"[3] The opera tells the story of Lulu, an ambiguous femme fatale in the fin de siècle, through a series of chiastic structures in both the music and drama alike.

Introduced allegorically and symbolically as a serpent in the prologue, she survives three dysfunctional marriages while navigating a network of alternately dangerous and devoted admirers.

[15] On December 7, 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.

Berg heard 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.

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. Schön and Jack the Ripper.

Berg perhaps modeled the Geschwitz role on his lesbian sister Smaragda, Dr. Schön on Arnold Schoenberg, the Painter on Richard Gerstl, Schigolch on his wife Helene's biological father (perhaps Franz Joseph I of Austria), and Alwa on himself, among other semiautobiographical and allegorical elements, according to Olaf Winnecke.

During the cinematic sequence (Filmmusik,[b] the dramatic and musical midpoint of the opera), Lulu is tried, convicted, and imprisoned before Geschwitz helps her escape via the infirmary, having both contracted cholera together to this end.

While Lulu is changing into her street clothes, the artist addresses her husband's corpse (arioso: Ich möchte tauschen mit Dir, Du Toter!

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).

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 at the newspaper office.

Alwa appears startled and Lulu enters suddenly, flinging herself in a chair, followed by the dresser and theatre manager, who explain that she fainted.

Schön 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.

On her return Lulu tries to convince Schön to take the afternoon off and go for a drive with her (cavatina: Könntest Du Dich für heute Nachmittag nicht freimachen?

They discuss Schön, who has left for the exchange, and what Lulu calls his Verfolgungswahn (paranoia), but a servant announces his return and the athlete and schoolboy also hide while Schigolch starts to leave.

Schön, believing the athlete escaped, begins to harangue Lulu (aria in five strophes: Du Kreatur, die mich durch den Strassenkot zum Martertode schleift!

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.

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 devised a scheme to free Lulu.

At the end of the duet and scene she asks him, Ist das noch der Diwan, – auf dem sich – dein Vater – verblutet hat?

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.

Als ich fünfzehn Jahre alt war, hätte mir das gefallen können (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 which he has sent a picture of her portrait as Eve.

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 Körper stand auf dem Höhepunkt (Her body, then, was at it highest peak).

Jack calmly washes his hands in the basin, not believing his luck at having killed two women at once, Ich bin doch ein verdammter Glückspilz!

Significantly, Lulu is canonically startlingly young, only about 15 years of age when the drama begins, and Schigolch, who may or may not be her father, is implied to have been her first sexual experience.

In act 3, scene 2, Cerha's edition uses a small onstage ensemble that requires: Lulu is arguably the first seminal work of western art music that used the vibraphone, an instrument that had previously been associated with jazz.

[29] Berg assigns specific vocal styles to each character with descriptive orchestral representation, recapitulative episodes to emphasise psychological significance and pitch-sets.

[44][45] Celebrated Lulus have included Evelyn Lear, Teresa Stratas, Nancy Shade, Karan Armstrong, Julia Migenes, Barbara Hannigan, Christine Schäfer, and Marlis Petersen.

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 Chéreau) was a sensation and the recording won the Gramophone Award for 1979.

The U.S. premiere of the complete opera was on 28 July 1979 at Santa Fe, with Nancy Shade (Lulu), William Dooley (Schön), Katherine Ciesinski (Geschwitz) and Barry Busse (Alwa).

Patricia Wise Peter Straka Brigitte Fassbaender Théâtre du Châtelet (live) Orchestre National de France Three acts