The history of twenty-first century opera. 1931: The year in which economist John Maynard Keynes, during a talk on the radio, calls on the British housewives to spend their money in the shops in stead of saving it up. Due to inflation now is the time to buy at bargain prices and at the same time help to fight the Great Depression.
Also the year in which Spain proclaimed the republic, Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in Alcatraz, Austrian pianist Afred Brendel was born and the Danish composer Carl Nielsen passed away. In opera and operetta it was a rather quiet year, which surely had something to do with the Great Depression. But never mind that, there was beautiful music nevertheless and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari showed his best in ‘La vedova scaltra’.
In this episode selections from:
· Paul Abraham- Die Blume von Hawaii
· Ermanno Wolff-Ferrari- La vedova scaltra
Other opera and operettas from 1931:
· Arthur Benjamin- The Devil Take Her
· Thomas Frederick Dunhill- Tantivy Towers
· Albéric Magnard- Guercœur
· Manuel Penella- Klan Ku-Kus
· Manuel Penella- Horray for the Republic
· Manuel Penella- Don Amancio the Generous
· Manuel Penella- The egg of Columbus
· Italo Montemezzi- La notte di Zoraima
· Henri Christiné- Encore cinquante centimes
· Emil von Reznicek- Der Gondoliere des Dogen
· Jacques Ibert- Gonzague
· Reynaldo Hahn- Brummel
· Albert Szirmai- A ballerina
· Arthur Honegger- La belle de Moudon
· Harry Lawrence Freeman- Uzziah
· George Antheil- Helen Retires
· Kosaku Yamada- Ayama
· Germaine Tailleferre- Zoulaïna
· Louis Gruenberg- Jack and the Beanstalk
· Bohuslav Martinů- Der Wohltätigkeitstag (Day of Kindness)
· Pablo_Sorozábal- Katiuska
· Pablo_Sorozábal- La guitarra de Figaro
