Ball im Savoy

Ball im Savoy (Ball at the Savoy) is an operetta in three acts and a prelude by Paul Abraham to a libretto by Alfred Grünwald and Fritz Löhner-Beda.

It premiered on 23 December 1932 at the Großes Schauspielhaus, Berlin The English language premiere was on 8 September 1933 at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, under the title Ball At The Savoy. This was Abraham's last major success.

Although Ball im Savoy is a relatively recent operetta, its characters follow the classic scheme: Aristide (tenor) is a rueful rake, excruciated by the possible betrayal. Madeleine (soprano) is a more modern person, ready to give as good as she gets, albeit plagued by scruples: a feminist before the term existed, who receives approval from the other women. Mustafa represents the stock comic. More interesting is Daisy (soubrette): sly, brave, she knows what she wants and how to get it.

The score is more modern than the libretto, using an abundance of foxtrots and Latin American dances like tango and pasodoble. However, it also features the waltz in its classic shape, known as the "English Waltz". Sometimes —for example in the overture— Abraham inserts some more refined harmonic development, but only in sporadic flashes. His primary aim was, as he himself declared, to search for success, one eye to Broadway theatre and the other to the cinema.

Place and time: Venice, Nice, Paris; 1932

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