Blind man's cow (operetta)
| Operetta dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Blindman's Buff |
| Shape: | Operetta in three acts |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Johann Strauss (son) |
| Libretto : | Rudolf Kneisel |
| Premiere: | December 18, 1878 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater an der Wien |
| people | |
|
|
Blinde Kuh is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss (son) (1825–1899). The book is by Rudolf Kneisel . The first performance took place on December 18, 1878 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna .
Remarks
While Johann Strauss was working on the setting of Rudolf Kneisel's comedy Blinde Kuh , his first wife, Jetty Treffz , died on April 8, 1878 . Only seven weeks later, on May 28th, he married Angelika Dittrich. Soon after, he resumed his work on the blind cow , which he had temporarily interrupted. In the meantime, 12 musical numbers were lost during a move, which Strauss then had to compose again. The work was finally premiered on December 18, 1878 in the Theater an der Wien. The leading roles were sung by Alexander Girardi , Bertha Olma, Hermine Meyerhoff and Felix Schweighofer . Despite the efforts of these artists, the operetta became a major failure. There were only 16 performances in total. After that, the work as a whole disappeared from the repertoire. Of all Strauss operettas, this work was by far the most unsuccessful. The blame for this fiasco was primarily the textbook, which was relentlessly pilloried by the critics of the time. The blind cow's waltz !, blind cow! from the finale of the 2nd act was taken up in 1928 together with the Strauss waltz Aeols-Töne , Opus 68 by Ralph Benatzky and processed in his operetta Casanova as a choir of nuns and Laura's singing . The overture of the actual Strauss operetta is still occasionally played today.
action
In the Wiener Zeitung Die Presse on December 19, 1878, the following summary of the plot in connection with a positive premiere report is found:
"A landowner, who is close to ruin due to his second wife's addiction to cleaning and wasting, withdraws from the city to his estate and hopes to make a stand by marrying his daughter from his first marriage to a rich nephew from America [sic] , since the same family has to either marry the cousin or pay $ 40,000 forfeit money on the basis of a family contract. Instead of the American, however, the daughter's real lover appears at the beginning of the piece; He is taken for the nephew by the father and welcomed as such, he forces the lavish stepmother, whose jewelry and milliner bills he has bought up, to support his plans, and finally wins the real American nephew, who is already married and to pay the forfeit money is ready for the continuation of this game of 'blind man's buff', which of course ends with the engagement of the lovers. However, the interchanging of names and roles leads to numerous confusions, with the lover being persecuted among other things as the murderer of the American he is said to have robbed. In places, however, this action is laboring with somewhat bleak widths and lengths. "
Music numbers
- overture
- Introduction and choir: "What a colorful life will be"
- Couplet and choir: "A car arrives!"
- Couplet: "I am Baron von Hasemann"
- Couplet: "I am Gousmand"
- Duet: "A lovely spring morning"
- Couplet: "To win mother-in-law"
- Couplet: "The railways far and wide"
- Quartet: “Ha! Ha! Ha! What is this laughing about? "
- Finale I: including “Ha! Ha! Ha! Sad, scary situation, Ha! "
- Introduction (to the 2nd act) and choir: "Let us tie fragrant flowers to tulips"
- Couplet: "How freshly the leaves on the tree sprout"
- Ensemble: "A stranger is coming"
- Duet: "They laugh at me"
- Couplet: "Young and already of the noble stature"
- Couplet: "Marriage happiness and honeymoon"
- Trio: "Yes, I finally find you alone"
- Finale II: among other things "Yes, yes, only too! ... blind cow"
- Kotillon and choir: "What pleasure with these sounds"
- Trio: "O, Elvira dear bride!"
- Quartet: "When we walk, we have a lot of fun"
- Couplet: "I don't like kissing at all"
- Finale III
premiere
According to the reviewers in the Viennese newspapers, the effect of the operetta was based "mainly on a series of couplets with all sorts of drastic effects" and "on some comic ensembles". In addition, there was a "very elegant and luxurious interior" and the "particularly animated zeal with which all those involved sang and played their roles in a lively and highly pointed manner". The couplet "And so one lives la la, with us there in America", performed by Mr. Swoboda with "favorable effect" is emphasized. In addition, Alexander Girardi shone as a "stupid house facto" with the couplet "Toujours perdix" and another song "with the imitation of the chirping of swallows". The song "A 'so a Weiberl, that would be my' Passion", sung by Mr. Schweighofer "with virtuoso sound and onomatopoeia" was the greatest joy. In the third act, the ladies Meyerhoff and Olma created a "piquant effect" with the "sleekness of their precious robes".
Musical re-use
Independent works by the composer were then created based on motifs from this operetta, which are marked in his catalog raisonné with the opus numbers 381 to 385. These are the following works:
- Do you know me? Waltz, Opus 381
- Parisian polka (francaise), Opus 382
- Just go on Schnell-Polka, Opus 383
- Opera Masked Ball Quadrille , Opus 384
- Waldine Polka-Mazurka, Opus 385
Trivia
In 1936 the composer Peter Kreuder used a polar number from this operetta and reworked it into a slow waltz. This then resulted in the hit `` Say hello when you leave '' .
literature
- Peter Kemp: The Strauss Family: History of a Musician Dynasty. Heyne Biographien, ISBN 3-453-04621-8 , pp. 202-206, 341.
Web links
- Complete piano reduction with all music numbers
- Digitized libretto from the Library of Congress
- Report at BR2 about failures of Johann Strauss