Einzugsmarsch - MVSR2379 | Musica

Johann Strauss worked unusually long on the completion of the “Gipsy Baron” and like in the case of “The Bat” he was provided a libretto that was a lot of use to the topic. It was a comedy with people of flesh and blood, colorful locations, seasoned with humor and emotion. The “Gipsy Baron” relies on his mixture of romanticism and up-to-dateness. It therefore is not astonishing that much of its music will be played as long as there are men who take pleasure in music. When the “Gipsy Baron” was premiered in the Theater an der Wien – the first production at the New York Metropolitan Opera regarded it as a romantic opera – on October 24, 1895, an enthusiastic audience acclaimed the composer, as it was not only the evening of a splendid premiere, but rather the eve of Strauss’ sixtieth anniversary which was not only celebrated together with him by Austria-Hungary, but at least by half of the world too. The correspondence between Strauss and his librettist Schnitzler reveals that the march from act III of the “Gipsy Baron” was to become, and in fact really did become a big number of the operetta. The relevant quotation is insofar of especial importance, as Strauss usually did not devote much of his time to décor and stage setting: “The march in act III must turn out to be magnificent. Some 80-100 soldiers (on foot and on horseback). Sutler-girls, Hungarian, Viennese (and Spanish) robes, people, children with bunches of leaves and flowers have to appear – the latter will spread them on the ground to welcome the returning warriors etc., etc., the stage will be opened to the Papageno gate – it has to be a scene which will be much, much more magnificent than in [Millöcker's] “Field Chaplain” – as this time we want to think of Austrian military and people in joyful emotion about a victoriously ended war!”

RUNDEL Johann-Strauß-Edition