Ready for another does of the Ether Game Weekly Podcast? We hope we're not being too much of a "Pest," but we're feeling "Hungary" this week for an all-Hungarian show we're calling "Hungary For More." To get you started (or for those of you who just cannot wait for Tuesday nights), you can sharpen your skills with our podcast selection. Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, December 13th at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!

Franz Lehár (1870–1948): THE MERRY WIDOW WALTZ

Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor. Arthur Fiedler: Boston Tea Party (RCA Victor)

The Merry Widow remains one of the most popular operettas of all time, most likely due to the inventive and graceful score provided by Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. However, Lehár was not the commissioners' first pick as composer. The Merry Widow's first score was written by Richard Heuberger, an Austrian composer. After one draft, it was realized that the Austrian's style did not suite the tone of The Merry Widow and the commission went to the Hungarian instead. Lehár's score for The Merry Widow also contains a proliferation of merry tunes that belies the fact that Lehár lived a very conflicted life. Torn in two directions, he was married to a Jewish woman, and at the same time, was the darling of Adolf Hitler, who proclaimed The Merry Widow one of his favorite works.