Dear Augustin (operetta)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Dear Augustine |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Leo case |
| Libretto : | Ernst Welisch and Rudolf Bernauer |
| Premiere: | February 3, 1912 |
| Place of premiere: | Berlin |
| Place and time of the action: | A fictional principality in the Balkans at the beginning of the 20th century |
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Dear Augustin is an operetta in three acts by Leo Fall . The libretto was written by Ernst Welisch and Rudolf Bernauer . The work had its world premiere on February 3, 1912 at the New Theater am Zoo in Berlin.
History of origin
After Leo Fall had to experience a debacle with his opera Irrlicht in Mannheim in 1905, he tried his luck writing operettas. In the same year his first work of this genre came out in Vienna: The Rebel . But he was by no means better off; it met with rejection from the audience. Fall was not discouraged. With his second operetta Der Fidele Bauer in 1907 he wanted to achieve at least a respectable success. But it turned out much better: the work became a worldwide success. After he succeeded with the subsequent operettas Die Dollarprinzessin (1907) and The Divorced Woman , his 1905 failure haunted his head again. He revised the "rebel" thoroughly and now called him Dear Augustin . In this version, the operetta was finally granted the success it deserved.
orchestra
Two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two clarinets, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, a harp, percussion and strings.
action
The operetta is set in the fictional principality of Thessaly in the Balkans at the beginning of the 20th century.
20 years have passed since Nicola dared to put a coup against his rightful regent Bogumil. At first it looked like the coup would succeed. The rebel and his helpers occupied the princely castle in a night-and-fog operation and drove Bogumil out of the country. That night two children were born in the castle: Both Bogumil's wife and the wife of the valet Jasomirgott gave birth to a daughter. The princess was named Helene and the second child was named Anna. It wasn't long before Bogumil succeeded in regaining control of the small principality. But since then he has not been lucky with housekeeping. The people scold him for a reckless spendthrift.
In order to avert national bankruptcy, Bogumil sees only one chance: his daughter Helene has to marry his former adversary Nicola; because it swims in money. He offers Nicola to renounce the throne in his favor if, in return, he would give him a princely cash pension. As a cool, calculating power man, whose primary goal is to become regent, Nicola immediately fits into the plan.
When the princess is informed of her father's intention, she is far from pleased. She hates courtly etiquette and would love to lead a bourgeois life away from the castle with her music teacher, “dear Augustin”. But even Nicola has no feelings for Helene. He would much rather let the ambitious Anna turn his head. On the advice of her father, she is supposed to marry the music teacher Augustin, but he is not good enough for her as a part. After being persuaded, Helene finally declares - albeit reluctantly - that she is ready to become engaged to Nicola. But he doesn't want to do without Anna either and without further ado appoints her as the princess's “lady of honor”. Helene sees this as an affront. To get back at Nicola, she names Augustin Hofer as her “cavalier of honor” at the engagement party.
The wedding is being prepared at Bogumil's castle. The lay brother Matthew from the monastery next door is invited as a guest. He tells the wedding party that he can still remember when the princess was born on that revolutionary night and immediately baptized. She has a noticeably large birthmark that is etched into his memory. Now everyone realizes that the two children were mistaken back then. So in reality Anna is the princess and Helene the valet's daughter. Under these circumstances, of course, nothing will come of the planned wedding. But Helene is overjoyed that she doesn't need to become Nicolas' wife and instead is allowed to take her music teacher, dear Augustin, as a husband.
Musical highlights
- take your time
- And the sky is full of violins when the lilacs bloom in the branches (duet)
- Where is that written?
- Tonight, after eight