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Overview
Synopsis
Young Edwin, son and heir to Prince Lippert-Weylersheim, has fallen deeply in love with Sylva Varescu, the incomparably beautiful cabaret singer in Budapest, and cannot bear to let her leave to tour America tomorrow. When his cousin, Captain Baron von Rohnsdorff, arrives to summon him to return to active duty in Vienna, he is reminded of the promises he made at home. His family are desperate to announce his official engagement to his childhood sweetheart, Countess Anastasia Eckenberg, and Rohnsdorff has even brought one of the announcement cards they have prepared. Edwin wants nothing to do with his family anymore, and immediately summons a lawyer and witnesses so that he and Sylva can be married on the spot, much to Sylva’s amazement. It comes as little surprise to find that it was all a charade, when her manager, Boni, shows her the announcement card: Edwin was not free to marry, so the contract is void. She leaves to tour America intent on making the world love her.
Back in Vienna, the Lippert-Weylersheim’s are holding a grand ball, intending to finally make the announcement of their son’s engagement. Things do not completely go to plan when two unexpected guests arrive: Count Bonifazius Kancsianu (Boni), and his wife, the Countess (Sylva), who many remark looks like a wonderful cabaret singer they know. Sylva has a plan to get Edwin to commit to their original contract, but when she finds out from several sources that he is ashamed of her, she tears the contract in pieces. In the meantime, Boni has fallen madly in love with the straight-talking ‘Stasi’, Edwin’s future wife, and she is somewhat taken by his witty tongue, and his professions of devotion to her. With his old friend Feri, they set about untangling these relationships so that everyone ends up with the right person.
In true operetta style, this fabulously funny story is interspersed with lots of waltzes, as well as the raucous choruses that are characteristic of the genre. With its happy ending and some beautiful gypsy-melodies, it is no surprise that Die Csárdásfürstin remains one of the most popular operetta’s in the canon today.
Show Information
- Music
- Emmerich Kálmán
- Libretto
- Leo Stein , Bela Jenbach
- Category
- Operetta
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1915
- Genres
- Comedy, Romance
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- pre-WW1, Budapest, Vienna, Early 20th Century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult, Elderly Characters, Large Cast
Context
Although this work is public domain in the US and Canada, is is not yet public domain in the EU and other countries.
Due to the nature of operetta, there are several different versions of Die Csárdásfürstin, which was rewritten for different audiences, as The Riviera Girl in New York 1917, and The Gipsy Princess in London 1921. This guide is based on the original German version, so some discrepancies may occur.
to read the context for Die Csárdásfürstin and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken, Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken, Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken, Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken, Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer, Baritone, Bass, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Spoken, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Spoken, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Vorspiel
Act One - The Orpheum Cabaret Theatre in Budapest
Scene 1 ‘Olala! Olala!’ - Feri, Boni, Sylva
Scene 2 ‘No: was hab’ ich euch gesagt Mittag bei Rennen?’ - Feri, Boni, Merö, Szerenyi, Miksa
Scene 3 ‘Servus Kinder!’ - Endrey, Vihar, Feri, Boni, Merö
No. 2. Marsch-Ensemble ‘Alle sind wir Sünder’ - Boni, Feri, Showgirls
Scene 4 ‘Sie müssen mir etwas besorgen’ - Edwin, Miksa
Scene 5 ‘Servus, Edwin! Wo steckst den ganzen Abend?’ - Boni, Edwin, Sylva
Scene 6 ‘Edwin gescheit sein!’ - Sylva, Edwin, Boni
Scene 7 ‘Edwin es ist mein letzter Abend heute’ - Sylva, Edwin
No. 3. Duett ‘Sylva, ich will nur dich’ - Sylva, Edwin
_Scene 8 ‘Kommt nur, Mauserln!’ - Boni, Juliska, Aranka, Cleo, Rizzi, Selma, Mia, Vally, Daisy (Showgirls) _
No. 4. Lied ‘Aus ist’s mit der Liebe’ - Boni, Showgirls
Scene 9 ‘Kinder schnell!’ - Feri, Merö, Vihar, two Cavaliers, Boni, Showgirls, Sylva, Edwin
No. 5. Lied ‘O jag’ dem Glück nicht nach’ - Sylva, Edwin, Boni, Feri
Scene 10 ‘Melden Sie mich sofort Seiner’ - Rohnsdorff, Miksa, Edwin
Scene 11 ‘Durchlaucht, wo stecken Sie?’ - Sylva, Edwin, Rohnsdorff
Scene 12 ‘Na, na reiss’ dich nur nicht!’ - Edwin, Rohnsdorff
Scene 13 ‘Was hör ich da?’ - Boni, Edwin, Rohnsdorff
Scene 14 ‘Sag’, bin ich deine Freind?’ - Boi, Rohnsdorff
Scene 15 ‘Kommt! Alle! Kommt!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Feri, Cavaliers, Showgirls
Scene 16 ‘Da is der alter Rechtsverdraher, der Kisch!’ - Edwin, Kisch, Sylva
No. 6. Finale I ‘Ich Edwin Ronald’ - Edwin, Sylva, Kisch, Feri, Showgirls, Chorus
Act Two - Grand Hall in the House of Prince Lippert-Weylerrsheim, Vienna
Entr’akt (Scene 1)
No. 7. Tanzwalzer ‘Erstrahlen die Lichter’ - Chorus
Scene 2 ‘Nun, Anhilte, was sagst du?’ - Prince, Princess
Scene 3 ‘Sei nicht so wild, Stasi!’ - Edwin, Stasi
No. 8. Schwalbenduett ‘Ich warte auf das große Wunder’ - Stasi, Edwin
Scene 4 ‘Es ist nichts mit der Verlobung, Leopold Maria’ - Prince, Princess
Scene 5 ‘Wen darf ich melden?’ - Lackey, Sylva, Boni
Scene 6 ‘Was hör’ ich? Der Boni?’ - Prince, Princess, Stasi, Boni, Sylva, MacGrave, Guests
Scene 7 ‘Ja, ist’s möglich? Boni ist da?’ - Edwin, Boni, Prince, Sylva, Guests
Scene 8 ‘Jetzt red’Was soll das heißen?’ - Edwin, Boni
Scene 9 ‘Bonifazius, der Fürst verlangt nach Dir!’ - Boni, Edwin, Sylva
Scene 10 ‘Sylva!’ - Edwin, Sylva
No. 9. Duett ‘Heller Jubel’ - Sylva, Edwin
Scene 11 ‘Ach, gehen Sie! Sie sind ein Schmeichler!’ - Stasi, Boni
Scene 12 ‘Ihre Frau!’ - Stasi, Boni, Sylva, Edwin
No. 10. Quartett ‘Liebchen, mich reißt es’ - Sylva, Stasi, Edwin, Boni
Scene 13 ‘Diese Gräfin - ein himmlisches Weib!’ - Prince, Sylva
Scene 14 ‘Sie sind ja ein Wildling, Ah -ich bin schon matsch!’ - Stasi, Boni
No. 11. Duett ‘Mädel, guck’ - Stasi, Boni
Scene 15 ‘Sylva, Sie belügen sich selbst!’ - Edwin, Sylva
Scene 16 ‘Ha!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Boni
Scene 17 ‘Sylva, alles wird wieder gut!’ - Edwin, Sylva, Boni
Scene 18 ‘Sylva! Boni gibt dich frei. Jetzt bist du mein!’ - Edwin, Sylva
No. 12. Duett ‘Tanzen möcht’ ich’ - Sylva, Edwin
Scene 19 ‘Jetzt komm, Liebste, geh’n wir zum Vater.’ - Sylva, Edwin
Final Scene ‘Ja, Edwin - du läßt mich ja sitzen’ - Stasi, Sylva, Lackey, Prince, Princess, Edwin, Guests
No. 13. Finale II ‘Das Glück wohnt überall’ - All Soloists and Chorus
Act Three - The Grand Hotel
Intermezzo
Scene 1 ‘Is dir jetzt leichter?’ - Sylva, Boni
Scene 2 ‘Ja, schlaf’ ich oder träum’ ich!’ - Feri, Boni, Sylva
Scene 3 ‘Wer denn? Wer denn?’ - Showgirls, Sylva, Feri, Boni
No. 14. Terzett Jay Mamám ‘Nimm, Zigeuner, deine Gelge’ - Sylva, Boni, Feri, Showgirls
Scene 4 ‘Bitte hier zu warten.’ - Edwin, Hotelgroom, Boni
Scene 5 ‘War Edwin da?’ - Prince, Boni
Scene 6 ‘Du Boni, Sylva läßt dir sagen, du sollst packen komme’ - Prince, Feri, Boni, Juliska, Hotelgroom
Scene 7 ‘Verzeihung - hab’ ich die Ehre mit altem Edwin?’ - Feri, Prince
Scene 8 ‘Wo ist mein Sohn, wo ist Edwin?’ Prince, Princess, Feri
Scene 9 ‘Stasi wartet unten mit dem Grafen’ - Prince, Princess
Scene 10 ‘Das ist eine Nacht!’ - Stasi, Boni
No. 15. Duett-Reminiszenz ‘Mädel, guck’ - Stasi, Boni
Scene 11 ‘Sylva kommt! Jetzt mach’ ich meinen Schwindel vor’ - Boni, Sylva, Edwin
Scene 12 ‘Nun?’ - Stasi, Boni, Edwin, Sylva
No. 16. Schlußgesang ‘Tausend kleine Engel’ - Sylva, Stasi, Edwin, Boni
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.