played by the Strauss family was a catalyst in this development. These trends reached and were adopted and adapted by the Greek-speaking world, which incorporated them into its own conditions. In any case, the circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours , but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but also plays a key role in its transformation. It should also be noted that, in various cases, often due to the great international success of the songs, the resulting network is extremely complex and does not only concern Greek-Austrian relations.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the Daisy - Hans duet "Paragraph Eins", also known as "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", from the second act of the three-act Austrian operetta "Die Dollarprinzessin" (The Dollar Princess), set to music by composer Leo Fall (Olmütz, Moravia, Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Olomouc, Czech Republic, February 2, 1873 - Vienna, Austria, September 16, 1925) and German libretto by Alfred Maria Willner (Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire, July 11, 1859 - Vienna, Austria, October 27, 1929) and Fritz Grünbaum (Brünn, Austro-Hungarian Empire, April 7, 1880 - KZ Dachau, English: Dachau Concentration Camp, January 14, 1941). The operetta premiered at the Theater an der Wien on November 2, 1907.
The musical score for voice and piano, as well as the libretto, which according to the above sources is based on the comedy by Emerich von Gatti and Thilo Friedrich Wilhelm von Trotha, were published in 1907.
The operetta was a great success and was staged, adapted in several languages, in several cities around the world. For example:
In Hungary, under the title "Dollárkirálynő", the operetta premiered on March 21, 1908 at the Király Színház, in Budapest.
In Germany, it premiered on June 6, 1908 at the Neues Schauspielhaus, in Berlin.
The Italian version of the operetta, adapted by Renato Simoni and Ettore Fanni, premiered at the Teatro Malibrani in Venice, on February 19, 1909, under the title "La principessa dei dollari".
In the US, under the title "The dollar princess" it premiered at the Knickerbocker Theater on Broadway, New York, on August 6, 1909, completing 250 performances (see here).
In Spain, it premiered under the title "La princesa del dollar", on September 4, 1909, at the Teatro Nuevo in Barcelona (see here) and on October 16 of the same year under the title "Mary, la princesa del dólar" at the Gran Teatro, in Madrid (see here) .
In England, on September 25, 1909, it was staged (adapted by Basil Hood and lyrics by Adrian Ross) as "The dollar princess" at Daly's Theater in London, completing 428 performances (see photos from the performances here, here and here).
In France, it premiered under the title "Princesses Dollar" on March 11, 1911 at the Théâtre de l'Olympia-Casino, in Nice, and on December 6 of the same year at the Théâtre de la Scala, in Paris.
The duet, either in song or in orchestral form, has been recorded several times in historical discography (for performances in Europe see here, for example). Some of the earliest recordings are the following:
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", Anny Pennerstorfer - Jacques Rotter, Vienna, 1907 (Zonophone 12014u - X-24286 & Gramophone 11170). The 1908 tonbild (early synchronized sound film) "Ringelreihen", by the German company Duskes Kinematographen und Film-Fabriken GmbH, with actors Helene Winter and Arnold Rieck, was based on this recording.
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreihen, Rheinländer", K.u.K. Infanterie Regiment Nr 51, Vienna, 1907 (Gramophone 11846u - X-20396, X-70588 X-100267 10060)
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", Guido Gialdini (whistling), 1908 (Odeon xB 4219 - 99149)
- "Ring o' roses", Lucy Isabelle Marsh - Harry Macdonough, New York, March 14, 1910 (Victor C-8706 - 31783)
- "БАЙ-БАЙ", В. М. Шувалова (Vera Shuvalova) - Н. Ф. Монаховъ (Nikolay Monakhov), Moscow, August 2, 1910 (Gramophone 14229b - 2-24105)
On November 25, 1927, the film "Die Dollarprinzessin und ihre sechs Freier", which is based on the operetta, began its screenings in cinemas in Germany.
On December 7, 1908, an excerpt from the operetta was included in the concert given by the Athinaiki Mandolinata (Athenian Mandolinata), under the direction of N. Lavdas, at the Royal Theater of Athens (see here).
The entire operetta was performed at the Faliro Theater in June 1909 by a Viennese troupe (Mamalis: 69), and in February 1912, also by a foreign troupe, at the Municipal Theater of Athens (see here).
In 1914, under the title "I dollariouchos" and translated by V. Vekiarellis, it was presented by the Megali Operetta Kyparissis - Kollyvas’ troupe at the Variété Theater in Constantinople (Istanbul).
According to Antonis Chatziapostolou (1949: 168), the singer Klotildi Trify(l)laki was of Armenian origin and her real name was Trifylak.
The following is written by "O theatrikos" (The Theater Man) in the column "Idika mas kai xena" (About our own and foreign affairs) about Triphyl(l)aki in the magazine Chronika (1st year, Volume VIII. no. 18, Constantinople, April 15, 1912, page 222):
"I must also say something about this hardworking young girl. She is a good actress. Her voice is strong, going up and down almost every pitch. But she has the shortcoming of being a bit dull and not speaking to your soul. Her movements and dance are often very good, but one thinks that she wants to surprise the audience with nimble jumps, not rhythmic movements and leaps of her legs, arms and other limbs. Since she is such a good actress and singer, one could advise her: singing is not a simple and dull performance of notes and sound; it needs some expression, tension, a sign of life, which is the soul of the singer. Moving and dancing do not constitute a dislocation of the legs, arms and other parts of the body, but a demonstrative performance of sound and of the notes, with rhythm and as softly as possible. In general, Miss Trifyllaki is an actress worth congratulating. She has not a star quality like Miss Kollyva, nor is she an irregular genius, but moves into nice mediocrity, much needed for the 'Greek Operetta'."
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.
Austria’s geographical position naturally renders the country the center of European developments, but also an important sort of conduit for the diffusion of tangible and intangible products from all and towards all directions. However, it is not a popular part of the relevant historiographical research as far as the relations between the Greek-speaking and the rest of the world. Not to mention that that within the musicological field, research is almost completely absent. However, geography often speaks for itself: The Habsburg Empire (Austro-Hungarian Empire after the Compromise of 1867) bordered the Ottoman Empire to the south. Both claimed territories of the later Yugoslavia, and especially those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, on the one hand, accommodated a notable Muslim population, and, on the other hand, communicated directly with the historical region of Macedonia and the Greek-speaking population that lived there. Vienna was a unique melting pot of cultures; the arts, dominated by music, were experiencing an unprecedented boom. A particular theatrical genre, which developed in various forms throughout Europe, was at the heart of Viennese creation: it was the Volkstheater (the folk theater), which was part of a long tradition of comical performing arts, with music playing a dominant role. According to the relevant discourse, after 1850 this style is transformed in the Viennese operetta, which had an unprecedented dynamic in terms of production of new works. Soon, discography would enter this network, and together with the already vibrant reality of the music publishing houses, would contribute to the mass diffusion of the Viennese operetta both in Europe and America. The leading element of these works was, among other things, the waltz, a trademark of the Austrian capital, as well as its main exported cultural product all over the world. The role played by the Strauss family was a catalyst in this development. These trends reached and were adopted and adapted by the Greek-speaking world, which incorporated them into its own conditions. In any case, the circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours , but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but also plays a key role in its transformation. It should also be noted that, in various cases, often due to the great international success of the songs, the resulting network is extremely complex and does not only concern Greek-Austrian relations.
This recording is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the Daisy - Hans duet "Paragraph Eins", also known as "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", from the second act of the three-act Austrian operetta "Die Dollarprinzessin" (The Dollar Princess), set to music by composer Leo Fall (Olmütz, Moravia, Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Olomouc, Czech Republic, February 2, 1873 - Vienna, Austria, September 16, 1925) and German libretto by Alfred Maria Willner (Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire, July 11, 1859 - Vienna, Austria, October 27, 1929) and Fritz Grünbaum (Brünn, Austro-Hungarian Empire, April 7, 1880 - KZ Dachau, English: Dachau Concentration Camp, January 14, 1941). The operetta premiered at the Theater an der Wien on November 2, 1907.
The musical score for voice and piano, as well as the libretto, which according to the above sources is based on the comedy by Emerich von Gatti and Thilo Friedrich Wilhelm von Trotha, were published in 1907.
The operetta was a great success and was staged, adapted in several languages, in several cities around the world. For example:
In Hungary, under the title "Dollárkirálynő", the operetta premiered on March 21, 1908 at the Király Színház, in Budapest.
In Germany, it premiered on June 6, 1908 at the Neues Schauspielhaus, in Berlin.
The Italian version of the operetta, adapted by Renato Simoni and Ettore Fanni, premiered at the Teatro Malibrani in Venice, on February 19, 1909, under the title "La principessa dei dollari".
In the US, under the title "The dollar princess" it premiered at the Knickerbocker Theater on Broadway, New York, on August 6, 1909, completing 250 performances (see here).
In Spain, it premiered under the title "La princesa del dollar", on September 4, 1909, at the Teatro Nuevo in Barcelona (see here) and on October 16 of the same year under the title "Mary, la princesa del dólar" at the Gran Teatro, in Madrid (see here) .
In England, on September 25, 1909, it was staged (adapted by Basil Hood and lyrics by Adrian Ross) as "The dollar princess" at Daly's Theater in London, completing 428 performances (see photos from the performances here, here and here).
In France, it premiered under the title "Princesses Dollar" on March 11, 1911 at the Théâtre de l'Olympia-Casino, in Nice, and on December 6 of the same year at the Théâtre de la Scala, in Paris.
The duet, either in song or in orchestral form, has been recorded several times in historical discography (for performances in Europe see here, for example). Some of the earliest recordings are the following:
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", Anny Pennerstorfer - Jacques Rotter, Vienna, 1907 (Zonophone 12014u - X-24286 & Gramophone 11170). The 1908 tonbild (early synchronized sound film) "Ringelreihen", by the German company Duskes Kinematographen und Film-Fabriken GmbH, with actors Helene Winter and Arnold Rieck, was based on this recording.
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreihen, Rheinländer", K.u.K. Infanterie Regiment Nr 51, Vienna, 1907 (Gramophone 11846u - X-20396, X-70588 X-100267 10060)
- "Wir tanzen Ringelreih'n", Guido Gialdini (whistling), 1908 (Odeon xB 4219 - 99149)
- "Ring o' roses", Lucy Isabelle Marsh - Harry Macdonough, New York, March 14, 1910 (Victor C-8706 - 31783)
- "БАЙ-БАЙ", В. М. Шувалова (Vera Shuvalova) - Н. Ф. Монаховъ (Nikolay Monakhov), Moscow, August 2, 1910 (Gramophone 14229b - 2-24105)
On November 25, 1927, the film "Die Dollarprinzessin und ihre sechs Freier", which is based on the operetta, began its screenings in cinemas in Germany.
On December 7, 1908, an excerpt from the operetta was included in the concert given by the Athinaiki Mandolinata (Athenian Mandolinata), under the direction of N. Lavdas, at the Royal Theater of Athens (see here).
The entire operetta was performed at the Faliro Theater in June 1909 by a Viennese troupe (Mamalis: 69), and in February 1912, also by a foreign troupe, at the Municipal Theater of Athens (see here).
In 1914, under the title "I dollariouchos" and translated by V. Vekiarellis, it was presented by the Megali Operetta Kyparissis - Kollyvas’ troupe at the Variété Theater in Constantinople (Istanbul).
According to Antonis Chatziapostolou (1949: 168), the singer Klotildi Trify(l)laki was of Armenian origin and her real name was Trifylak.
The following is written by "O theatrikos" (The Theater Man) in the column "Idika mas kai xena" (About our own and foreign affairs) about Triphyl(l)aki in the magazine Chronika (1st year, Volume VIII. no. 18, Constantinople, April 15, 1912, page 222):
"I must also say something about this hardworking young girl. She is a good actress. Her voice is strong, going up and down almost every pitch. But she has the shortcoming of being a bit dull and not speaking to your soul. Her movements and dance are often very good, but one thinks that she wants to surprise the audience with nimble jumps, not rhythmic movements and leaps of her legs, arms and other limbs. Since she is such a good actress and singer, one could advise her: singing is not a simple and dull performance of notes and sound; it needs some expression, tension, a sign of life, which is the soul of the singer. Moving and dancing do not constitute a dislocation of the legs, arms and other parts of the body, but a demonstrative performance of sound and of the notes, with rhythm and as softly as possible. In general, Miss Trifyllaki is an actress worth congratulating. She has not a star quality like Miss Kollyva, nor is she an irregular genius, but moves into nice mediocrity, much needed for the 'Greek Operetta'."
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
