Leichte Kavallerie

• Bums, Mayor
• Apollonia, his wife
• Pancrazio, council
• Eulalia, his wife
• White Butterfly
• Dorothea, his daughter
• Putty
• Regina, his daughter
• Vilma, an orphan
• Hermann, her lover
• Janos, sergeant with the Hussars
• Stefan, Husar
• Carol, Husar
• Hussars, councilors, people

Light Cavalry is an operetta in two acts by the composer Franz von Suppe and librettist Charles Costa. On March 21, 1866 this play was first performed at the Carl Theatre in Vienna. Today, it is known only by its world-famous overture.

Introduction

The legend that the operetta, which parody the Austrian military, after the lost war against Prussia in 1867 banned is just as false as the assertion to the contrary, the operetta could no longer be played because they too may glorify the military. The hussars life is here indeed represented romanticized, but not glorified. The Light Cavalry is the first Viennese operetta, which brings long before the "Gypsy Baron" (1895, Johann Strauss), the Hungarian element in the music.

From the operetta " Light Cavalry " is from 1934, a reworking of Hans Bodenstedtstraße. In this version, the action takes place in the period around 1750 to the castle of rock and is concerned with the question of what one can do if the sovereign spends his money for mistresses. It was decided that a real cavalry fetch in order to end the Lotter economy of the country gentlemen.

Action

Vilma is an orphan who was raised by the community. Now it has become a pretty young woman and turned all men's heads. Of the wives is an eyesore and they complain to the mayor and the council Bums Pancrazio on the dissolute behavior Vilma. Bums and Pankrazberg are secretly in love with Vilma, but must be convened at the urging of her jealous wives a council to decide to exile Vilma. The local councils come to no result ( song " As clever as clever, we of the G'meind ").

Vilma does not care about people's gossip, for she is in love with Hermann. This idyll is interrupted by the collection of Hungarian hussars. Under the leadership of their sergeant Janos they relate quarters among the citizens and especially the female population greeted the soldiers with cheers.

Hermann Vilma tried in vain to get married. His guardian, Mayor Bums, refused his consent, since he still makes himself hope for the young pretty woman. Disappointed, Hermann wants to join the hussars and talks so with Janos. This will help Hermann, as he has now noticed by now, as it is with the modesty in this location. He wants the population - women and men - playing a prank to teach them a lesson.

Janos promises them to arrange a tête -à -tête with Vilma in secret Bums and Pancrazio. Instead of Vilma he lures Eulalia, wife of Pankrazberg to this rendezvous. Eulalia, which is an affair with Janos not averse to believe in this meeting Janos taken. This directed it so that Apollonia, wife of Bums, close, and can eavesdrop on the whole. Coincidentally then meet up at this meeting in the dark on Carol and Stefan with the bourgeois daughters Dorothea and Regina.

Janos has compassion for the unhappy lover, Hermann and Vilma because he had similar experiences too. When he was young he loved Zinka, which he did because of his poverty was not allowed to marry. He had to leave and had never seen her again. While he thinks of his old love, him a song occurs to which he had always sung with Zinka and knows the no more. Suddenly just heard this song. But it is not Zinka, but Vilma, who sings this sad song. She learned it in their childhood by her mother.

Janos examined in the dark after the singer and finds Vilma. His questions revealed that the great surprise Vilma is his daughter. So great is the joy of having found daughter, so great is his anger over the treatment Vilma in this city. The trick he had thought up is completed. After all participants have made as large as possible ridiculous, Janos forces the Mayor of the wedding Vilmas agree with Hermann.

As Bums necessarily gives its blessing, the signal sounds to march. The hussars gather at the market place and ride - happy as they come - back on. The Light Cavalry has done its duty.

Recordings

There is a single radio recording of this work by the ORF of 1958, which was not available for a long time due to copyright issues. 2009 was the receptacle in which, inter alia, Karl Terkal, Kurt Preger, Laurence Dutoit and Marianne Lozal occur as vocalists next to the Great Vienna Radio Orchestra under Max Schönherr, published Hamburger Archive for Song Art at the label.

Others

The International Sport driver course at Scuderia Hanseat at the Nürburgring sets since its creation in 1958, the overture as a Startfanfare.

Eintracht Frankfurt used the overture as Torhymne.