''Meine Schwester und ich'' (''My Sister and I'') is a

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

in two acts with prelude and postlude.

Ralph Benatzky Ralph Benatzky (5 June 1884 – 16 October 1957), born in Mährisch Budwitz ( Moravské Budějovice) as Rudolph Franz rantišekJosef Benatzky, was an Austrian composer of Moravian origin. He composed operas and operettas, such as '' Casanova'' ...

composed the music and also wrote the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

together with Robert Blum. Benatzky based the work on a contemporary comedy by

Georges Berr Georges Berr (30 July 1867 – 21 July 1942) in Paris, was a French actor and dramatist, a member and sociétaire of the Comédie-Française from 1886 to 1923. Under the pseudonyms Colias and Henry Bott he wrote several plays, particularly in c ...

and

Louis Verneuil Louis Jacques Marie Collin du Bocage (14 May 1893 – 3 November 1952), better known by the pen name Louis Verneuil, was a French playwright, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Born in Paris, Verneuil wrote approximately sixty plays and was b ...

. The work was premiered on 29 March 1930 in Berlin, Germany, at the

Theater am Gendarmenmarkt The Konzerthaus Berlin is a concert hall in Berlin, the home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. Situated on the Gendarmenmarkt square in the central Mitte district of the city, it was originally built as a theater. It initially operated from 181 ...

, also known as Komödie.

Roles

The cast need not be made up by operatic voices; performers can be singing actors.

Scoring

The music is scored for an orchestra of flute, two saxophones, two clarinets, bassoon, two French horns, two trumpets, oboe, harp, celeste, banjo, percussion and strings. The stage music requires a violin and a piano. Compared to the revues Benatzky had been known for in the 1920s, ''Meine Schwester und ich'' is one of the pieces Benatzky wrote in a "new vein" of "smaller scale, more intellectual, more cabaret-style forms of

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

Synopsis

The work is set in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and Nancy about 1930.

Prelude

''Setting: Courtroom'' The next case is summoned. Married couple Dolly and Dr. Roger Fleuriot appear before the judge. They want their marriage dissolved on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. The judge finds this odd, as both give the appearance of still being in love with each other. He therefore asks that they explain to him how they came to know each other and how their marriage has developed. Dr. Fleuriot complies immediately.

Act 1

''Setting: Library in Chateau Saint-Labiche in Paris'' Princess Dolly has inherited the chateau Saint-Labiche. The rich young lady can afford to engage her own librarian, and music scientist Roger Fleuriot has been appointed to the post. He has a secret admiration for his employer, but is far too shy to show his feelings. He comes from a poor background and regards her riches as a barrier to any relationship beyond their professional one. Dolly would welcome an approach from her librarian. Her delicate attempts to pry him out of his shell have been unsuccessful. She has a betrothed, the rich Count Lacy, but she feels nothing more than friendship for him. She tells Lacy quite openly that she is unluckily in love with someone, but not with whom. Roger cannot bear to meet the lady each day, one with whom he is in love but for whom he cannot declare his feelings. In order to distract himself, he has applied successfully for a professorship at the university of Nancy. Today is his last day of work at chateau Saint-Labiche. As he is saying farewell to his employer, she explains that she has a sister in Nancy, working as a saleswoman in Filosel's shoe shop. Dolly would like to send her a ring along with a letter; Roger volunteers quickly to be the messenger. He does not know that Dolly has invented the sister in order to act as her later.

Act 2

''Setting: a shoe shop in Nancy'' Monsieur Filosel, owner of an eponymous shoe shop, is struggling with his saleswoman Irma; she constantly daydreams of being a star in a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

. He has to drag her back down to earth frequently. When a pretty young lady appeals to him for a job, he is delighted and employs her straight away, terminating Irma's employment the next time she is away with the fairies. They part on good terms, Irma with a good reference for another job and another few hours' employment in this one. After a short while, Dr. Fleuriot enters the shop. He recognises that the shop girl must be Dolly's sister, as the resemblance is really remarkable. It's love at first sight for him, and the sister doesn't seem to be that rich, given that she's working in a shoe shop. He immediately invites her for a glass of wine in the evening and is delighted when she does not reject him. Dolly cannot believe how well her plan is working. Roger has barely left the store when a new customer arrives. It is Count Lacy. Someone has told him where fate has sent his betrothed and he has followed her. Irma serves him and he immediately falls for her. This girl seems to suit him so much better than Dolly. He invites her to elope with him to Monte Carlo and she does not resist; they leave the shop in high spirits. Roger returns to pick up "the sister"; after a long kiss the couple leave the building arm in arm.

Postlude

''Setting: back in the courtroom'' Roger has told the whole story to the judge and now elaborates. A few weeks after the wedding, Roger discovered the truth about the "sister" and retreated into his shell again; he is uneasy with the situation. Not only does the judge deny the application to dissolve the marriage, but talks urgently and earnestly with Roger. He should try again with his beloved; riches need not be a burden, but rather lighten the burden of life. The judge can plainly see the love between Roger and his wife, which should last a lifetime. Hand in hand, Roger and Dolly leave the courtroom.

Musical highlights

Dolly: "" ("The world revolves around a little love") (

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

) Roger: "" ("I invite you, Ma'am") Roger: "" ("My girl is just a sales girl in a shoe shop, with 80 francs salary per week")

Film adaptations

The musical comedy was filmed in 1954, directed by

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...

, with

Sonja Ziemann Sonja Alice Selma Toni Ziemann (; 8 February 1926 – 17 February 2020) was a German film and television actress. In the 1950s, she was among Germany's most prominent actresses, awarded the 1950 Bambi for appearing, together with Rudolf Prack, ...

Adrian Hoven Adrian Hoven (18 May 1922 – 28 April 1981) was an Austrian actor, producer and film director. He appeared in 100 films between 1947 and 1981. He was born in Wöllersdorf, Austria as ''Wilhelm Arpad Hofkirchner'' and died in Tegernsee, We ...

Herta Staal Herta Staal (29 March 1930 – 2 October 2021) was an Austrian film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, ...

Paul Hörbiger Paul Hörbiger (29 April 1894 – 5 March 1981) was an Austrians, Austrian theatre and film actor. Life and work Paul Hörbiger was born in the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen, Hungarian capital Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, the ...

and

Werner Fuetterer Werner Fuetterer (10 January 1907 in Barth, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – 7 February 1991 in Benidorm, Province of Alicante, Spain) was a German film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1925 and 1967. In his early film career, Fuetterer ...

in the main roles. In 1956 it was filmed again for television (black and white), this time under the direction of

Franz Peter Wirth Franz Peter Wirth (22 September 1919 in Munich – 17 October 1999 in Berg, Upper Bavaria) was a German film director and screenwriter. His film '' Helden'' was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1958. Selected fil ...

and with

Anneliese Rothenberger Anneliese Rothenberger (19 June 192424 May 2010) was a German operatic soprano who had an active international performance career which spanned from 1942 to 1983. She specialized in the lyric coloratura soprano repertoire, and was particularly a ...

as Dolly,

Johannes Heesters Johan Marius Nicolaas Heesters (5 December 1903 – 24 December 2011), known professionally as Johannes Heesters, was a Dutch-German actor of stage, television and film, as well as a vocalist of numerous recordings and performer on the conce ...

as Roger and

Kurt Großkurth Kurt Großkurth (or Grosskurth; 11 May 1909 – 29 May 1975) was a German actor and singer. Biography Grosskurth was born in Langenselbold, Germany, in 1909. He grew up in Rhineland-Palatinate. In the 1920s, he followed his father's wish and we ...

as Filosel. Friedrich Meier arranged the music, which was performed by

Erwin Lehn Erwin Lehn (8 June 1919, Grünstadt – 20 March 2010) was a German jazz composer, bandleader and musician. On 1 April 1951 he established the ''Südfunk dance orchestra'' of the South German Radio in Stuttgart, which he directed until 1992. ...

and his Südfunk Tanzorchester (dance orchestra of the SDR). A further TV adaptation of the operetta took place in 1975, directed by for the

ZDF ZDF (), short for (; ), is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Launched on 1 April 1963, it is run as an independent nonprofit institution, and was founded by all federal states of Germany ( ...

, with

Heidi Brühl Heidi Rosemarie Brühl (; 30 January 1942 – 8 June 1991) was a German singer and actress who came to prominence as a young teenager and had a prolific career in film and television. She was also a successful recording artist, and is known for ...

Béla Ernyey Béla Ernyey (also known as Béla Erny in German speaking countries; born 10 June 1942) is a Hungarian film actor, film, television actor and singer with an Austrian passport. Life Ernyey absolved the University of Theater and Movie Art in Budap ...

, ,

Irene Mann Irene Mann (1929–1996) was a German dancer, actress and choreographer.Letellier p.718 Selected filmography * ''The Last Waltz'' (1953) * '' As Long as There Are Pretty Girls'' (1955) * '' That Won't Keep a Sailor Down'' (1958) * ''Marina'' (196 ...

and

Willy Millowitsch Willy Millowitsch (, ; 8 January 1909 – 20 September 1999) was a German stage and TV actor and the director of the ''Volkstheater Millowitsch'' in Cologne. Early life Millowitsch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province. His parents were Peter a ...

in the main roles.

References

Willi Forst Willi Forst, born Wilhelm Anton Frohs (7 April 1903 – 11 August 1980) was an Austrian actor, screenwriter, film director, film producer and singer. As a debonair actor he was a darling of the German language, German-speaking film audiences, as ...

, 1933 {{authority control German-language operettas 1930 musicals 1930 operas Operas by Ralph Benatzky Operas German musicals Musicals set in Paris Musicals set in Grand Est Musicals set in courtrooms Musicals set in libraries Musicals set in stores Musicals set in the 1930s