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’s 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 Schön, 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 Schön for herself.
But life with Dr Schön 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’s 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’s 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’s sketches, and has been regularly performed as part of the complete opera since 1979.
Prologue
- ‘Hereinspaziert in die Menagerie’ - Der Tierbändiger, Der Clown, Der Bühnenarbeiter, Lulu
Act One
Scene 1
- ‘Darf ich eintreten?’, ‘Mein Sohn!’ - Alwa, Dr Schön, Der Maler, Lulu
- ‘Machen Sie auf!’ - Der Medizinalrat, Lulu, Der Maler
- Canzonetta ‘Auf einmal springt er auf…’ - Lulu
- Recitative ‘Noch nicht wieder zur Besinnung gekommen?’ - Der Maler, Lulu
- Duet ‘Kannst Du die Wahreheit sagen?’ - Der Maler, Lulu
- Arioso ‘Ich möchte tauschen mit Dir’ - Der Maler
- Interlude ‘Wollen Sie mir zu hacken’ - Lulu
Scene 2
- ‘Eva!’, ‘Befehlen?’ - Lulu, Der Maler
- Duet ‘Ich finde, du siehst heute reizend aus’ - Der Maler, Lulu
- ‘Den hab' ich mir auch ganz anders vorgestellt’ - Schigolch, Lulu,
- ‘Was tut denn Ihr Vater da?’ - Dr Schön, Lulu
- Sonate "Wenn ich ihr Mann wäre’ - Dr Schön, Lulu
- ‘Was ist denn los?’ - Der Maler, Dr Schön, Lulu
- Monoritmica ‘Nun?’, ‘Du hast eine halbe Million geheiratet’ - Der Maler, Dr Schön
- ‘Ich darf mich jetzt hier nicht sehen lassen’ - Dr Schön, Lulu, Alwa
Verwandlungsmusik
Scene 3
- ‘Seit ich für die Bühne arbeite’ - Lulu, Alwa
- ‘Über die liesse sich freilich’ - Lulu, Alwa
- Choral ‘ Ich hatte bei Herrn Doktor Schön’ - Der Prinz, Alwa
- ‘Sie hatte einen Ohnmachtsanfall’ - Der Garderobier, Der Prinz, Alwa, Lulu, Der Direktor
- ‘Das hättest du dir besser erspart’ - Der Garderobier, Der Prinz, Alwa, Lulu, Der Direktor, Dr Schön
- ‘Wie kannst du die Szene gegen’ - Dr Schön, Lulu
- ‘Sehr geehrtes Fräulein…’ - Lulu, Dr Schön
Act Two
Scene 1
- ‘Sie glauben nicht’ - Gräfin Geschwitz, Lulu, Dr Schön
- ‘Könntest du dich für heute nachmittag’ - Lulu, Dr Schön
- ‘Gott sei dank, dass wir endlich’ - Schigolch, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast
- ‘Sie sind in eine nette Gesellschaft geraten’ - Lulu, Schigolch, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast
- ‘Hast oben abgeschlossen?’ - Schigolch, Lulu, Der Athlet, Der Gymnasiast, Der Kammerdiener
- ‘Die Matinée wird, wie ich mir denke’ - Alwa, Lulu, Der Gymnasiast, Gräfin Geschwitz, Der Kammerdiener, Schigolch, Der Athlet, Dr Schön
- ‘Sein Vater!’ - Lulu, Dr Schön, Der Athlet, Alwa,
- Aria ‘Du Kreatur, die mich durch den Straßen Kot’ - Dr Schön, Lulu, Gräfin Geschwitz
- Aria ‘Wenn sich die Menschen’ - Lulu
- ‘Neider, Mörderin!’ - Dr Schön, Lulu, Der Gymnasiast, Alwa
- ‘Der Teufel’ = Dr Schön, Alwa, Der Gymnasiast, Gräfin Geschwitz, Lulu
- Filmmusik
Scene 2
- ‘Er lässt auf sich warten’ - Der Athlet, Alwa, Gräfin Geschwitz, Schigolch
- ‘Mit wem habe ich ... Sie?’ - Der Gymnasiast, Alwa, Der Athlet
- ‘Hü, kleine Lulu’ - Schigolch, Lulu, Der Athlet
- ‘O Freiheit! Herr Gott im Himmel!’ - Lulu, Alwa
- ‘Wenn deine beiden großen Kinderaugen’ - Alwa, Lulu
- Hymn ‘Durch dieses Kleid’ - Alwa, Lulu
Act Three
Scene 1
- ‘Meine Herrn und Damen!’ - Alwa, Der Journalist, Der Bankier, Die Kunstgewerblerin, Der Athlet, Der Marquis, Der Groom, Der Diener, Lulu
- ‘Einen Moment! Hast du meinen Brief gelesen?’ - Der Athlet, Lulu, Der Groom, Der Bankier
- ‘Ich brauche nämlich notwendig Geld’ - Schigolch, Lulu
- ‘Behandeln sie mich doch wenigstens anständig’ - Der Athlet, Marquis, Lulu
- Martha! Mein liebes Herz, du kannst mich heute vor’ - Der Journalist, Der Bankier, Mutter, Die Kunstgewerblerin, Alwa, Die Fünfzehnjährige, Der Diener
Verwandlungsmusik
Scene 2
- ‘Der Regen trommelt zur Parade’ - Schigolch, Alwa, Lulu
- ‘Wenn ich dir ungelegen komme’ - Gräfin Geschwitz, Lulu, Schigolch, Alwa
- ‘Komm nur herein, mein Schatz’ - Lulu, Neger, Schigolch
- ‘Der Herr Doktor haben sich Schön zur Ruhe begeben’ - Schigolch, Gräfin Geschwitz
- ‘Wer ist das?’ - Jack, Lulu
- ‘Das ist der letzte Abend’ - Gräfin Geschwitz, Lulu, Jack
- ‘Lulu! Mein Engel!’ - 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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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.