About the work
Lady Hamilton is a three-act operetta by Eduard Künneke to a libretto by Richard Bars and Leopold Jacobson, loosely based on the life of Emma Hamilton (1765–1815). It premiered on 25 September 1926 at the Schauspielhaus in Breslau.
Plot
The harbour-tavern singer Amy Lyons becomes the mistress and later wife of the English envoy Lord William Hamilton. When the Spanish naval officer Alfredo, whom she loves, is taken into English captivity, Amy becomes Lord Nelson's mistress in order to secure his release.
Cultural significance
Many operetta enthusiasts regard it as Künneke's finest stage work; it was adapted for London in 1928 as The Song of the Sea, with later revivals including Cologne in 2004 and Dessau in 2017.