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Title |
|
Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gipsy Baron) |
| Composer |
|
Johann Strauss Jr. (1825 - 1899) |
| Librettist |
|
Ignaz Schnitzler (1839 - 1921) |
| Genre |
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Comic opera (three acts) |
|
First performance |
|
Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 24 October, 1885. |
| Time of
action |
|
1742 - 1744 |
| Place of action |
|
- Southern Hungary
- Near a ruined castle in
the same area
- Vienna.
|
| Main parts |
|
Count Peter Homonay |
tenor or high baritone |
| |
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Count Ludovico Carnero |
bass-baritone |
| |
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Sándor Barinkay |
tenor |
| |
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Kálmán Zsupán |
bass-baritone |
| |
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Arsena |
soprano |
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|
Mirabella |
contralto or mezzo-soprano |
| |
|
Ottokar |
tenor |
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Czipra |
mezzo-soprano |
| |
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Saffi |
soprano |
|
Prominence of chorus |
|
Large. |
|
Orchestra |
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2 flutes, 2
oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4
French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, kettle-drums,
percussion, strings. |
|
Special demands |
|
A large company is needed if complete
performance of double chorusses in first finale is desired.. |
|
Full
score and orchestral parts |
|
Available. |
|
Level |
|
One of the more difficult operettas in the
Viennese repertoire. The composer called it an opera. |
|
Length |
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About 2½ hours. Three acts. |
| Music |
|
The composer spent two years' work on this
operetta, with obvious result. In close co-operation with the librettist,
Strauss has created a masterpiece, harmonically and melodically magnificent,
wunderfully scored. Almost all its music is world-famous, for example the
brilliant overture, Barinkay's entrance-song, Zsupán's very earthy song,
Saffi's csárdás, the
free-love duet, the treasure-waltz, the gripping recruiting song and so on. |
| Story |
|
A charming rogue seeks the hand of a Hungarian
swine-breeder's daughter. The young lady, who has a secret relationship with
a worthless cox-comb, tells him not to come back before he is a baron, at the
least. Shortly afterwards he is made a wojwode by a troupe of
gipsies, a title among them which is equal to that of baron. This does not
satisfy the lady, who dislikes gipsies and gipsy-barons alike. The young man
then chooses the poorest of the gipsy-girls to be his bride. When the poor
girl turns out to be a Turkish princess, he feels unworthy of her and goes
into the army. The third act brings a happy ending. |
|
Costumes |
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Eighteenth century: gipsies,
hussars, country-folk. |
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