Opera Books
THE OPERA
EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH
VOLUME IV.
1909
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Millöcker.
Karl Millöcker,
composer of operettas, was born on May 29, 1842, at Vienna. He was a
pupil of the Conservatorium der Musikfreunde. In 1864 Millöcker was
theatre capeilmeister at Graz, and in 1866 at the Vienna Harmonietheater.
In 1869 he became capellmeister and composer at the Theater An-der-Wien.
He wrote the operettas: Der tote Gast (1865), Die beiden
Binder, Diana, Die Fraueninsel (Pesth), Der Regimentstambour, Ein
Abenteuer in Wien, Drei Paar Schuhe, Die Musik des Teufels, Das
verwunsehene Schloss (with songs in Upper Austrian dialect), Grä
fin Dubarry (1879), Apajune der Wassermann, Die Jung-frau von
Belleville, Der Bettelstudent (1882), Der Feldprediger
(1884), Der Dieb (Berlin, 1886), Der Viceadmiral (1886),
Die sieben Sckwaben (1887), Der arme Jonathan (1890),
Das Sonntagkind (1892), and several musical farces.
Millöcker’s music is light and piquant. Many of his operas were
very successful when presented in English adaptions in England and
America. He died at Vienna on December 31, 1899.
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Der Bettlestudent.
(The Beggar Student.)
Opera in three acts by
Millöcker. Libretto by Zell and Genée.
Characters: Symon Symonovicz, the beggar student; Janitsky, his
friend; Gen. Ollcndorf, military governor of Krakow; Enterich, Puffki,
jailers; Major Holtzheim; Sitzky, an innkeeper; Countess Palmatica;
Laura, Bronislava, her daughters; Eva; Ononphrie; Lient. Poppenburg;
Lieut. Schminitz; Lieut, Wangerheim; Burgomaster; Bogumil; courtiers,
prisoners, peasants, soldiers, musicians.
Place, Krakow. Time, 1704. First produced at Vienna in 1882.
At the opening of the first act General Ollendorf is enraged
because Laura, the Countess Palmatica’s daughter, has refused him. He feels this to be an insult, to avenge which he plans to get a poor young
man of one of the lower classes to pose as a prince, proper equipment
being furnished him, and to try to win the girl. To accomplish such a
marriage for the Countess’ daughter would satisfy Ollendorf’s vengeance.
The young man is found in the person of Symon Symonovicz, a Polish
student confined in the military prison, who consents to play the
desired rôle on condition that a fellow-prisoner, Janitsky, be allowed
to attend him as his secretary. The plan succeeds, the Countess and her
daughter who are in dire poverty being taken by the apparent prosperity
of the new suitor, and Laura accepts him.
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The second act shows the betrothed couple really in love with each
other. And now, the General’s money being all spent, the student is not
only compelled to make known his condition, but feels he ought to tell
his fiancée the truth, cost what it may. He dare not reveal it in words,
but writes it, and entrusts the letter to the Countess, begging her to
give it to Laura before the ceremony is to take place. But, through the
General, this intention is frustrated and the two are married. Yet no
sooner is this accomplished than he denounces Symon to all the guests
and succeeds in having him expelled from the palace.
In the third act Symon is in unfortunate circumstances, and is even
thinking of taking his life; but Janitsky, who has fallen in love with
Laura’s sister, Bronislava, saves him by appearing as a Polish officer
deep in a plot to take the town and restore King Staninlaus to the
throne of Poland. Symon helping, the plot succeeds; then as a reward
Symon is made a noble, whereupon the Countess and Laura forgive him the
deception practiced upon them, and the General is defeated in his plan
of vengeance.
Der Feldprediger.
(The Black Hussar.)
Opera in three acts by
Millöcker. Libretto by Wittmann and Wohlmuth.
Characters: Helbert, officer of the Black ilussars; Waldermann, his
companion; Hackenback, magistrate of Trautenfeld; Pifkow, his man of all
work; Thorilliere, major in Napoleon’s army; Hetman, captain of
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the Cossacks; Muffin, an actor; :Miinna, Rosetta, Hackenback’s daughters;
Barbara; Ricci; Goddess of Liberty; Germania; soldiers, peasants,
villagers, conspirators, etc.
Place, German village of Trautenfeld. Time, 1812. First produced at
Vienna in 1884.
Von Helbert is an officer of the Black Tilussars who, disguised as
an army chaplain, is trying to raise rebellion in the town of
Trautenfeld. ilackenback has been very fearful of any acts that might
bring on the town the ire of Napoleon, and has conducted himself with
great diplomacy in transactions between the Russians and the French, so
that it is difficult for Helbert to foment trouble. Nevertheless the
French are looking for him, but he manages to have posted up a
description of the magistrate instead of himself. Ilackenback has had a
panel of a wall in his house made reversible, with a portrait of the
Czar on one side and of Napoleon on the other, so that, should occasion
demand, he may be ready to show allegiance to either. The French
suspecting him, he goes to show them Napoleon’s portrait, but the Czar’s
has been turned outward, and this, in connection with the description
that Helbert had put up; causes his arrest.
Then the Black Hussar regiment arrives and captures the French
soldiers, and there is no further need for disguises. The love episodes
make the humor of the plot. The magistrate’s daughters, Minna and
Rosetta, with von Helbert and Waldermann, make up the couples, whose
caprices and misunderstandings are very droll, and give the opera,
though not musically the equal of tie Beggar Student, a sparkling
interest.
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Opera in three acts by
Millöcker. Libretto by F. Zell and R. Genée.
Characters: Prince Alamir Prutchesko; Heloise, his wife; Ilinka,
his niece; Manolle Kitchano, riding-master; Joza, his guard; Marcu, a
young peasant; Natalitza, his wife; Dobroi and Kathinka, her parents;
Alexandri, Prutchesko’s curator; Michailo, magistrate; Jaikef, a Jewish
innkeeper.
Place, the estate of Totroceni on the Dumbowitza River. Time, 1864.
First produced at Vienna in 1880.
In a gaily decorated square before a tavern near the Castle
peasants are celebrating the marriage of Marcu and Natalitza. The couple
enter and Natalitza sings of Apajune, the good spirit of the Dumbowitza,
that richly rewards newly-wed women who call on it at night. ‘All leave
the scene to dance, and Kitchano am pears and tells Joza that he loves
Ilinka, who is to arrive that day from Paris with the Prince, and that
he is anxious to see her at once, because the Princess, who was a hotel
owner in Paris, whom the Prince recently married for her money, wants to
force Ilinka to marry her rich nephew. After they depart, the curator,
Alexandri, comes, and, not knowing of the Prince’s expected arrival,
plays the part of the Prince. He requests the Jew to lend him two
hundred ducats, and orders Marcu and his wife to go to the castle.
Nitchano and Joza return, after having removed their beards and dressed
themselves as women. Joza is to be the aunt, who is to introduce her
newly-married
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niece to the Prince. Thus they expect to enter the castle. Marcu goes
with them as the husband of Nitchano.
Alexandri is told that the Prince is coming, so he tells the Jew
and Marcu not to come to the castle. The wedding guests hurry in to tell
that Marcu was seen going to the castle with two women, and Natalitza
hurries after him. The Prince, with his wife and niece, is welcomed, but
Heloise is grieved to find the castle so dilapitated.
In a barren hail in Castle Totroceni, among the trophies of which
is a huge hunting horn, Ilinka is writing a letter to Nitchano, while
the Prince is taunting his wife with having the manners of a
hotelkeeper. Marcu is announced, and takes the Prince for a valet, as he
still thinks Alexandri is the Prince. He tells the Princess of the
pranks of the supposititious Prince. The real Prince leaves in anger and
returns with a whip, but Marcu escapes.
Natalitza, looking for her husband, meets the Prince, who persuades
her to consult Apajune. Marcu returns at dusk, sees Ilinka and Nitschano
elope, and is bribed to silence; but when the Princess seeks her niece
he tells the secret. Marcu is locked up in a cellar, and all pursue the
dopers, Heloise leading with the huge horn.
In a park with overgrown grottoes, Natalitza is looking for her
innocent husband, and Ilinka is alarmed, as Nitschano could not find the
horses in the dark and has gone after a wagon. Marcu comes to the
railing, as the grotto is an outlet from the cellar, and shakes it down.
Seeing someone coming, he hides. It is Alexandri, disguised as Apajune.
Marcu scares him away
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and takes his discarded costume. Prutscnesko also comes as Apajune;
Ilinka meets him; he thinks she is Natalitza and gives her a jewel. But
she has recognized her uncle and leaves him. Marcu meets the Prince and
the two Apajunes try in vain to look behind each other’s masks. But
Marcu recognizes the “valet,” and chases him into the river. All come at
the Prince’s cry for help, and Nitschano and his followers save him. He
has to make the best of the awkward situation, and lets his wife
straighten the affair out. She is won over, and unites the lovers.
Der Arme Jonathan.
(Poor Jonathan.)
Opera in three acts by
Millöcker. Libretto by Hugo Wittmann and Julius Bauer.
Characters: Mr. Vandergold, a rich American; Jonathan Tripp, his
cook; Tobias Quickly, an impressario; Catalucci, a composer; Brostolone,
a bass singer; Prof. Dryander; Harriet, his niece; Count Nowalsky;
Arabella, his sister; Holmes, a lawyer; Billy (colored) and Molly,
servants of Vandergold; François, inspector; girl students.
Place, Boston, Monaco and New York. Time, Nineteenth Century. First
produced at Vienna in 1890.
The rich Mr. Vandergold is entertaining his friends at a banquet in
his sumptuous home, but he only looks on dejectedly. Luxurious living
and riches have become a bore to him. When the dessert is brought in in
the form of the Eiffel Tower made of lemon ice, it is discovered that
the cook, Jonathan, has used soap
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instead of lemon, by mistake, so he is dismissed. Vandergold’s friends,
especially the impressario, try in vain to cheer him. He has fallen in
love with Harriet, who has just been graduated with honors, and is
greatly annoyed because she has consented to follow Quickly’s advice to
cultivate her beautiful voice and become a singer. She, too, loves
Vandergold, but decides not to tell him so until she has cured him of
ennui.
Meanwhile the forlorn Jonathan returns, not knowing which way to
turn, as it was only after a long search that he had found his position
here, where he fell in love with the maid, Molly. Vandergold, who
despairs of winning Harriet, decides to shoot himself just as Jonathan
enters. But after he hears Jonathan tell of his troubles he enters into
a strange compact with him. He will give him control of his entire
fortune, so that he can marry Molly at once and enjoy all the luxuries
of the rich on one condition, viz., if either he (Vandergold) or
Jonathan should become dissatisfied with his new condition, the
discontented one is to approach the other and give the sign agreed upon,
which is to sing Harriet’s Italian song, “Will you be my beloved?”
whereupon both of them will die at once.
The second act shows the characters diverting themselves at Monte
Carlo, Monaco. The count, his sister and Quickly state that they have
lost at the gaming tables, but that Jonathan is continually winning. The
impressario has arranged to have Harriet sing that night, but knows she
will not do it unless Vandergold is there to listen to her. He comes in
at the last moment.
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Meanwhile Molly enters gaily dressed, and the count tries to win
her affections, but Jonathan interrupts him. This and all the other
annoyances of his new station make Jonathan sigh for the time when both
he and Molly were poor. It has made him indifferent to the once
worrisome fact that Vandergold can come at any time and sing the ominous
song, which has become very popular. Jonathan has been very generous to
Quickly, so the latter takes good care that Vandergold and Jonathan
should not meet. Once, when Vandergold is told that Jonathan had won
Harriet’s love, he tries to sing the strain, but his memory failed him.
Quickly at once has it reported that Harriet has eloped, and that sends
Vandergold after her, while Jonathan is watched by the inspector.
From Monaco they all go to New York. Jonathan is living in a
magnificent home, but his servants go on a strike, even though he is to
entertain that day. A faithful retainer goes to the docks to get help,
and engages a sailor. The count and his sister have advised Jonathan to
take Vandergold’s name, which the agreement permits, and then he is
annoyed for money to keep up Vaudergold’s gifts and pensions, and is
even threatened with imprisonment for failure to meet other obligations.
Harriet has told the count and Arabella to make Jonathan’s life
miserable, so Arabella accuses him of breach of promise, and the count
challenges him. Then the sheriff comes to arrest him, as he is suspected
of knowing something of the mysterious disappearance of the rich Mr.
Vandergold.
As Jonathan, in a rage, is about to sing the song to Vandergold (the
“sailor,” who has made known his
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identity), Molly puts her hand on his mouth and advises him to return
the money and to go away. Harriet confesses that she caused all the
trouble for Jonathan, as she knew that Vandergold, while working hard as
a sailor, had taken a new interest in life. She joyfully agrees to
become his wife, and Jonathan is heartily glad to give up his burden and
accept a position under Vandergold.
Last updated April 18, 2007