On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna honoured the most successful Austrian actor repeatedly

 

In 2000, on Girardi’s 150th birthday, the Johann Strauss Society organized an atmospheric pre-Christmas festive matinee in the Vienna „ Theater Akzent“. 18 years later the Society commemorated the 100th anniversary of the death of this most popular and revered actor and paid homage to him with three productions.

On 27th March the Society staged a concert under the title of „Alexander Girardi und die Goldene Wiener Operettenzeit“. The venue was the ceremonial hall of the Amtshaus Wien-Leopoldstadt, not far away from the former Carltheater, where Alexander Girardi frequently performed. Members of the Classical Operetta Ensemble presented scenes from stage works of Johann Strauss, Karl Millöcker and Carl Zeller, in which Girardi not only performed, but which he, owing to his strong stage instinct, also shaped artistically, so that the effects of his influence live on to this day.

A few moths later, on 1st September 2018, the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna presented an expanded programme under the title of  „Homage to Alexander Girardi“ in the Wiener Lehár Schlössel. Performed were the works of the early Viennese Operetta Era, i.e., works that were composed at the beginning of the 20th century. Peter Widholz, who sang songs written for Alexander Girardi, was accompanied by the Penzinger Konzertschrammeln. He also narrated a lot of interesting facts about the life of this incomparable artist. The choice of the venue was intended to draw attention to the fact that Girardi contributed to Franz Lehár’s success, when the composer appeared in public for the first time at the debut performance of „Wiener Frauen“ in 1902.

The climax and conclusion of the commemorations was the performance of a complete stage work. With the support of the Vienna city administration the Johann Strauss Society organized a concert performance of the operetta „Der Feldprediger“ by Karl Millöcker, which took place in the great ceremonial hall of the Amtshaus Wien-Hietzing on 11th October 2018. The soloists were members of the Classical Operetta Ensemble and the Chorus Alea was directed by the talented emerging conductor Matthias Schoberwalter. By performing this operetta the Johann Strauss Society not only honoured Alexander Girardi, who had created the role of Piffkow at the premiere in 1886, but also lived up to its efforts to revive unjustly forgotten master pieces of the Classical Viennese Operetta. Waltraud Haas guided the audience through the operetta as a narrator.

Waltraut Haas, a well-known 92-year-old actress, who had actively supported the Johann Strauss Society of Vienna for many years, spontaneously agreed to participate in the performance again. With her, a personality appeared on the stage that had – like Alexander Girardi -become a living legend.

Already on New Year’s Day 2018, the widest reach for the memory of Alexander Girardi had been achieved, when the New Year’s Concert was broadcast worldwide. Girardi has always been associated with the role of Zsupán in the Strauss operetta „ Der Zigeunerbaron“. The entrance song ( Das Schreiben und das Lesen) had originally been composed for Alexander Girardi. Later, Johann Strauss used the melodic material for his Polka francaise „Brautschau“, which, on the initiative of Peter Widholz, the programme consultant for the New Year’s Concert, was played by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Riccardo Muti on 1st January 2018.

The Johann Strauss Society of Vienna had done everything in its power for more than 10 months to keep the memory of Alexander Girardi alive. Although the actor had lived at a time when there was no radio, no televison,and no social media, he achieved such a high level of fame and popularity as can only be reached by appropriate PR campaigns today. Neither did Girardi have these possibilities nor did he need them. He gained undying fame through his talent, hard work and his obsession to make people laugh or cry. Thus he became an unattainable role model. His monument, which is a memorial to his uniqueness up to the present day, stands on Karlsplatz in Vienna.

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