(Cagliostro in Vienna) is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II 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 GirardiElizabeth Forbes: "Girardi, Alexander", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (1850–1918) as Blasoni. Another notable performer at the premiere was Marie Geistinger (1836–1903), who had created the role of Rosalinde in Strauss's Die Fledermaus. However, weaknesses in the libretto and—by Strauss's standards—the 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 version with a revised libretto by Gustav Quedenfeldt and music by Karl Tutein (who included themes from the Kaiser-Walzer) which premiered on 8 May 1941 in Danzig (Gdańsk).
Roles +RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 27 February 1875(Conductor: Johann Strauss II)Empress Maria TheresasopranoHenriette WieserMarie Luise, Infanta of Spain Baron Sebastian Schnucki, imperial custodian of moralsbaritoneAlfred SchreiberCount CagliostrobaritoneCarl Adolf FrieseLorenza, Italian street singersopranoMarie GeistingerFeri von Lieven, Lieutenant Frau Adami Annemarie, her niece Teiglein, pastry cook, Annemarie's guardian Blasoni, Count Cagliostro's aidetenorAlexander GirardiSeverin, 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
Notable arias "" [Gypsy child, how shiny your hair] "" [The rose will bloom when kissed by the sun] "" (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) , Op. 370 (1875), waltz , Op. 371 (Hail Austria) (1875), march , Op. 372 (If You Please!) (1875), French polka , Op. 373 (On the Hunt) (1875), quick polka , Op. 374 (Light and Shadow) (1875) polka Erich Wolfgang Korngold wrote an arrangement of the work, first performed on 13 April 1927 in Vienna.
References
External links Plot summary