In the Little House Below Emausy

If we were to situate Joseph Lanner (1801-1843) on the timeline of the development of Viennese operetta, we would find him in the era of the founders of the Viennese waltz, together with Johann Strauss, the father. And, of course, in the place of great inspiration of the king of Viennese operetta, Johann Strauss' son. While Lanner himself did not live to see the creation of the Viennese operetta, his melodies have become an integral part of this cultural heritage. It was only retrospectively that his work was made into the independent operetta "Alt-Wien" (1911). The complex mirroring of the Czech and Austrian film versions of In the Little House Below Emausy cannot be analyzed satisfactorily, since we only have the Czech version. Its character is described by the film's caption "from ancient times." In retrospect, it may seem that it was a mistake to cast as the main lovers the not-very-experienced Mandlová and Novotný, but the coloring of the other characters played by Pištěk, Hart, or Nováková ideally complements the photogenic nature of the young people and the whole straightforward story of the failed Pygmalion experiment. The setting of the inn and the contrasting castle salons together create a subconsciously familiar environment of memorable stories from old Austria, and if the postman's tune is still heard among the main melodies, there is no reason not to be lulled into happy dreaming. (03/15/2020)