Cagliostro in Wien

"Cagliostro in Wien" ("Cagliostro in Vienna") is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauß (Sohn) to a libretto by F. Zell and Richard Genée. It premiered on 27 February 1875 at the Theater an der Wien, featuring Marie Geistinger and Alexander Girardi.

Reception

The premiere was highly successful, in no small part due to the audience favourite Alexander Girardi [Elizabeth Forbes: "Girardi, Alexander", "Grove Music Online" ed. L. Macy (Accessed Date|2008-06-28), http://www.grovemusic.com] (1850–1918) as Blasoni. Another notable performer at the premiere was Marie Geistinger (1836–1903) who had created the role of Rosalinde in Strauß' "Die Fledermaus". However, weaknesses in the libretto and the —by Strauß' standards— pallid music meant the work could not garner the level of long-term public support of the composer's other works. These shortcomings were corrected in a revised version (libretto: Gustav Quedenfeldt, music: Karl Tutein, who included themes from the Kaiser-Walzer) which premiered on 8 May 1941 in Danzig (Gdańsk).

Roles

*Empress Maria Theresia
*Marie Luise, Infanta of Spain
*Baron Sebastian Schnucki, imperial custodian of morals
*Count Cagliostro
*Lorenza, Italian street singer
*Feri von Lieven, Lieutenant
*Mrs Adamai
*Annemarie, her niece
*Teiglein, pastry cook, Annemarie's guardian
*Blasoni, Count Cagliostro's aide
*Severin, owner of a funfair stall
*Innkeeper of "The Turk Sconce"
*The Hofmarschall
*Beppo and Barberino, Count Cagliostro's aides
*Ladies and gentlemen of the court, people, soldiers, police

Time and place: Vienna, 1765

Notable arias

*"Zigeunerkind, wie glänzt dein Haar" ("Gypsy child, how shiny your hair")
*"Die Rose erblüht, wenn die Sonne sie küsst" ("The rose will bloom when kissed by the sun")
*"Könnt' ich mit Ihnen fliegen durchs Leben" ("Cagliostro Waltz") ("Could I but fly with you through life")

Adaptations

Johann Strauß used material from his operetta for the following works:
*"Cagliostro-Quadrille" op. 369 (1875)
*"Cagliostro-Walzer" op. 370 (1875), waltz
*"Hoch Österreich" op. 371 ("Hail Austria") (1875), march
*"Bitte schön!" op. 372 ("If You Please!") (1875), French polka
*"Auf der Jagd" op. 373 ("On the Hunt") (1875), quick polka
*"Licht und Schatten" op. 374 ("Light and Shadow") (1875) polka

Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote an arrangement of the work, first performed on 13 April 1927 in Vienna.

ources

*Reclams Operettenführer, Anton Würz (ed.), Stuttgart 1962
*Elizabeth Forbes: "Girardi, Alexander", "Grove Music Online" ed. L. Macy (Accessed Date|2008-06-28), http://www.grovemusic.com

External links

*cite web
url = http://www.planet-vienna.com/Musik/Operette/Handlungen/cagliostro.htm
title = Johann Strauss Jun. — Cagliostro in Wien
accessdate = 2008-07-10
language = German
publisher = Planet-Vienna Plot summary