The gypsy baron

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Work data
Title: The gypsy baron
Shape: operetta
Original language: German
Music: Johann Strauss (son)
Libretto : Ignaz Schnitzer
Literary source: Novella Sáffi by Maurus Jókai
Premiere: October 24, 1885
Place of premiere: Theater an der Wien
Place and time of the action: The operetta takes place in the area around Temesvar in the Banat and in Vienna in 1741, "24 years after the battle of Belgrade".
people
  • Count Peter Homonay ( baritone )
  • Conte Carnero, royal commissioner
  • Sándor Barinkay, a young emigrant ( tenor )
  • Kálmán Zsupán, a rich pig farmer in the Banat ( Bass ; Buffo )
  • Arsena, his daughter ( Soubrette )
  • Mirabella, the educator ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Ottokar, her son (tenorbuffo)
  • Czipra, old gypsy ( old )
  • Saffi, gypsy girl ( soprano )

The Gypsy Baron is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss (son) . The libretto is by Ignaz Schnitzer and is based on the novella Sáffi by Mór Jókai . The premiere took place on October 24, 1885 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, the first "Barinkay" was Karl Streitmann .

introduction

Johann Strauss created this work in what was for him an unusually long two-year project. In addition to the bat and One Night in Venice , it became the greatest stage success and is still often played today. However, his hope was not fulfilled that the work would quickly find its way onto the opera stage, although it does indeed have the character of a game opera and comes very close to comic opera .

On October 25, 1885, life in Vienna showed a caricature entitled “Strauss at the Crossroads” , which shows Strauss and a scale in a balloon over the rooftops of Vienna, observed by Schnitzer and Jókai standing in front of the opera house, who are talking: “The scales are really bad because of all the balancing to and fro. Now I'm just curious which side we will fail. "

It was not until 1910 that Der Zigeunerbaron was performed for the first time in the opera theaters of Dresden ( Semperoper ) and then in Vienna ( State Opera ).

action

prehistory

The Hungarian border regions in Transylvania are devastated by war. The Turkish governor, the Pasha of Temesvár, had to flee and leave behind his little daughter Saffi, who is being looked after by the old gypsy Czipra and is growing up as a gypsy. The wealthy Barinkay family, friends of the Turkish pasha, had to go into exile.

first act

25 years later, the young Sándor Barinkay, headed by the royal commissioner Conte Carnero, returns home, where the pig farmer Zsupán has meanwhile occupied the parental property and sees himself as the rightful owner. Gypsies now live in the half-ruined castle of the Barinkays. In order to avoid arguments and to get the inheritance due to him, Barinkay asked for the daughter of the "pig prince", who secretly loves Ottokar, the son of her teacher. Arsena arrogantly rejects the applicant, demands that her future husband must be at least a baron and mocks Barinkay by offering to wait for him as a bride. Incidentally, in Arsena's governess, the inspector finds his wife Mirabella, whom he had lost sight of in the chaos of war.
Barinkay says goodbye, disappointed. Czipra recognizes in him the son of the previous owner and introduces him to the gypsies, who immediately recognize him as their master (voivods). In the middle of the night, they observe how Ottokar "window" at Zsupán's daughter Arsena and recognizes the reason for their rejection. Barinkay angrily swears revenge. But the title of gypsy baron (voivode of the gypsies) is only ridiculed by Arsena and her father. Barinkay falls in love with Czipra's foster daughter Saffi. He releases Arsena from the engagement and marries Saffi in the castle ruins of his ancestors according to gypsy custom. With that he annoys Zsupán and the commissioner, who sees a serious violation of morals.

Second act

On the bridal night, Saffi dreams of a treasure that is buried under the castle walls. Barinkay, initially incredulous, gives in to the gypsy's insistence, digs and actually finds the treasure his father hid there. A dispute now arises over the wealth, which the pig prince Zsupán and the royal commissioner also claim. Carnero suspects that this is the long-lost war chest that Barinkay's father had embezzled - the reason for the former banishment. Led by Count Homonay, hussars appear and recruit soldiers for the war against Spain. Against their intention, Zsupán and Ottokar fall for the advertisers and have to move with them.

Conte Carnero tries to sue Barinkay before Count Homonay, on the one hand because of the treasure and on the other because of his improper marriage to the gypsy daughter. Homonay cancels him and congratulates Barinkay. He, ultimately satisfied with his connection with Saffi, gives the treasure to the kingdom. This is followed by wild insults against the gypsies by Zsupán and his supporters, who feel offended in their honor. In the middle of the dispute, the old Czipra pulls out a document that proves that Saffi is the daughter of the Turkish pasha. Barinkay, who no longer considers himself worthy of her, is also recruited and goes to war.

Third act

After the war ended victoriously, the Hungarians returned to Vienna, first Zsupán, who bragged about his war heroics, then Barinkay at the head of the Gypsy Hussars. He has distinguished himself from the enemy, receives all his goods back and is ennobled as a baron. Zsupán, who hopes to be able to marry his daughter off to Baron Barinkay after all, receives one last blow: Barinkay asks for Arsena's hand, but not for himself, but for Ottokar. Then he can take Saffi home.

Historical background

The war mentioned by Schnitzer, for which Count Homonay recruits soldiers, was the War of the Austrian Succession , in which Italy, France and Spain were involved and which lasted from 1740 to 1748. In 1742, however, most acts of war did not take place in Spain, but in Italy and France. The inaccuracies in the annual dating in the operetta itself arose when Ignaz Schnitzer was working on the libretto.

In fact, the operetta - hidden in the costume of the 18th century - is a reflection of the Compromise of 1867, its difficult negotiations and the relationship between the two halves of the empire, which was still charged with tension afterwards.

“A clever 'sociology of the operetta' expressly interprets the entire 'Gypsy baron' as a child of bourgeois liberalism, which reflects what moves society: the '48 revolution, from which everything but no general freedom arose; the longing for justice for Hungarian insurgents, who like 'Sándor Barinkay' have to roam the world before they return home; the joy of 'free love', which cannot develop according to the laws of the church, but expressly without her blessing. "

- Franz Endler : Johann Strauss - Around the world in three-four time

occupation

In addition to the vocal soloists, the work has a four-part choir and a symphony orchestra with 2 flutes (2nd with piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 Bb / A clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion and Strings (violins 1, violins 2, violas, cellos, double basses).

Premiere cast

Alexander Girardi in the world premiere as Kálmán Zsupán
role Pitch Premiere, October 24, 1885
( conductor : Johann Strauss (son) )
Count Peter Homonay baritone Josef Josephi
Conte Carnero, royal commissioner tenor Carl Adolf Friese
Sándor Barinkay, a young emigrant tenor Karl Streitmann
Kálmán Zsupán, a wealthy pig farmer in the Banat Tenor or playing tenor Alexander Girardi
Arsena, his daughter soprano Mrs. Reisser
Mirabella, the educator Mezzo-soprano Mrs. Schäfer
Ottokar, her son (tenorbuffo) tenor Mr. Holbach
Czipra, old gypsy Mezzo-soprano Mrs. Hartmann
Saffi, gypsy girl soprano Ottilie Collin
Pali, gypsy baritone Mr. Eppich
Mayor of Vienna Speaking role Mr. Liebold
Seppl, lantern lighter Speaking role Mr. Horwitz
Miksa, a sailor Speaking role Mr. Schwellak
István, Zsupán's servant Speaking role Mr. Hellwig
Józsi, Ferkó, Mihály, Jáncsi, gypsies, Irma, Tercsi, Aranka, Katicza, Julcsa, Etelka, Jolán, Ilka, Arsena's friends

Musical numbers

overture

1st act

  • No. 1, Introduction - "That would not be a right boatman" (Ottokar, Czipra, choir)
  • No. 2, Entrée-Couplet - "Als brisk Geist" (Barinkay, choir)
  • No. 3, melodrama and ensemble - "So my hunch didn't fool me" / "Yes, writing and reading" (Czipra, Saffi, Barinkay, Carnero, Zsupán)
  • No. 4, couplet - “It's just twenty-four years” (Mirabella, choir) [No. 4 is often deleted in performances and recordings.]
  • No. 5, Ensemble - "The bride approaches the suitor" (Arsena, Barinkay, Zsupán, Carnero, Mirabella, choir)
  • No. 5a, Sortie - "A butterfly buzzes around the light" (Arsena)
  • No. 6, Gypsy song - "So miserable and so faithful" (Saffi)
  • No. 7, Finale I - “Arsena! Arsena! "(Saffi, Arsena, Czipra, Mirabella, Barinkay, Ottokar, Zsupán, Carnero, choir)

2nd act

Entr'acte

  • No. 8, trio - "My eye guarded" (Saffi, Czipra, Barinkay)
  • No. 9, trio - "An old man appeared to me in a dream" (Saffi, Czipra, Barinkay)
  • No. 10, Ensemble - "Up, up, the night is over!" (Pali, choir)
  • No. 11, duet - "Whoever trusted us" (Saffi, Barinkay)
  • No. 12, couplet - "Only chaste and pure" (Carnero) [No. 12 is regularly deleted from performances and recordings.]
  • No. 12 1/2, promotional song - "Bring your hand, it has to be" (Homonay, choir)
  • No. 13, Finale II - "To Vienna!" (Saffi, Czipra, Mirabella, Arsena, Barinkay, Ottokar, Carnero, Homonay, Zsupán, choir)

3rd act

Entr'acte

  • No. 14, choir - "Rejoice!" (Choir) [No. 14 is often deleted in performances and recordings.]
  • No. 15, Couplet - "A girl is not at all good" (Arsena, Mirabella, Carnero)
  • No. 16, March Couplet - "From the Tajo Beach" (Zsupán, choir)
  • No. 17, Entry March - "Hurray, participated in the battle!" (Chorus)
  • No. 18, Finale III - “Get married! Vivat! "(Saffi, Czipra, Mirabella, Arsena, Barinkay, Ottokar, Homonay, Zsupán, choir)

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 417 to 422. These are the following works:

Bride Show Polka , Polka, Opus 417

Schatz Waltz , Opus 418

War Adventure , Schnell Polka, Opus 419

The Fortune Teller , Polka-Mazurka, Opus 420

Hussar Polka , Opus 421

Gypsy Baron Quadrille , Opus 422

Sound carrier (selection)

Film adaptations

The gypsy baron or parts of him have been filmed several times:

Web links

Commons : The Gypsy Baron  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Theater and Art News. Vienna, October 24th. Theater an der Wien. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 7600/1885, October 25, 1885, p. 6, center. (Online at ANNO ). Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfp,
    Features section. The gypsy baron. In:  Neue Freie Presse , Morgenblatt, No. 7602/1885, October 27, 1885, p. 1 ff. (Online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nfp
  2. ↑ Franz Endler: Johann Strauss - Around the world in three-four time . Amalthea Vienna, Munich, 1998. ISBN 3-85002-418-0 .
  3. ↑ The entire section is based on the article by Hans Jürgen Wulff : Films about Johann Strauss (father) and Johann Strauss (son) . In: Deutsche Johann Strauss Gesellschaft (Ed.): New Life - The magazine for Strauss lovers and friends of Viennese operetta , issue 56 (2017, No. 3), pp. 43–65. ISSN  1438-065X