Polish Economy (Operetta)
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Polish economy |
| Shape: | operetta |
| Original language: | German |
| Music: | Jean Gilbert |
| Libretto : | Curt Kraatz, Georg Okonkowski, Alfred Schönfeld |
| Premiere: | 1910 |
| Place of premiere: | Berlin |
| Place and time of the action: | in Berlin and at the Groß-Karschau manor around 1900 |
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Polish economy is a vaudeville - Posse in three acts of the composer Jean Gilbert (real name: Max Winterfeld) and the librettist Curt Kraatz and Georg Okonkowski ; Alfred Schönfeld was responsible for the lyrics . The Posse Polish Economy was edited by the host Jean Kren on August 6, 1910 at the Thalia Theater in Berlin, where it achieved a series of over 600 performances.
action
- Act 1 - Salon in the Mangelsdorf house in Berlin
Although City Councilor Mangelsdorf is not very wealthy, his wife runs a large house. Her plan - to attract a wealthy, well-known groom for her daughter - seems to be working. A visit from Berlin has now been announced, Privy Councilor von Veltenius, a member of the government. Surprisingly, City Councilor Mangelsdorf now receives a visit from Mr. Steinöl.
Some time ago, City Councilor Mangelsdorf had an affair with a young, pretty Polish woman under the pseudonym "Krause" and was brutally beaten by her jealous companion, Count Casimir von Schofinsky. Mr. Steinöl happened to be there and was able to capture this moment photographically. Mangelsdorf can now buy these pictures, including glass plates, for 3,000 marks; otherwise stone oil threatens publication.
Willy Hegewaldt is supposed to marry her daughter Erika at the request of Mrs. Mangelsdorf. He is believed to be a wealthy bachelor and manor owner. The estate belongs to Hegewaldt's wife, with whom he is living in divorce and he hopes, since he considers the Mangelsdorf family to be rich, to avoid his financial crash by marrying Erika. Marga, Hegewaldt's Polish wife, inherited the estate from her Polish aunt Cordula; but only for the period of their happily existing marriage. It is imperative that the facade of a harmonious married life be maintained, otherwise the property falls on an insignificant side line of the family, which is currently headed by Count Casimir von Schofinsky.
For five years, Count Casimir visits Gut “Groß-Karschau” every August 30th. Together with his four nieces, who are also entitled to inherit, he has Hegewaldt's marital happiness confirmed. Since Willy refuses to be checked on August 30 because of the divorce, Marga sends the poet Hans Fiedler to change his mind.
Erika surprises Willy in conversation with Hans and he is spontaneously introduced to her as the estate manager. Curiously, she asks him about the conditions in Hegewaldt's agriculture, but receives only wrong answers from the completely ignorant Hans. On the occasion of this conversation, Hans falls in love with Erika and reports back to Groß-Karschau to Marga about the marriage plans of her husband.
Angry, Marga appears at Mangelsdorf in Berlin and demands that Willy be present at the family day at Groß-Karschau. To make Willy jealous, she tells him that - in his absence - the aviator Fritz Sperling would have already made advances. When Mangelsdorf happened to join them, she recognized Mr. Krause, with whom she had an affair some time ago.
The misunderstandings increase when the aviator Fritz Sperling appears. This pursued Marga to Mangelsdorf in Berlin. Now he is very tired and falls asleep in an armchair in Mangelsdorf's reception room. When Privy Councilor von Veltenius suddenly stands for the door, the sleeping sparrow is hidden behind a screen. As a result, he wakes up, thinks he is already at home, half asleep, and strips down to his shirt. Music sets in and the curtain falls with the song " Lunapark ", which everyone joins in.
- Act 2 - Large ballroom at Gut Groß-Karschau
All those involved have gathered at the Groß-Karschau manor. Count Casimir and his four nieces Willy and Margas examine their married life. For fear of being recognized by the Polish count, Mangelsdorf shaved off his beard and disguised himself as a Polish servant. Nobody recognizes him, but since he does everything wrong as a servant, he is constantly harassed. Willy falls in love again with his wife Marga and does not want to marry Erika anymore. Hans Fiedler, who has fallen in love with Erika, helps him to break the engagement. Hans disguises himself as a Polish noblewoman and jokes with Willy. When Erika becomes aware of this, she immediately breaks away from Willy. In her confusion she now thinks Hans is a girl and feels betrayed by him too. There is music again and the curtain falls.
- 3rd act - The garden of Gut Groß-Karschau
Fritz Sperling reveals Willy Hegewaldt's divorce plans to Count Casimir. He then sees himself as the owner of the manor. Privy Councilor von Veltenius reported on Willy's reconciliation with Marga. In addition, after examining the will, he declares that Schofinsky is basically out of the question as an inheritance, but a different sideline. Angrily, Schofinsky leaves with his nieces.
With the help of Willy Hegewaldt, Hans can finally prove that he is not a girl. Now Erika is also giving in to love him (duet “Hubby hold my waist open”). After Hans reported to his future in-laws that he had the prospect of an inheritance of 200,000 marks, they too gave their blessing for the marriage (trio “How beautiful is Berlin”). When the aviator, scorned by everyone, drove his balloon over Groß-Karschau, he threw his ballast sand on the society, which was just reconciling. Music sounds and the curtain falls.
literature
- Jean Gilbert: Polish Economy. Posse in three acts . Alrobi Musikverlag, Berlin 1929.
- Leo Melitz: Guide through the operettas . Globus-Verlag, Berlin 1917, pp. 172-175.
Web links
- "Come on, my darling, in the Lunapark" (August 1910) Sound recording of the operetta song from 1910.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Musicological Institute of the University of Hamburg: Lexicon of persecuted musicians during the Nazi era: Jean Gilbert , last accessed on October 7, 2018.