Overview
Synopsis
Woman: the last and most ferocious animal to be tamed by man. Created to seduce, deceive, and murder without trace; it is nearly impossible to control her.
Painting a portrait of a scantily clad Lulu is too much for the Der Maler (the painter), and he is overcome with lust for her. He chases her around the room until she gets dizzy and collapses. When Lulu鈥檚 husband walks in to find his wife being cradled and kissed by another man, he immediately drops dead from a stroke. Lulu is delighted: she is rich! She turns to Der Maler for comfort and support, and before long the two of them are married.
But Lulu has a terrible secret. She could never love Der Maler, or her first husband. Her heart belongs to Dr Sch枚n, the man who took her from the streets as a child and put her into this life. Through all her marriages she has been with him, and will do anything he asks of her if only, one day, he might love her back. The news that he is getting married sends her over the edge. Lulu uses everything in her power to get Dr Sch枚n for herself.
But life with Dr Sch枚n proves to be nothing like she imagined. A simple argument turns into a murder, and Lulu finds herself in prison. Her devoted followers break Lulu out of prison, but there is no place in high society for a woman with no money, and nothing left to sell. Lulu is forced to flee the police, her debtors and blackmailers, and finds herself in London, reduced to the level of a street prostitute.
In Berg鈥檚 dark and bloody opera, Lulu is both the femme fatale who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, and the groomed and conditioned child, brought into a life of prostitution by the unspoken promise of love.
Show Information
- Music
- Alban Berg
- Libretto
- Alban Berg
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Adapted from Frank Wedekind's two Lulu plays, Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora's Box, 1904)
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1937
- Genres
- Drama, Horror
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 19th century, Vienna, Paris, London, Victorian Era
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- None
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, Star Vehicle Female, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Silent |
Songs
Author鈥檚 Note: Berg only completed the first two acts of this opera. The third act, as included below, was completed by Friedrich Cerha, based on Berg鈥檚 sketches, and has been regularly performed as part of the complete opera since 1979.
Prologue
- 鈥楬ereinspaziert in die Menagerie鈥� - Der Tierb盲ndiger, Der Clown, Der B眉hnenarbeiter, Lulu
Act One
Scene 1
- 鈥楧arf ich eintreten?鈥�, 鈥楳ein Sohn!鈥� - Alwa, Dr Sch枚n, Der Maler, Lulu
- 鈥楳achen Sie auf!鈥� - Der Medizinalrat, Lulu, Der Maler
- Canzonetta 鈥楢uf einmal springt er auf鈥︹€� - Lulu
- Recitative 鈥楴och nicht wieder zur Besinnung gekommen?鈥� - Der Maler, Lulu
- Duet 鈥楰annst Du die Wahreheit sagen?鈥� - Der Maler, Lulu
- Arioso 鈥業ch m枚chte tauschen mit Dir鈥� - Der Maler
- Interlude 鈥榃ollen Sie mir zu hacken鈥� - Lulu
Scene 2
- 鈥楨va!鈥�, 鈥楤efehlen?鈥� - Lulu, Der Maler
- Duet 鈥業ch finde, du siehst heute reizend aus鈥� - Der Maler, Lulu
- 鈥楧en hab' ich mir auch ganz anders vorgestellt鈥� - Schigolch, Lulu,
- 鈥榃as tut denn Ihr Vater da?鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu
- Sonate "Wenn ich ihr Mann w盲re鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu
- 鈥榃as ist denn los?鈥� - Der Maler, Dr Sch枚n, Lulu
- Monoritmica 鈥楴un?鈥�, 鈥楧u hast eine halbe Million geheiratet鈥� - Der Maler, Dr Sch枚n
- 鈥業ch darf mich jetzt hier nicht sehen lassen鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu, Alwa
Verwandlungsmusik
Scene 3
- 鈥楽eit ich f眉r die B眉hne arbeite鈥� - Lulu, Alwa
- 鈥樏渂er die liesse sich freilich鈥� - Lulu, Alwa
- Choral 鈥� Ich hatte bei Herrn Doktor Sch枚n鈥� - Der Prinz, Alwa
- 鈥楽ie hatte einen Ohnmachtsanfall鈥� - Der Garderobier, Der Prinz, Alwa, Lulu, Der Direktor
- 鈥楧as h盲ttest du dir besser erspart鈥� - Der Garderobier, Der Prinz, Alwa, Lulu, Der Direktor, Dr Sch枚n
- 鈥榃ie kannst du die Szene gegen鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu
- 鈥楽ehr geehrtes Fr盲ulein鈥︹€� - Lulu, Dr Sch枚n
Act Two
Scene 1
- 鈥楽ie glauben nicht鈥� - Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Lulu, Dr Sch枚n
- 鈥楰枚nntest du dich f眉r heute nachmittag鈥� - Lulu, Dr Sch枚n
- 鈥楪ott sei dank, dass wir endlich鈥� - Schigolch, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast
- 鈥楽ie sind in eine nette Gesellschaft geraten鈥� - Lulu, Schigolch, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast
- 鈥楬ast oben abgeschlossen?鈥� - Schigolch, Lulu, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast, Der Kammerdiener
- 鈥楧ie Matin茅e wird, wie ich mir denke鈥� - Alwa, Lulu, Der Gymnasiast, Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Der Kammerdiener, Schigolch, Der Athlet, Dr Sch枚n
- 鈥楽ein Vater!鈥� - Lulu, Dr Sch枚n, Der Athlet, Alwa,
- Aria 鈥楧u Kreatur, die mich durch den Stra脽en Kot鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu, Gr盲fin Geschwitz
- Aria 鈥榃enn sich die Menschen鈥� - Lulu
- 鈥楴eider, M枚rderin!鈥� - Dr Sch枚n, Lulu, Der Gymnasiast, Alwa
- 鈥楧er Teufel鈥� = Dr Sch枚n, Alwa, Der Gymnasiast, Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Lulu
- Filmmusik
Scene 2
- 鈥楨r l盲sst auf sich warten鈥� - Der Athlet, Alwa, Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Schigolch
- 鈥楳it wem habe ich ... Sie?鈥� - Der Gymnasiast, Alwa, Der Athlet
- 鈥楬眉, kleine Lulu鈥� - Schigolch, Lulu, Der Athlet
- 鈥極 Freiheit! Herr Gott im Himmel!鈥� - Lulu, Alwa
- 鈥榃enn deine beiden gro脽en Kinderaugen鈥� - Alwa, Lulu
- Hymn 鈥楧urch dieses Kleid鈥� - Alwa, Lulu
Act Three
Scene 1
- 鈥楳eine Herrn und Damen!鈥� - Alwa, Der Journalist, Der Bankier, Die Kunstgewerblerin, Der Athlet, Der Marquis, Der Groom, Der Diener, Lulu
- 鈥楨inen Moment! Hast du meinen Brief gelesen?鈥� - Der Athlet, Lulu, Der Groom, Der Bankier
- 鈥業ch brauche n盲mlich notwendig Geld鈥� - Schigolch, Lulu
- 鈥楤ehandeln sie mich doch wenigstens anst盲ndig鈥� - Der Athlet, Marquis, Lulu
- Martha! Mein liebes Herz, du kannst mich heute vor鈥� - Der Journalist, Der Bankier, Mutter, Die Kunstgewerblerin, Alwa, Die F眉nfzehnj盲hrige, Der Diener
Verwandlungsmusik
Scene 2
- 鈥楧er Regen trommelt zur Parade鈥� - Schigolch, Alwa, Lulu
- 鈥榃enn ich dir ungelegen komme鈥� - Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Lulu, Schigolch, Alwa
- 鈥楰omm nur herein, mein Schatz鈥� - Lulu, Neger, Schigolch
- 鈥楧er Herr Doktor haben sich Sch枚n zur Ruhe begeben鈥� - Schigolch, Gr盲fin Geschwitz
- 鈥榃er ist das?鈥� - Jack, Lulu
- 鈥楧as ist der letzte Abend鈥� - Gr盲fin Geschwitz, Lulu, Jack
- 鈥楲ulu! Mein Engel!鈥� - Lulu, Jack
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.