The trip to Africa

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Work data
Title: The Africa trip
Shape: operetta
Original language: German
Music: Franz von Suppè
Libretto : Moritz West and Richard Genée
Premiere: March 17, 1883
Place of premiere: Theater an der Wien
Place and time of the action: Cairo 1883
people
  • Titania Fanfani, a wealthy European
  • Fanfani Pasha, her uncle
  • Miradillo, a European
  • Antarsid, a Maronite prince
  • Tessa, cleaner from Palermo
  • Buccametto, her mother
  • Pericles, hotelier in Cairo
  • Nakid, a Coptic poison dealer
  • Sebil, an Egyptian slave
  • Hosch, house servant at Pericles

Die Afrikareise is an operetta in three acts by Franz von Suppè , text by Moritz West and Richard Genée . The premiere took place on March 17, 1883 in the Theater an der Wien. The scene of the action is Cairo, which was chosen at the time for current reasons; a year before the premiere, Egypt was occupied by the English. A couplet in the operetta refers indirectly to it, but otherwise the plot is apolitical.

action

first act

Pericles, a hotelier in Cairo, tries in vain to collect money from his European guest Miradillo. Then the Maronite prince Antarsid arrives with his hunting party, but cannot find accommodation in the hotel because the corresponding rooms are rented by Titania Fanfani, a rich European, and her uncle, Fanfani Pascha. The pasha (who is actually just a pseudo-Turk) has to pay Titania an inheritance of two million the next day if she meets the condition of being married. But Titania still has no husband. She appears on a black horse and offers the prince, who appears to like her, one of her reserved rooms. In Miradillo, Titania recognizes an impostor known to her from Europe. She takes advantage of this to ask him to appear as her husband to Fanfani Pascha. Miradillo accepts enthusiastically as he sees the chance to settle his high hotel bill. The pasha does not want to believe the marriage story, however, because he sees that not everything is right between the cleaning lady Tessa and Miradillo, who arrive from Palermo with her mother Buccametta. To find out the truth, he invites everyone to a party in his country house.

Second act

Miradillo appears in the Pasha's garden and asks about the millions for his "wife". Fanfani put him off and assigns him and his "wife" a pavilion as a shared apartment, which gives Miradillo a great shock, and this in turn encourages Fanfani in his suspicion of fraud. Finally there is another meeting between Titania and Antarsid. A kiss from the prince on Titanias forehead is observed by the veiled ladies Tessa and Bucametta, but portrayed as harmless by Titania and Antarsid. Miradillo now wants to go into the pavilion with Titania, but she denies him entry with the revolver. Titania asks the prince to kidnap her. Tessa is initiated into the plot. When she unveils herself in front of Miradillo, the listening pasha learns that Miradillo had promised her marriage in Palermo and that they still love each other. Fanfani Pascha, who has since fallen in love with Tessa and wants to make her his 47th wife, demands from Antarsid to kidnap Miradillo. The prince agrees, but Miradillo, Titania and Tessa are kidnapped at the Beiram festival.

Third act

"Abductors" and "abductees" gather in an oasis. As a Christian, Prince Antarsid wants to be married immediately by a Coptic priest. Tessa, who doesn't believe in Miradillo's loyalty, puts him to the test. He is told that the pasha stole Tessa and abducted her to the interior of Africa. He wants to look for her there immediately. Now the Pasha sneaks into the oasis with his Bedouins, he wants to free the "kidnapped". Tessa persuades him to poison Miradillo. She has prepared two bottles, one of which is poisoned and which he should empty with Miradillo. This is how it happened, Tessa suddenly realizes that she mixed up the bottles and that the Pasha drank from the poisoned bottle. There is only one antidote: Fanfani Pasha's marriage to Buccametta (!!). While Fanfani still has to think about it, one sees Titania's wedding with Antarsid in a mirage. And the Europeans are saying goodbye to Africa to return to Italy.

music

Despite the title, Suppé wrote his most "Viennese" operetta with his trip to Africa. You can get this impression from some recordings of the Marco Polo label with the Slovak State Philharmonic. There is an overture arranged by Paul Lincke (!) And some waltzes, marches and polkas. A review of the Wiener Zeitung on the occasion of a revision of the work in 1924 writes: " After the Java, Jimmys and Steps, which we have savored, the waltzes, marches and even old polka songs are downright refreshing; one is delighted with the wealth of melodies and ideas of the powerful ensemble choirs and Finalees, this abundance of intoxicating music that can be drawn from such an operetta as Die Afrikareise. " The Imperial Vienna Orchestra from Norwich (GB) carried out a concert performance of the work in December 2016. There is also a video of this, but it is not available in retail stores. This recording, too, confirms what has been said before, despite all the amateurish nature of the execution.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Dieter Roser "Franz von Suppé", page 196
  2. ↑ Hans-Dieter Roser "Franz von Suppé", p. 196
  3. ↑ Hans-Dieter Roser "Franz von Suppé", p. 237

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