Brother Straubinger (operetta)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Brother Straubinger |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Edmund Eysler |
| Libretto : | Moritz West and Ignaz Schnitzer |
| Premiere: | February 20, 1903 |
| Place of premiere: | Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | City on the Rhine in the 18th century |
| people | |
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Brother Straubinger is a playful operetta in three acts by Edmund Eysler . The libretto , written Moritz West and Ignaz Schnitzer . The work had its world premiere on February 20, 1903 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna .
action
place and time
The operetta is set in a fictional town on the Rhine in the second half of the 18th century.
first act
Image: Place in front of the city gate
There is a festival atmosphere in the square in front of the city gate. The show booth owner Schwudler praises his new attraction: the "wild girl" Oculi, who turns every man's head.
The journey to the Rhine led the journeyman craftsman Straubinger, too, because he hopes to find a job at the court of Landgrave Philipp and to meet his loved one again here. All that hiking has made him tired, so he wants to rest first. He prepares a camp at the city gate and falls asleep. The cunning deserter Boniface takes advantage of this opportunity and steals his papers from the sleeper in order to create a new identity.
When Straubinger wakes up and misses his ID, he serves himself Schwudler as an assistant. As soon as the showman noticed that his new employee was carrying his grandfather's war passport with him, he had a brilliant idea: He put the young man in an old uniform, stuck a beard on him and left him as a 114-year-old veteran of the people marvel at. Even the Landgrave, who has just returned from a campaign, falls for the fraud and offers the old warrior a pension. He also grants his "nurse" Oculi a larger sum, but not without ulterior motives. He would like to spend an occasional shepherd's hour with her. In order not to lose sight of them, he hired the Schwudler troop at his court.
Second act
Image: In the palace garden
Landgravine Lola did not miss the plan her husband is pursuing. In order to trick him, she decides to marry the little one with the veteran. But Oculi has not the slightest desire to do this. What should she do with such an old cracker? Rather, her love belongs to a young craftsman whom she is expecting back this year. When Straubinger heard these words, his previous suspicion that Oculi was actually his beloved Marie became a certainty. He gently starts the song that they both sang together so often in the past. Now Oculi recognizes her boyfriend behind the mask and has nothing to object to the prescribed marriage. Everyone is surprised by the girl's sudden change of heart.
Third act
Image: Hunting lodge in the wildlife park
The strange couple was allowed to spend their wedding night in the count's hunting lodge in the wildlife park. Landgravine Lola has sneaked here with her court ladies to watch the old veteran and especially his young female. She still has the suspicion that her husband might try to approach the "young savage" and she wants to prevent this by all means. The deserter has since felt guilty and has brought Straubinger back his ID. He's had enough of the game of hide-and-seek. He quickly gets rid of his disguise and becomes an honorable journeyman brother Straubinger again. When the loving Landgrave suddenly appears and sees the young couple in a tender embrace, he realizes that he cannot end up with Oculi. But that's not all: his wife and the ladies-in-waiting catch him red-handed at his attempted affair and laugh at him.
Musical highlights
- The wild girl is called me (Oculi performance song)
- A waitress in Munich (performance song of the title character)
- Kissing is not a sin with a beautiful child (the greatest hit of the operetta, waltz song)
- O sweet summer night (waltz song)
- Four-leaf clover (trio)
Sound carrier
In 1951 the operetta was recorded for the record trade in Stuttgart. The choir and orchestra of the Süddeutscher Rundfunk under the direction of Fritz Mareczek sang and played. The soloists included Henriette Robert, Christo Bajew, Willy Reichert, Olga Noll, Gustav Neidlinger, Hubert Buchta, Yella Hochreiter and Rudi Scholz. In 2017 this recording was released on the label "Cantus Classic (The Classic Alternative)" as a double CD.
filming
In 1950 the operetta was filmed by the production company Aco / Schönbrunn under the title Kissing is no sin . Directed by Hubert Marischka played Elfie Mayerhofer , Curt Jurgens , Gisela Fackeldey , Hans Moser and Hans Olden the leading roles. However, the music could not be heard in the original, but in an arrangement by Alois Melichar . The lexicon of international film judges: "A musical comedy of the Austrian middle class with irrelevant plot, the most beautiful melodies of Edmund Eysler and - for once - a friendly Hans Moser."
literature
- Anton Würz : Reclam's operetta guide . 23rd edition. Reclam, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-15-010512-9 .
Individual evidence
- ^ Lexicon of International Films. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1987, p. 2134.