Nacht in Venedig

Johann Strauss II

Eine Nacht in Venedig (A Night in Venice): “Sei mir gegrüsst”

When Eine Nacht in Venedig was first performed, in Berlin and Vienna in 1883, “Sei mir gegrüsst” was not part of it. At that time it didn’t even exist. It was actually written four years later, to quiet different words, for another Strauss operetta called Simplicius. It was aborbed into Eine Nacht in Venedig in 1923, long after the composer’s death, as an extra number for Richard Tauber who was to sing the role of the Duke of Urbino in a new production at the Theater and der Wien. Since Simplicius stood no chance of revival and since Eine Nacht in Venedig, an impenetrably complicated story of Venetian intrigue, could benefit from some revision, the new arrangement seemed like a good idea and, in fact, has stood the test of time. Most effectively written for a lyrical tenor voice, “Sei mir gegrüsst” is an ecstatic expression of the Duke’s joy at being back in Venice at Carnival time.