Featured Opera

Graefin Mariza

Composed in 1924, this immensely popular operetta exemplifies Kálmán's ability to successfully incorporate Hungarian motifs into the traditional Viennese light opera. One of the finest examples of the genre, this work features interesting solo parts for tenor and soprano, a skillfully-crafted, colorful orchestral score, and an well as an engaging story. SYNOPSIS: 1920, Countess Mariza’s estate near the Hungarian border. Manja, the gypsy girl, tries unsuccessfully to capture the attention of Béla Törek, the newly hired bailiff on Mariza's estate. Törek, in reality, is Count Tassilo, who, because of his late father's debts, has been forced to sell all his…

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Csardasfuerstin, Die

Widely beloved and arguably Kálmán's most successful work, his 1915 Die Csárdásfürstin (The Gipsy Princess) is still one of the most popular of all operettas, having been translated into almost 20 languages, and filmed and recorded extensively. The story tells of the love of famous cabaret star Sylva and Count Edwin, who cannot marry due to their differing social positions. His mother, Princess Karen, eventually saves the day with a last minute disclosure about her own past - it is discovered that she herself had been on the stage prior to marriage. Describes as one of the “pinnacles of Viennese…

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Merry Widow, The (Die Lustige Witwe)

First performed in 1905, and often called "The Queen of Operettas", Die Lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) was the work with which Lehár shot to fame, and is certainly the most celebrated and successful show of its kind ever written. The melodies and songs - Vilja, The Merry Widow Waltz, You'll Find Me At Maxim's, to name but a few - are lovingly played and sung the whole world over, making it one of the surest box-office attractions of all time. SYNOPSIS: Pontevedrian embassy, Paris, 1905. The Ambassador, Baron Zeta, is desperate that the wealthy widow Hanna Glavari marry a…

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Happy Prince, The

Synopsis coming soon

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Magic Flute, The (Die Zauberflöte)

Mozart's last stage work, Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), was completed just two days before its premiere in Vienna on 30 September 1791. A masterpiece filled with enigmatic references to the Freemasons, an organization of which Mozart was a member, The Magic Flute would undoubtedly have made Mozart rich, but it opened less than three months before his death. SYNOPSIS: Ancient Egypt. The Queen of the Night is furious with High Priest Sarastro because he has taken away her daughter, Pamina. Tamino, a young Prince in search of adventure, is sent by the Queen to rescue her daughter. Tamino is…

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