Donna Juanita
| Work data | |
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| Original title: | Donna Juanita |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Franz von Suppè |
| Libretto : |
Richard Genée F. Zell |
| Premiere: | February 21, 1880 |
| Place of premiere: | Carltheater, Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | the Spanish port city of San Sebastian, occupied by British troops, 1796 |
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Donna Juanita is an operetta ( Opera buffa ) in three acts by the composer Franz von Suppè ; for the libretto recorded Camillo Walzel (under his pseudonym F. cell) and Richard Genée responsible for "The conspiracy of women or the Prussians in Wroclaw" in 1858 by Arthur Müller (1825 - 1873). On 21 February 1880 this play witnessed at the Carl Theater in Vienna its premiere .
Eduard Strauss composed his Juanita Quadrille based on motifs from this operetta, and Karl Pauspertl rearranged the piece and brought it to the stage in 1925 under the title The Great Unknown .
action
- Act 1 - San Sebastian, large square in front of the inn
Captain Dufour is considered a prisoner of war, but is allowed to move freely in the city against his word of honor. He fell in love with Petrita, the sister of the landlord Gil Polo. The British occupation forces are hated by the Spanish population and therefore Dufour (also because of Petritas) takes the side of the population. The Alkalde Pomponio also loves Petrita and spies on her, while his wife Olympia raves about Captain Dufour. Dufour lets himself in on Olympia's advances as he needs her help to escape.
The British commander is half blind, half deaf and half lame, but still optimistically hoping to always make the right decisions. Suddenly René Dufour appears, who sneaked into San Sebastian as a spy on behalf of General Pichegrus. In women's clothes he succeeds in entering the palace and, as Donna Juanita, the handsome midshipman Colonel Douglas turns his head and hears him out.
- Act 2 - In the Pomponios house
As Donna Juanita, René not only completely turned the head of Colonel Douglas, but also of the Alkalden. Since this plan worked so easily, René becomes cocky and, in his disguise, makes not only Olympia, but also his brother Gaston's bride jealous. Later, however, he speaks to Petrita and reveals his secret. René continues to play the coquette towards Olympia and can distract her when he secretly smuggles a group of French soldiers to San Sebastian.
- 3rd act - folk festival in San Sebastian
There is a folk festival in San Sebastian, on the large square in front of the inn, and all adults present are disguised as children. Colonel Douglas and the alkali Pomponio are already quite drunk when René Dufour (disguised as Donna Juanita) meets them. He flirts with the two of them until the party has reached its climax. At a suitable moment he gives a sign to his comrades and they storm out of their hiding places. The whole city can be taken without a shot. To avoid further bloodshed, Colonel Douglas surrenders with his troops and René Dufour is promoted to lieutenant by General Pichegru for his bravery.
literature
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operettas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1917, pp. 32–33.
- Franz von Suppè: Donna Juanita. Comic opera in 3 acts . Crantz, Leipzig 1902.