Apajune, the Aquarius
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Apajune, the Aquarius |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Carl Millöcker |
| Libretto : | Camillo Walzel , Richard Genée |
| Premiere: | December 18, 1880 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater an der Wien , Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | in Wallachia around 1860 |
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Apajune, Aquarius is an operetta in three acts from the golden age of operetta . The composer Carl Millöcker brought them to the stage on December 18, 1880 in the Theater an der Wien . The libretto created Richard Genée and Camillo Walzel ; the latter operated under his pseudonym “F. Zell ".
action
- Act 1 - Wallachian Village
Marcu and Natalitza get married and as the highlight of the wedding celebration the bride sings the ballad Vom Wassermann Apajune in front of the inn . It tells the legend of Apajune, who is very friendly towards young married women.
While Natalitza is singing, the manager Alexandri arrives at the inn. Since nobody knows him, he pretends to be Prince Brutschesko and orders Marcu to bring the singer to the castle. This swells evil and he therefore joins Rittmeister Nitschano and Sergeant Joza. Since Nitschano loves the prince's niece, Ilinka, they both want to sneak into the castle in women's clothes, unrecognized. The stepmother Ilinkas wants to marry her off to one of her relatives shortly.
When Natalitza learns that her husband Marcu is on the way to the castle with two strange women, she runs after him jealously. Suddenly and unexpectedly the real Prince Brutschesko arrives with his wife Heloise and niece Ilinka.
- Act 2 - A hall in the castle
The surprising arrival of the prince with his family breaks out hectic and confusion in the castle. Marcu confuses the prince with his manager Alexandri and unsuspectingly reveals to Heloise, among other things, the fact that the prince likes to play apajune with young, pretty women.
In the meantime, Nitschano, in his disguise, meets Ilinka in her boudoir, and Natalitza runs into the real prince. He falls in love with her and advises her to let Apajune help her.
In the meantime, Nitschano was able to persuade Ilinka to flee with him, but Marcu betrays this plan through his talkativeness. Heloise immediately lets a group of armed servants pursue the fleeing people.
- 3rd act - Park on the banks of the Dumbowitzka
The manager Alexandri appears on the bank of the Dumbowitzka in the costume of Apajune. When someone approaches, he becomes scared and flees. Before that, however, he got rid of his costume and hid it in the embankment. Now Marcu comes, finds the costume and disguises himself with it.
When the prince appears in the disguise of Aquarius, Marcu approaches him as a "real" Apajune and chases him into the river. Nitschano saves the prince and, touched by this heroic deed, Heloise gives up her resistance to Ilinka's marriage to Nitschano. Prince Brutschenko solemnly vows that the Apajune gimmick is now over forever.
literature
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operetta . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1917, pp. 8–9.
- Carl Millöcker: Apajune, the Aquarius. Operetta in three acts . Levy, Vienna 1880.