Leichte Kavallerie
Encyclopedia
Leichte Kavallerie is an operetta
in three acts by Franz von Suppé
, with a libretto
by Karl Costa. It was first performed in the Carltheater
, Vienna
on 21 March 1866.
The opera is set in the 18th century amid the court intrigues of the Baron and his Hungarian Countess lover, whose ballet company is referred to as the 'light cavalry'.
While much of the operetta remains in relative obscurity, the Light Cavalry Overture
is one of von Suppé's best known works.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in three acts by Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé
Franz von Suppé or Francesco Suppé Demelli was an Austrian composer of light operas who was born in what is now Croatia during the time his father was working in this outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
, with a libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Karl Costa. It was first performed in the Carltheater
Carltheater
The Carltheater was a theatre in Vienna. It was in the suburbs in Leopoldstadt at Praterstraße 31 .It was the successor to the Leopoldstädter Theater. After a series of financial difficulties, that theater had been sold in 1838 to the director, Carl Carl, who continued to run it in parallel to his...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on 21 March 1866.
The opera is set in the 18th century amid the court intrigues of the Baron and his Hungarian Countess lover, whose ballet company is referred to as the 'light cavalry'.
While much of the operetta remains in relative obscurity, the Light Cavalry Overture
Light Cavalry Overture
The Light Cavalry Overture is the overture to Franz von Suppé’s operetta Light Cavalry .Although the opera is rarely performed or recorded, the overture is one of Suppé's most popular compositions, and has achieved a quite distinct life of its own, divorced from the opera of which it originally...
is one of von Suppé's best known works.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 21 March 1866 (Conductor:) |
|---|---|---|
| Bums, the mayor | bass | |
| Apollonia, his wife | contralto | |
| Jimber Pankraz, a grocer | spoken | |
| Eulalia, his wife | mezzo-soprano | |
| Weissling, the baker | spoken | |
| Dorothea, his daughter | soprano | |
| Kitt, a glazier | spoken | |
| Regina, his daughter | soprano | |
| Vilma, an orphan | soprano | |
| Hermann, Vilma's lover | tenor | |
| Janos, a hussar | bass | |
| Stefan, a hussar | ||
| Carol, a hussar | ||
External links
- Boosey and Hawkes guide to Leichte Kavallerie, 1952 version with libretto by Hans Bodenstedt (1887-1958) and musical arrangement by Horst Platen, accessed 7 June 2010
- IMSLP page, accessed 7 June 2010
- Welt der Operette page on original 1866 version, accessed 7 June 2010
- MIDI file of Light Cavalry Overture (http://www.midicenter.com/midi/midi_files/classical/)