Countess Mariza
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| Original title: | Countess Mariza |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Emmerich Kálmán |
| Libretto : | Julius Brammer , Alfred Grünwald |
| Premiere: | February 28, 1924 |
| Place of premiere: | Theater an der Wien (with Max Hansen as Zsupán in his first major operetta role) |
| Playing time: | about 3 hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Countess's castle in Hungary, around 1924 |
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Countess Mariza is an operetta in three acts by Emmerich Kálmán . After the Csárdásfürstin , it became the composer's second best-known work, which has remained on the repertoire of theaters and festivals to this day or is repeatedly recorded.
action
I. act
On the terrace of the castle estate with adjoining park.
Since Countess Mariza wants to spend a long time in the city, she entrusts her property to a manager, the impoverished Count Tassilo, who does his job under the name Bela Török. Tassilo hopes to earn the necessary money through hard work to be able to give his sister Lisa, who has no idea of the impoverishment of the family, a dowry befitting her class. Since taking office on the estate, however, he has not yet seen the countess. Suddenly she appears as a beautiful, cheerful, but also moody young woman who allegedly wants to announce and celebrate her engagement to Baron Zsupán here. All the guests have already arrived, but the engagement is just a hoax, she secretly confesses to a friend. She just wanted to get some rest from her admirers, so she invented a bridegroom. She took the name Zsupán from the operetta Der Zigeunerbaron by Johann Strauss . Tassilo recognized his sister Lisa among Mariza's friends; he will now have to tell her the truth. But Lisa thinks he's just playing the steward for a joke. The confession remains unspoken for the time being. But Mariza also experiences a surprise, because the fictional bridegroom Baron Zsupán really does exist. He introduces himself as the owner of an estate in Varaždin and hopes to be able to realize the engagement. The affected Mariza cannot so easily elude the cheerful advertiser. While the engagement party begins in the castle, Tassilo, for whom there is no room in the hall as a simple administrator, searches for consolation against gloomy thoughts while singing: "I too was once a fine Csárdáskavalier". Mariza hears his singing and asks him to sing for the guests, but Tassilo refuses. Mariza then gruffly bids him farewell. But after their company has returned to town, Mariza and Tassilo make up. Now he sings - just for her alone.
II. Act
A luxurious room in the castle; four weeks later.
Tassilo still lives incognito as the manager of the countess's estate. She feels comfortable around him and also allows the secret, but passionate, solicitation of those who have long been in love with her. She no longer wants to hear about an engagement to Zsupán. But this one is already trying to get another bride, namely Lisa. Tassilo can hardly bear to continue playing the role of manager, which is humiliating for him. Desperate, he expresses himself in a letter to his friend Liebenberg, but this letter happens to get into Mariza's hands. Now she knows that he is not the simple administrator "Török". She misunderstood the contents of the letter and believes that Tassilo's only aim is her money. Indignant and disappointed, she confronts him with this letter in front of her guests, rewards him princely for his services, and dismisses him.
III. act
In the same room.
The morning after the incident, Tassilo goes back to Mariza to say goodbye. Their defiance and pride prevent the redeeming debate. The sudden appearance of the Princess von Guddenstein, Tassilo's aunt, brings the happy turn. She learned of Tassilo's economic hardship and secretly bought back the goods he had already pledged. Now he can feel like an equal partner to Marizas; the two lovers can finally become a couple.
Music numbers
- Happiness is a beautiful dream (Manja)
- Say hi to the sweet, charming women in beautiful Vienna (Tassilo)
- I hear gypsy violins (Mariza)
- Sunshine envelops you - O beautiful childhood (Lisa, Tassilo)
- Come with me to Varasdin (Mariza - Zsupán or Lisa - Zsupán)
- Come on, Zigan, come on, Zigan, play something for me (Tassilo)
- I want to dream about you, my Puzikam (Lisa - Zsupán)
- Once I want to dance again (Mariza - Tassilo)
- Young man loves a girl - God protect you, come home safely (Lisa - Zsupán)
- Violins sound, lights flash (all)
- Say yes, my dear, say yes (Mariza - Tassilo)
- I fell in love once (Tassilo)
- Brown girl from the Puszta (Mariza, Populescu, Zsupán)
- Who thought you up, you sweet women (Tassilo)
- Little sister, little sister (Lisa - Tassilo)
Sound carrier
The operetta Gräfin Mariza has been recorded several times on various sound carriers. Mentioned the following recordings:
In 2011 the Warner Music Group Germany released a double CD under the label Cologne Collection . This is a record recording from 1971. It played and sang under the overall direction of Willy Mattes , the Symphony Orchestra Graunke and the chorus of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. The soloists were Anneliese Rothenberger , Kurt Böhme , Willi Brokmeier , Nicolai Gedda , Olivera Miljakovic , Edda Moser and Horst Sachtleben .
A CD was released in 2003 under the heading of Historical Sound Documents , on which the operetta can be heard in a historical recording from 1952. The orchestra of the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR), the children's choir and the choir of the NWDR played and sang under the direction of Wilhelm Stephan . Soloists included Sena Jurinac , Karl Terkal , Anneliese Rothenberger, Rupert Glawitsch and Josef Glah.
filming
There are currently four film adaptations of the operetta:
- Countess Mariza was made into a film by Hans Steinhoff in 1925 . Harry Liedtke gave Count Tassilo, Vivian Gibson played the Countess , and Ernö Verebes appeared as Baron Kolomán Zsupán.
- In 1932, the operetta was Richard Oswald filmed . Hubert Marischka sang the Tassilo . Also act Dorothea Wieck (Countess Maritza), Charlotte Ander (Lisa), Ferdinand von Alten (Prince Popoff), Anton Pointner (Baron Liebenberg) and again Erno Verebes (Baron Koloman Zsupán) with.
- In 1958, another film was made under the direction of Rudolf Schündler with Christine Görner and Rudolf Schock in the main roles and Gunther Philipp , Hans Moser , Lucie Englisch and Renate Ewert with the participation of the Kessler twins in supporting roles.
- In 1974, the operetta was filmed in a German production under the direction of Eugen York with René Kollo - Tassilo, Dagmar Koller - Lisa, Erzsébet Házy - Countess Mariza.
- In 2018, the Videoland label released a recording of the operetta from the Mörbisch Seefestspiele . The Mörbisch Festival Orchestra under the direction of Guido Mancusi played : The soloists were Vida Mikneviciute , Horst Lamnek , Christoph Filler and Roman Payer . This is a recording of a performance on the lake stage there.