Lulu (composed from 1929�1935, premi�red incomplete in 1937 and complete in 1979)

is an opera in three acts by Alban Berg. The German-language libretto was adapted
by Berg himself from Frank Wedekind's two Lulu plays, Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895)
and Die B�chse der Pandora (Pandora's Box, 1904). Berg died before completing the
third and final act, and in the following decades, the opera was typically
performed incomplete. Since its publication in 1979, however, the version including
Friedrich Cerha's orchestration of the act 3 sketches has become standard. Theodor
W. Adorno wrote "The opera Lulu is one of those works that reveals the extent of
its quality the longer and more deeply one immerses oneself in it."[1

Sources
Berg was familiar with Wedekind's Erdgeist by 1903, when he was nineteen.[2] He
also saw Die B�chse der Pandora in 1905 in a production by Karl Kraus on 29 May,
and was inspired by the introductory speech that Kraus delivered on that occasion.
[3] In Wedekind's two Lulu plays, now often performed together under that title,
Erdgeist forms the basis for the act 1 and act 2, scene 1 of the opera culminating
in her shooting Dr. Sch�n, while Die B�chse der Pandora forms the basis for the
rest of act 2 and act 3, Lulu's imprisonment, escape and subsequent decline and
murder.

Composition history
Berg did not begin work on Lulu until 1929, after he had completed his other opera,
Wozzeck. Thanks to Wozzeck's success Berg had the economic security that enabled
him to embark on a second opera.[4] However, life for the musical world was
becoming increasingly difficult in the 1930s both in Vienna and Germany due to the
rising tide of antisemitism and the Nazi cultural ideology that denounced
modernity.[5] Even to have an association with someone who was Jewish could lead to
denunciation, and Berg's "crime" was to have studied with the Jewish composer
Arnold Schoenberg.[6] Wozzeck's success was short lived as theatre after theatre
succumbed to political pressure and refused to produce it, Erich Kleiber's 30
November 1932 production being the last, while sets and scenery were systematically
destroyed.[7] Wozzeck was also banned in the Soviet Union as "bourgeois".[8] Berg
found that opportunities for his work to be performed in Germany were becoming
rare, and in September 1935 his music was proscribed as Entartete Musik (degenerate
music),[9][10] under the label Kulturbolschewismus (Cultural Bolshevism).[8]

Despite these conditions, Berg worked steadily on the score of Lulu, in seclusion
at his lodge, the Waldhaus, in Carinthia. In the spring of 1934 he learned from
Wilhelm Furtw�ngler that production of Lulu in Berlin, would now be impossible
under the current cultural and political situation. It was at this point that he
set aside the work on the opera to prepare a concert suite, in case the opera could
never be performed, and also considered expanding it into a Lulu Symphony. This was
his Symphonische St�cke aus der Oper "Lulu" (Lulu Suite) for soprano and orchestra.
[11] Subsequently Erich Kleiber performed the piece at the Berlin State Opera on 30
November, and despite an enthusiastic reception by some sections of the audience,
the subsequent condemnation by the authorities prompted Kleiber's resignation four
days later and subsequent departure from Germany.[8] In particular the reaction of
periodicals such as Die Musik and Zeitschrift f�r Musik was exceptionally hostile.
[12] A few days later, on 7 December, Goebbels made a speech equating atonality
with "the Jewish intellectual infection", while the January 1935 issue of Die Musik
suggested that any reviewer who had written anything favourable about the suite
should be dismissed.[13]

In January 1935, the Russian-born American violinist Louis Krasner who had
championed Berg's work in the United States, had approached Berg to commission a
violin concerto. Berg was reluctant to set aside Lulu for this, but the money
($1,500) was welcomed, as Berg was in financial difficulties, financially and
artistically ruined by the Reichskulturkammer (Nazi cultural committee). At first
there was only a tentative agreement, but at the end of March he told Krasner he
would compose it and had started some preliminary work. But it was the tragic death
on 22 April of eighteen-year-old Manon Gropius, the daughter of Walter Gropius and
Alma Mahler, and whom the Bergs treated as their own daughter, that prompted Berg
to set aside Lulu for the concerto, which he dedicated to her. The violin concerto
was completed swiftly, between April and August of that year but the time he spent
on that meant he was unable to complete the opera before his sudden death on 24
December.[14] [15][3] [16]

The following portions of the third and final act were fully scored: the first 268
bars; the instrumental interlude between scenes 1 and 2; and the finale of the
opera, beginning with the monologue of Countess Geschwitz. (The last two of these
passages comprise the fourth and fifth movements of the Lulu Suite which Berg
compiled for concert performance.) The rest of the work remained in short score
with indications of instrumentation for much of it. Berg was able to hear the
Symphonic Pieces in a BBC radio broadcast from the Queen's Hall, London on 20 March
1935, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult and produced by Edward Clark. It was the first
time he had ever heard any of the music of Lulu. He was not to hear these excerpts
performed live until a concert in Vienna on 11 December, a fortnight before his
death.[17][18]

Posthumous history
The opera was first performed by the Z�rich Opera in an incomplete form on 2 June
1937.[19][20] Erwin Stein made a vocal score of the whole of act 3 following Berg's
death, and Helene Berg, Alban's widow, approached Arnold Schoenberg to complete the
orchestration. Schoenberg at first accepted, but upon being sent copies of Berg's
sketches he changed his mind, saying that it would be a more time-consuming task
than he had thought. Helene subsequently forbade anybody else to complete the
opera, and for over forty years only the first two acts could be given complete,
usually with the act 3 portions of the Lulu Suite played in place of act 3. The
last recording made of the original two-act version�Christoph von Dohn�nyi
conducting the Vienna Philharmonic, with Anja Silja in the title role
(Decca/London, recorded 1976 and released 1978)�presented it in this form.

Director Heinz Ruckert shot the silent film featured at the midpoint according to
Berg's exacting specifications. The film wordlessly depicts Lulu's arrest, trial,
incarceration, and ultimate liberation thanks to the cunning of the Countess
Geschwitz. Like the music for this sequence (and the opera as a whole), the film
has a palindromic structure. The original film is lost save for four stills which
remain in the Z�rich Stadtarchiv.[21] Each successive production requires a new
film to be shot with the stage actors. However, many recent productions omit the
film altogether.

Performance history
Following the Z�rich premiere, the opera was seen at La Fenice on 4 September 1949
during the Venice Biennale, conducted by Sanzogno. The German premiere was at the
Grillo-Theater in Essen on 7 March 1953 with Carla Spletter in the title role, and
the Netherlands premiere on July 7 of that year at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam
as part of the Holland Festival, both with Die B�hnen der Stadt Essen conducted by
Gustav K�nig and broadcast to the UK on the BBC on 10 August.[19][22] This was
followed by a production at Hamburg in 1957 with Helga Pilarczyk in a G�nther
Rennert production, conducted by Leopold Ludwig[23] which was also seen at the
Paris Opera in 1960 and La Scala in 1963,[24][25] and Sadler's Wells 1962.[23]

In its two-act form plus sketches of the third act, Lulu made its American debut at
the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico during the 1963 season, with the American soprano
Joan Carroll in the title role, together with Donald Gramm (Dr Sch�n), Elaine
Bonazzi (Geschwitz), and George Shirley (Alwa) with Robert Craft conducting[23][26]
The Opera's general director, John Crosby, attempted to negotiate for Santa Fe to
stage the American premiere of the full three-act opera, but was not successful.
[20] A notable Lulu, Silja, made her debut in a Wieland Wagner production at
Stuttgart in 1966 (which was later filmed, with Carlos Alexander as Dr Sch�n). In
1967 the Metropolitan Opera presented the Hamburg State Opera production with
Ludwig conducting, Toni Blankenheim (Sch�n), Anneliese Rothenberger (Lulu), Kerstin
Meyer (Geschwitz), Gerhard Unger (Alwa), Kim Borg (Schigolch) and Maria von Ilosvay
(Theatre dresser). This production was recorded by Electrola the following year.
[27][28] Celebrated Lulus have included Evelyn Lear, Teresa Stratas, Nancy Shade,
Karan Armstrong, Julia Migenes, Barbara Hannigan, and Christine Sch�fer.[24][25]

Helene Berg's death in 1976 paved the way for a new completed version of the opera
to be made by Friedrich Cerha. There was insufficient time to have the score of
this three-act version ready for the first production of the work at the
Metropolitan Opera in April 1977 (in a production by John Dexter, with Carole
Farley in the title role),[29][20] so the incomplete version had to be used.
Published in 1979, the Cerha completion premiered on 24 February the same year at
the Opera Garnier and was conducted by Pierre Boulez, with Stratas singing the lead
role; the production (by Patrice Ch�reau) was a sensation and the recording won the
Gramophone Award for 1979. On 28 July 1979, nearly forty-four years after Berg's
death, Lulu was finally performed in its entirety in the USA at Santa Fe with Shade
(Lulu), William Dooley (Dr Sch�n), Katherine Ciesinski (Geschwitz) and Barry Busse
(Alwa).[20][30] The three-act version was rapidly taken up by other companies. The
Metropolitan Opera first presented the work in complete form in December 1980, a
performance since released on DVD.[23] Their 2015 production, with Marlis Petersen
in the title role was broadcast in High Definition on 21 November.[31] The
Metropolitan Opera's 2015 production featured projections and animated drawings by
William Kentridge. The production, with a different cast, also played at De
Nationale Opera, Amsterdam (2015), the English National Opera, London in 2016, and
the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma (2017).

Role[32] Voice type[32] Z�rich Opera premiere,[23]

2-act version,
2 June 1937
(Conductor: Robert Denzler) Paris Op�ra premiere,[23][33]
3-act version,
24 February 1979
(Conductor: Pierre Boulez)
Lulu, an adolescent former street urchin[34] soprano Bahrija Nuri Had�ic
Teresa Stratas
Countess Martha Geschwitz mezzo-soprano Maria Bernhard Yvonne Minton
A schoolboy (Ein Gymnasiast) contralto Erika Feichtinger Hanna Schwarz
A theatrical dresser (Eine Theater-Garderobiere) contralto Frida Kurz Hanna
Schwarz
Bob, A valet (Ein Groom) contralto Hanna Schwarz
Walter Schwarz, an artist (Der Maler), Lulu's second husband tenor Paul Feher
Robert Tear
A negro tenor Robert Tear
Dr. Ludwig Sch�n, (Chefredakteur), newspaper editor baritone Asger Stig Franz
Mazura
Alwa, Dr Sch�n's son, a composer tenor Peter Baxevanos Kenneth Riegel
Schigolch, an old man bass Fritz Honisch Toni Blankenheim
Doctor Goll (Der Medizinalrat � Medical officer), Lulu's first husband spoken
Peter Poschl Toni Blankenheim
An animal tamer (Tierb�ndiger) bass Albert Emmerich Gerd Nienstedt
Rodrigo, (Ein Athlet), an Athlete[a] bass Albert Emmerich Gerd Nienstedt
The prince, a traveller in Africa /
The manservant /
The marquis tenor Oscar M�rwald (role of Marquis not sung in 1937) Helmut
Pampuch
The theatre manager bass Walter Frank Jules Bastin
The professor
A clown
A stagehand silent Le Nain Roberto
A fifteen-year-old girl soubrette Daniele Chlostawa
Her mother contralto Ursula Boese
A woman artist mezzo-soprano Anna Ringart
The Banker bass Jules Bastin
A journalist baritone Claude M�loni
The police commissioner spoken Toni Blankenheim
A manservant baritone Pierre-Yves Le Maigat
Jack the Ripper baritone Franz Mazura
Pianist, stage manager, attendants of the prince, policemen, nurses, wardresses,
dancers, party guests, servants, workers
Berg specified that a number of cast members should take more than one role. Thus,
the singers of Lulu's three husbands return as her clients while a prostitute: one
performer each appears as the Doctor and the Professor, as the Painter and the
Negro, and as Dr. Sch�n and Jack the Ripper. Other specified combinations are one
mezzo-soprano as the Dresser, the Schoolboy, and the Groom; one tenor as the
Prince, the Manservant, and the Marquis; one bass as the Animal Tamer and the
Athlete, and another bass as the Theatre Manager and the Banker. Another aspect of
the cast list that differs from Wedekind's original is that all characters in the
two plays receive a proper name. Berg removed all of these names except for the
five leading roles of Lulu, Sch�n, Alwa, Geschwitz and Schigolch. Some of
Wedekind's other names have been sometimes applied to Berg's characters: for
example the Athlete is often referred to as "Rodrigo Quast", but this name is
nowhere to be found in the score.

Synopsis
It is late-19th-century Vienna. Lulu is married to Dr G�ll, a physician. Lulu, who
goes by the name Nelly, is having her portrait painted by Walter Schwarz, an artist
who is in love with her. Dr Ludwig Sch�n, a newspaper editor and widower, and his
son Alwa, a composer, are briefly present. As the artist pursues Lulu, they are
surprised by her husband, who suffers a fatal stroke. Lulu marries the artist, and
they appear to prosper with Dr Sch�n's help. But Lulu is troubled when she
discovers Sch�n has become engaged. The latter visits her and reveals how he has
taken her from the street and raised her, but they have been in a relationship. He
states that Schigolch, an elderly beggar is her father. When Sch�n tells the artist
about Lulu's past he kills himself. Sch�n then puts Lulu on the stage where she
creates a scene over his fianc�e and compels him to write a letter breaking off the
engagement. Lulu marries Sch�n, who is jealous of her admirers, of which there are
many including the lesbian Countess Geschwitz and his own son Alwa, on whom he
eavesdrops, learning that Lulu poisoned his first wife. He gives her a gun and
tells her to shoot herself. Instead she kills him, for which she is tried and
imprisoned, but she contrives to escape after changing places with Countess
Geschwitz. Alwa and Lulu flee to Paris, from where they once again flee, destitute,
to London, where Lulu is obliged to work the streets, but brings home Jack the
Ripper who murders her.[35]

Stage directions and musical notes in italics

Prologue
The animal tamer appears from behind the curtain, whip in hand

A circus animal tamer welcomes the audience, Hereinspaziert in die Menagerie (Come
on in to the menagerie) and describes the various animals in his menagerie, such as
tigers, bears and monkeys. He lifts the curtain, and calls for the snake to be
brought on. A stage hand carries out Lulu (Lulu motif) dressed as Pierrot, while
the animal tamer describes her in biblical terms as the source of evil, fated to
murder, Sie ward geschaffen, Unheil anzustiften ... Zu morden � ohne dass es einer
sp�rt. (She was created, evil to instigate ... to murder � without leaving any
clues), and orders her off, while inviting the audience to see what will unfold. He
then retires behind the curtain, which rises on scene 1.

Act 1
Scene 1: A spacious but shabby artist's studio. A podium, folding screen, easel
with unfinished portrait of Lulu, divan with tiger skin, step ladder and sculpture.
Lulu is standing on the podium, posing as Pierrot, holding a shepherd's crook

The Painter is painting Lulu's portrait. Dr. Sch�n is watching, and is joined by
his son, Alwa. He excuses himself because he has to go to a rehearsal, and he and
Dr. Sch�n leave. Alone with Lulu, the Painter makes passes at her. She rejects him
initially, as he pursues her round the studio (canon, beginning with Lulu motif:
Gn�dige Frau ... Frau Medizinalrat � Wer h�tte das gedacht!; Dearest Lady ... Frau
Medizinalrat � Who would have imagined it!), during which the ladder falls and the
statue breaks. At one stage, he also refers to her as Eva. She explains that she is
expecting her husband. Eventually she succumbs to his advances. The artist has
locked the studio door, and when Dr. Goll arrives, there is consternation. However,
he manages to break the door down, and on finding Lulu and the artist together,
dies of a stroke. At first they do not realise her husband is dead and he goes to
call a doctor. Lulu is alone with her husband's corpse, (canzonetta: Auf einmal
springt er auf; In a moment he will spring to life). When she accepts that he is
dead, she reflects that she is now rich, to the artist's horror, Jetzt bin ich
reich � Es ist grauenerregend (Now I am rich � How revolting). They sing a duet in
which he questions her beliefs, and the answer is always the same, Eine Frage:
Kannst Du die Wahrheit sagen? � Ich weiss es nicht (A question: Can you tell the
truth? � I don't know). While Lulu is changing into her street clothes, the artist
addresses her husband's corpse (arioso: Ich m�chte tauschen mit Dir, Du Toter! Ich
geb' sie Dir zur�ck; I would trade places with you, dead man. I would give her back
to you).

Interlude

Scene 2: An elegant drawing room in Lulu's apartment, the studio beyond, her
finished portrait on the wall. Lulu, on a chaise-longue is gazing into her hand
mirror

The artist enters with the mail, again addressing her as Eve. In the mail he learns
he has sold another painting of her, and mentions he has sold a number of paintings
since they were married. She places one, a letter from Countess Corticelli, in her
bosom. Another brings notice of Dr. Sch�n's engagement, which seems to trouble her.
They sing a love duettino, Ich finde, Du siehst heute reizend aus � Ich komme aus
dem Bad (I find you so beautiful today � I have just come from my bath). She is
visited by Schigolch, who remarks of the artist (chamber music, Den hab'ich mir
auch ganz anders vorgestellt; I thought he would be different than he is).
Schigolch is an asthmatic beggar who seems to have been featured in her past in an
unspecified way, he asks for money which she gives him, and when he calls her
"Lulu", she states she has not been called that in a long time. As she is showing
him out, Dr. Sch�n arrives (sonata movement) and recognises him, referring to him
as Lulu's father, which she does not deny.[b] Dr. Sch�n asks Lulu to stay out of
his life from now on, since he is engaged and it would be scandalous for them to
see each other socially, but she says she belongs only to him (coda: love theme.
Wenn ich einem Menschen auf dieser Welt angeh�re, geh�re ich Ihnen; If I belong to
any man in this world, I belong to you). Their discussion reveals that all the good
fortune Lulu has experienced comes from the interventions of Sch�n, and that they
have been meeting regularly. The exchange becomes increasingly agitated, until the
return of the artist, who asks what has transpired. Lulu leaves in a huff, while
Sch�n implies that he has had a longstanding affair with Lulu, since she was
twelve, and rescued her from the streets as a flower seller. The artist becomes
increasingly distressed as he learns how little he knows about Lulu, not even her
name, which appears to be different for every lover. Sch�n informs him about
Schigolch being her father, and that after the death of his wife, Lulu appeared to
be trying to take her place, so that he arranged to marry her off to Dr G�ll.
Increasingly Sch�n urges the artist to confront Lulu, which he agrees to and leaves
the room, but a terrible groan is heard off stage and Sch�n discovers the artist
has locked the door. Lulu returns and they discuss what to do next, but are
interrupted by the arrival of Alwa, who announces that revolution has broken out on
the streets of Paris, which is causing consternation back at the newspaper office.
Lulu brings a hatchet, and they force open the door, only to find the artist is
dead. From a partly audible telephone conversation Sch�n has, which he implies is
with the police, it is revealed that the artist cut his throat. Lulu, once again,
is unmoved by the tragedy, while Sch�n and Alwa hope that the political news will
sweep aside the scandal. When Sch�n calls her Ungeheuer! (Monster!), Lulu hints
that she and Dr. Sch�n will be married after all (Lulu motif: Sie heiraten mich ja
doch!; You will marry me after all). The curtain falls as the door bell rings,
which they believe is the police.

Interlude (Love theme)

Scene 3: In Lulu's dressing room in the theatre, a folding screen upstage, a poster
of Lulu's portrait is seen

Lulu is changing behind the screen, Alwa is pouring champagne. The two discuss
whether Sch�n will come that night, and a Prince who wants to take her to Africa.
Alwa recalls his mother's death, and how he had hoped that Lulu would replace her,
while Lulu observes that his father put her on the stage in the hope that somebody
rich would marry her and take her off his hands. Lulu emerges in a ballet dress,
Alwa appears smitten and they drink. At the sound of a bell, Lulu leaves to take
the stage. Alwa watches her leave and then contemplates writing an opera based on
Lulu's life, but as he draws out the scenes he comes to the conclusion that they
are too gruesome. Applause can be heard, and the Prince enters and reveals his wish
to marry Lulu. It is apparent her sudden fame is due to favourable reviews
published by Sch�n. Suddenly the bell starts ringing incessantly and an uproar is
heard off stage. Alwa appears startled and Lulu enters suddenly, flinging herself
in a chair, followed by the dresser and theatre manager who explain that she
fainted. She implies it was because she saw Sch�n with his fianc�e, Mit seiner
Braut! (With his bride!) whereupon Sch�n himself enters and Lulu refuses to
continue because his fianc�e is in the audience. All try to persuade Lulu to return
to the stage, in a sextet Das h�ttest Du Dir besser erspart! (This you could have
spared yourself!), then Sch�n dismisses the company leaving Lulu and himself alone.
He admonishes her, Wie kannst Du die Szene gegen mich ausspielen? (how can you play
this scene to get me?), they argue and she taunts him with the Prince and his
inability to break off their relationship. It is apparent that he is torn between
the two women, and she begins to exploit his weakness, compelling him to write a
letter that she dictates, breaking off the engagement (Letter duet: Sehr geehrtes
Fr�ulein �; Most respected Fr�ulein ...). Sch�n expresses feelings of impending
doom, Jetzt � kommt � die Hinrichtung... (Now � comes � the execution) and Lulu
having achieved her purpose prepares to return to the stage

Act 2
Scene 1: In Lulu's house, a magnificent German Renaissance style room with a
gallery and staircase. A folding Chinese screen in front of the fireplace. Again,
Lulu's portrait can be seen, this time on an easel. Lulu is in an armchair in a
morning gown, Countess Geschwitz on an ottoman, in masculine clothes, her face
veiled. Dr Sch�n is standing

Countess Geschwitz, an admirer of Lulu now married to Sch�n, is visiting her to

invite her to a ball. She has brought flowers and, complimenting her on her
portrait, wishes to paint her herself. Sch�n is clearly uncomfortable and Lulu
shows Geschwitz out. Sch�n, left alone appears disturbed and jealous and speaks of
madness, producing a revolver, Der Irrsinn hat sich meiner Vernunft schon
bem�chtigt (Madness has conquered my reason already). On her return Lulu tries to
convince Sch�n to take the afternoon off and go for a drive with her (cavatina:
K�nntest Du Dich f�r heute Nachmittag nicht freimachen?; Can't you make this
afternoon free?), but he points out that he is due at the stock exchange. Lulu
starts to lavish affection on Sch�n, and they go into the bedroom, whereupon
Geschwitz reenters the house and hides behind the screen. Schigolch and two other
admirers, the athlete, who is carrying the struggling schoolboy (played by a woman,
i.e. a travesty role), all enter. Schigolch states that he also lives in the house
and that they have paid him to leave them with Lulu, who then reappears. She is
dressed for the ball, d�collet� with orchids between her breasts. She leans in to
the schoolboy, urging him to smell the flowers. As she leaves they begin to discuss
the Prince, who has gone abroad (canon: Er hat sie n�mlich urspr�nglich heiraten
wollen; She was the one he originally wanted to marry) and Schigolch states that he
too, like the rest of the world wishes to marry Lulu, Wer hat sie nicht
urspr�nglich heiraten wollen! (Who has not always wanted to marry her!), a
sentiment with which they all agree, as he explains that Lulu is not his daughter.

When Lulu returns, she also agrees that she never had a father. They discuss Sch�n,
who has left for the exchange, and what Lulu refers to as his Verfolgungswahn
(paranoia), but a servant announces his return and the athlete and schoolboy also
hide while Schigolch starts to leave. However, it is Alwa who enters, not his
father and she orders refreshments as they sit and start to talk and flirt. Sch�n
enters unnoticed, sees his son, and he too hides. Their conversation becomes more
intense and Alwa declares his love for Lulu, Liebst Du mich Mignon? (Do you love
me, Mignon?), burying his head in her lap. At this point, Lulu confesses to Alwa
that she poisoned his mother. Meanwhile, unnoticed by the couple Sch�n sees the
athlete and draws his revolver, but the athlete indicates it is Alwa he should
kill, and hides again, but by this time Lulu notices them and announces his
presence.

Sch�n reveals himself, once again announcing revolution in Paris, newspaper in hand
and drags Alwa away. The athlete briefly reappears pursued by Sch�n, revolver in
hand. Sch�n, believing the athlete escaped, begins to harangue Lulu (aria in five
strophes: Du Kreatur, die mich durch den Strassenkot zum Martertode schleift!; You
wretch, that drags me through the faeces in the streets to martyrdom!), handing the
revolver to Lulu, who appears unperturbed, and implying she should kill herself
before he kills Alwa. She points the revolver at him, but instead she fires at the
ceiling. Increasingly agitated, Sch�n seizes the revolver and begins to search the
house looking for Lulu's lovers, but finds only Geschwitz whom he locks in another
room. Again he gives Lulu the gun, implying her suicide will save his reputation
from being considered a cuckold, meine Stirn zu verzieren (my head to decorate) �
i.e. with horns. Lulu sings the Lied der Lulu (Wenn sich die Menschen um
meinetwillen umgebracht haben; When men have killed for my sake) in which she asks
for a divorce, saying she can only be als was ich bin (what I am).[c] Sch�n only
replies that he will murder her and make it look like suicide, forcing her to her
knees and pointing the gun at her while holding it in her hand (5th strophe:
Nieder, M�rderin! In die Knie!; Get down, murderess, on your knees!). While Sch�n
is momentarily distracted by the schoolboy's sudden appearance, Lulu empties the
remaining five rounds into him. However, he is still alive, and realises he has yet
another 'rival', Und � da � ist � noch � einer! (And � there � is � another!). He
calls for his son, who reappears, while Lulu appears remorseful, and then he dies.
Lulu goes to leave but Alwa bars her way. She begs him not to give her up (arietta:
Du kannst mich nicht dem Gericht ausliefern!; You cannot deliver me up to the
Law!), which he refuses to do despite her offers to be his for the rest of her
life, Ich will Dir treu sein mein Leben lang (I will be faithful to you my whole
life long). Once again, a doorbell announces the arrival of the police.
Interlude in the form of a silent film. Both film and the musical accompaniment are
in the form of a palindrome. The film depicts four main events, pivoting on Lulu's
one year in prison, and four following her imprisonment, forming the palindrome.
The first sequence shows the arrest, detention, trial and the prison door closing.
The second sequence shows the reverse with the prison door opening, the medical
assessment, the isolation ward in hospital, and her escape. In each mirror event
the number of people involved is the same, for example three people arrest her and
three liberate her. As the palindrome progresses, Lulu loses hope in detention, is
tried and transferred to prison, where she becomes resigned to her fate. There hope
returns as she contracts cholera and after a further "trial" by doctors is
transferred to hospital where hope grows as Geschwitz visits her, they change
clothes, and Lulu escapes disguised as the other woman. During the palindrome many
details and symbols, before and after prison, match each other, including Lulu's
portrait, a recurring visual motif throughout the opera.

Scene 2: The same place as scene 1, one year later, an air of neglect, daylight has
been shut out. The portrait is now leaning against the fireplace, facing away from
the audience,

Countess Geschwitz, Alwa and the athlete are anxiously awaiting Schigolch, and
discussing the escape plan. The athlete is dressed as Alwa's footman and is
planning to marry Lulu and take her to Paris as an acrobat. Geschwitz appears frail
and will take Lulu's place in hospital. She is funding the escape, but refuses
Alwa's offer of financial help. She is going to sacrifice her own freedom by taking
Lulu's place so that nobody will discover she has escaped until it is too late.
When Schigolch arrives, he and Geschwitz depart for the hospital, while the other
two men discuss their plans. Alwa has sold the newspaper and written a melodrama
for Lulu to star in. They begin to argue over money but are interrupted by the
schoolboy (chamber music II, Mit wem habe ich; With whom have I) who has just
broken out of prison and has also devised a scheme to free Lulu. Alwa and the
athlete lie to him that Lulu is dead, showing him a newspaper article about her
illness, then they throw him out. Schigolch arrives with Lulu (melodrama: H�,
kleine Lulu: � wir m�ssen heut' noch �ber die Grenze; Well, little Lulu: we must
cross the border today), looking very pale and weak from her illness. The athlete
is disgusted at seeing her in this state, abandons his plan and goes off saying
that he will summon the police instead. Schigolch goes to buy train tickets and as
soon as he has gone Lulu, who has been acting the part of the invalid, makes an
instant recovery. Now left alone with Alwa she explains the plot in detail.
Geschwitz went to Hamburg to nurse cholera patients and deliberately infected both
herself and Lulu with contaminated clothing so that they were both placed in an
isolation ward together. After Geschwits was discharged, she returned to visit Lulu
and they changed places (melodrama: Jetzt liegt sie dort dr�ben als die M�rderin
des Doktor Sch�n; Now she lies there as the murderer of Dr Sch�n), while Lulu
feigned invalidism in order to get rid of the athlete. Now alone with Alwa, the
portrait is returned to the easel and Lulu proceeds to seduce the willing Alwa once
again. They declare their love for each other in a second love duet, uns sehen, so
oft wir wollen (to see each other as often as we want) reaching its climax with
Alwa's hymn to Lulu (hymne: Durch dieses Kleid empfinde ich Deinen Wuchs wie Musik;
Through this dress I feel your body like music), and make plans agreeing to go away
together. At the end of the duet and scene she asks him, Ist das noch der Diwan, �
auf dem sich � dein Vater � verblutet hat? (Isn't this the sofa on which your
father bled to death?).

Act 3
Scene 1: A spacious drawing room in Lulu's luxurious house in Paris. Lulu's
portrait hangs on the wall. The guests are assembled

Lulu is living in Paris under the alias of a French countess, a grand birthday
party is taking place at Lulu's house and the athlete who is planning to get
married proposes a toast to her. The Marquis shows an unusual interest in the
fifteen-year-old girl. The guests move to the gaming room to play baccarat. The
conversation moves to discussing shares in the Jungfrau Railway, which most of the
guests at the party have invested in to varying extents, and which appear to be
performing magnificently.

The Marquis has discovered Lulu's true identity, and is blackmailing her (duet:Sag
es nur gleich heraus, wieviel du haben willst; Tell me without delay, how much
money you want), threatening to hand her over to the authorities. She offers
herself to him, having had a previous affair, but his interests lie more in human
trafficking of women and girls for commercial sexual exploitation, Lied des
M�chenh�ndlers: Ich sagte dir doch, da� ich auch M�chenh�ndler bin (song of the
human tafficker: I told you I am a white slave trader). Again, Lulu sings about who
she is and what she has become, as in her act II Lied; Ich tauge nicht f�r diesen
Beruf. Als ich f�nfzehn Jahre alt war, h�tte mir das gefallen k�nnen (I'm no good
for this sort of work, when I was fifteen it was different, I might have enjoyed
it). The Marquis indicates he could summon the policeman stationed out in the
street and claim the reward for her capture, but he would get a far higher price by
selling her to a Cairo brothel to whom he has sent a picture of her portrait as
Eve. She offers to pay him, but he is aware that Alwa's fortune is all in the
railway shares, and he wants cash and gives her a deadline later that day. She
reads a note the athlete handed her just before the Marquis confronted her and
learns that he too wants to blackmail her. Geschwitz accuses her of not returning
the favours and affection she showed Lulu when they were in hospital. The athlete
returns and makes it apparent that he is still interested in Lulu's affections and
also gives her a deadline, duet: Einen Moment! Hast du meinen Brief gelesen? (One
Moment! Have you read my note?). A telegram arrives for the Banker informing him
the railway shares are now worthless. When Schigolch arrives, asking for money for
his girlfriend (duet: Ich brauche n�mlich notwendig Geld...Ich miete meiner
Geliebten eine Wohnung; I need some money now, I am renting an apartment for my
lover), Lulu collapses in despair but confides in him.

Schigolch too has designs upon Lulu, but she persuades him that if he can arrange
for the athlete's death she will give him the money, which he says he will do if
she can persuade the athlete to come to his home, which she promises. The Marquis
suspects the athlete, but he denies it. Lulu then proceeds to convince the athlete
that if he spends the night with Geschwitz, she will pay Lulu who can then pay him
the blackmail money. She then persuades the countess that she will give herself to
her if she spends the night with the athlete. Although puzzled, Geschwitz agrees to
the bargain. Having achieved this, Lulu turns to her valet and orders him to change
clothes with her. The news of the railway collapse spreads through the company to
general despair. Lulu, dressed as her valet, informs Alwa they have been discovered
and the police are on their way, and they escape. Again the scene ends with the
arrival of the police, who confront the valet before realising their mistake.

Scene 2: A windowless garret in London, with a leaking skylight. A bucket collects

water dripping from the skylight. On the floor a torn mattress. A door leads to
Lulu's bedroom

Alwa and Schigolch are discussing their predicament. They and Lulu are now living
in poverty and on the run. It is Lulu's first day of work as a Freudenm�dchen (sex
worker), from which they intend to make a living, although Alwa is ambivalent. When
they hear Lulu approaching with her first client, a professor, [d] they hide. The
professor remains silent throughout, is very gentle and pays her generously. Lulu
is thrilled. The Countess Geschwitz, now shabbily dressed, then arrives with the
portrait of Lulu, which she has removed from the frame and brought from Paris. Lulu
is disturbed at seeing it, but Alwa is inspired and hangs it on the wall, believing
it will please the clients, and they discuss the fate of the artist, quartet: Ihr
K�rper stand auf dem H�hepunkt (Her body, then, was at it highest peak). Lulu goes
out to prove her attractiveness, leaving with Geschwitz. Alwa reveals that Lulu had
contracted venereal disease from the Marquis and in turn passed it on to him.

Lulu returns with her second client, the Negro,[e] Komm nur herein, mein Schatz!
Komm! (Come in, my love! Come in!), who becomes angry at being asked to pay in
advance and attacks her. Alwa rushes to her defence but is killed by the Negro, who
then leaves, followed by Lulu in despair while Schigolch removes the body.
Geschwitz returns, saying Lulu sent her away, while Schigolch leaves. She produces
a gun and considers killing herself, bitterly believing that Lulu would shed mir
keine Tr�ne nach (not one tear for me), then changes her mind and goes to hang
herself, pausing first in reverence before Lulu's portrait. She is interrupted by
the entrance of Lulu and her third client, Jack the Ripper.[f] When asked, she says
Geschwitz is her crazy sister. Jack makes to leave, saying he has little money and
she is asking too much, she pleads with him and they haggle over the price, while
she reveals it is her first day on the job, as he suspected. He also guesses the
true nature of Geschwitz's feelings for Lulu. Lulu says she is drawn to Jack and
eventually offers to give herself to him without payment. They go into the bedroom.
Geschwitz, left to herself, resolves to return to Germany to become a lawyer and
work for women's rights. On hearing Lulu's screams, she rushes to the bedroom door
but Jack emerges with a blood-stained knife that he plunges into her body, and she
collapses. Jack calmly washes his hands in the basin, not believing his luck at
having killed two women at once, Ich bin doch ein verdammter Gl�ckspilz! (I am just
the luckiest of men!), complains about the lack of a towel and leaves. In her dying
breath Geschwitz declares her eternal love for Lulu, Lulu! Mein Engel! La� dich
noch einmal sehn! Ich bin dir nah! Bleibe dir nah! In Ewigkeit! (Lulu! My Angel!
Let me see you one more time! I am close! Stay close! For eternity!).[36][33][23]
[35]

Dramatic analysis
The character of Lulu has been described as embodying both elements of female
sexuality's dualism, earth-mother and whore. In the words of Karl Kraus, she is the
woman "who became the destroyer of all because everyone destroyed her".[3] Berg's
involvement with the lower depths of society in his two dramatic works, Wozzeck and
Lulu, surprised even Schoenberg. Like Wozzeck, Lulu is social criticism, a tragedy
in which the protagonists are portrayed as victims, gradually becoming enslaved to
social forces they are too weak to deal with. Palindromes in the piece take many
forms, such as the rise and fall of Lulu and the recycling of the actors: the three
men whose deaths she contributes become Lulu's three clients, and the man she
murdered murders her. Alwa, thought to be the antithesis of Lulu, was changed from
Wedekind's dramatist to Berg's composer, and is assumed to be a stand-in for Berg
himself. In all cases the music underscores and confirms Berg's dramatic allusions.
[37]

Musical analysis
Instrumentation
The work is scored for:

Woodwinds:

3 flutes (all doubling on piccolo)

3 oboes (3rd doubles English horn)
3 clarinets in B-flat (1st and 2nd doubling E-flat clarinet)
A bass clarinet in B-flat
An alto saxophone in E-flat
3 bassoons (3rd doubling contrabassoon)
Brass:

4 horns in F
3 trumpets in C
3 trombones, tuba
Percussion:

8 players and timpani

Keyboard:

A piano
Strings:

Standard orchestral strings

A harp
Special Groups:
The onstage jazz band in Act I, scene iii (instrumentalists can be drawn from the
pit players) consists of[32]:

3 clarinets in Bb
A bass clarinet in Bb
An alto saxophone in Eb
A tenor saxophone in Bb
A contrabassoon
2 "Jazz trumpets" in B
2 Jazz trumpets in C
2 Jazz trombones
A sousaphone
A Jazz drum set (3 players)
A banjo
A piano
3 violins with jazz horns
A contrabass
In Act III, scene i, Cerha's edition uses a smaller onstage ensemble that requires:

A piccolo
A flute
3 clarinets
A bass clarinet
A contrabassoon
In Lulu, Berg introduced the vibraphone into the orchestra of Western art music, an
instrument that had been previously solely associated with jazz.[38]

Structure

Centre-point of the palindrome in act 2

Berg was obsessed with symmetry in his works and Lulu is no exception, the whole
being perceived as a palindrome or mirror. Lulu's popularity in the first act is
mirrored by the squalor she lives in during act 3, and this is emphasised by Lulu's
husbands in act 1 being played by the same singers as her clients in act 3. The
motifs associated with each, being repeated.[37]

This mirror-like structure is further emphasised by the film interlude at act 2 at

the very centre of the work. The events shown in the film are a miniature version
of the mirror structure of the opera as a whole (Lulu enters prison and then leaves
again) and the music accompanying the film is an exact palindrome � it reads the
same forwards as backwards. The centre-point of this palindrome is indicated by an
arpeggio played on the piano, first rising, then falling (shown here on the top
staff).[37]

Berg assigns specific vocal styles to each character with descriptive orchestral
representation, recapitulative episodes to emphasise psychological significance and
pitch-sets. Recapitulation includes having single singers performing multiple
roles. The use of pitch includes the use of twelve-tone rows.[37][39][38]