The world is beautiful

Lively rhythms, jazz music, stories of love in a mountain storm, South Sea princesses, football or false hussars in a hotel, on a film set and in other modern locations: that was the operetta of the 1920s and early 30s. Its composers, singers and librettists - among them Paul Abraham, Alfred Grünwald and Fritz Löhner-Beda - were almost as dazzling as their subject matter, often Austrian, more often Jewish, and in any case anything but tongue-in-cheek. Their world fell apart when the National Socialists seized power. Director Anna Bernreitner revives the music and lyrics of this lively, politicallydrÃtense era in a very special operetta evening.