Jesse Crawford - Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life (1930)

Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life
Words by Rida Johnson Young, music by Victor Herbert
From the Operetta "Naughty Marietta"
Performed by Jesse Crawford at the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ
Recorded Feb 12, 1930
Victor 20333

The operetta, "Naughty Marietta" originally opened on Broadway November 7, 1910 and had 136 performances. The cast included Emma Trentini, Orville Harrold, Edward Martindel and Marie Duchene. It was an all-time popular score by Victor Herbert with lyrics by Rida Johnson Young. In the original score, the melody of the song "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" is introduced as "The Dream Melody", without words. The familiar words are included in the "Finale" however the song is not named "Ah!, Sweet Mystery of Life" in the original score. The operetta had a revival in the late 1920s and then was released by MGM as a musical film in 1935, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.