Zigeunerbaron, Der

Second only to the popularity of Die Fledermaus during Strauss’ lifetime, and still one of the composer’s most performed works, Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron) was premiered in 4 October 1885. The scoring and the nature of Strauss’s music have led many music critics to consider Der Zigeunerbaron as a comic or lyric opera as opposed to an operetta, and the work is particulalry notable for being the first Viennese operetta set in Hungary (and whose main characters were Hungarians and Gypsies). Unsurprisingly, a Hungarian musical flavour is evident in much of the score - as can be heard from the chromatic motives and unusual orchestration of the Overture. Set in the eighteenth-century, Der Zigeunerbaron is based on the novel Saffi, and tells the colourful story of the proposed marriage of landowner Sándor Barinkay (returned from exile) and a gypsy girl (Arsena) who is revealed as the daughter of a Turkish Pasha (Zsupán), and the rightful owner of a hidden treasure. Amongst the many memorable characters are a fortune-telling Romany Queen, an absurdly self-important Mayor, a rascally Commissioner, a Military Governor, a band of Gypsies and a troop of Hussars.

Instrumentation
2 (2 dbl picc).2.2.2. / 4.2.3.0. / timp / perc / hp / str

Format
V/S C/P Lib O/S

Publisher
Cranz / JW