Der Bettelstudent
Encyclopedia
Der Bettelstudent is an operetta
in three acts by Carl Millöcker with a German
libretto
by Camillo Walzel
(under the pseudonym
of F. Zell) and Richard Genée
, based on Les noces de Fernande by Victorien Sardou
and The Lady of Lyons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
. However, the librettists added the element of combining love and politics to the French comedy plots. A West German film adaptation The Beggar Student
was directed by Werner Jacobs
in 1956.
, Vienna
, on December 6, 1882. It was a success and allowed Millöcker to retire from conducting. Johann Strauss II
rejected the libretto in favor of A Night in Venice
, but Millöcker's work turned out to be an enduringly popular operetta, with over 5,000 productions.
The piece played at the Thalia Theatre
in New York City
in 1883 and then in English at the Casino Theatre in 1883. It was revived in New York at least three times: in 1898 at the American Theatre, in 1899 at the American Theatre, and in 1913 at the Casino Theatre. It was also performed in London
at the Alhambra Theatre
in 1884, in a four-act version.
The operetta has been filmed at least four times – once in English (1931), and once as a silent film (1927). It has also been performed on German television. Recent productions in English include Ohio Light Opera
(1996), and Light Opera Works
(1991).
s to reveal his location to the Austrians. Janicki asks Symon to impersonate the grand duke until the money for his capture can be paid. The plot succeeds. In return, he is knighted by King Stanislaus and accepted by his wife and mother-in-law.
Act 2
Act 3
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 Carl Millöcker with a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
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 Camillo Walzel
Camillo Walzel
Camillo Walzel was an German librettist and theatre director, who wrote under the pseudonym F Zell.Walzel was born in Magdeburg. In his early years, he worked in his father lithographic factory, then studied in the Wiener Akademie der bildenden Künste, before joining the army...
(under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of F. Zell) and Richard Genée
Richard Genée
Franz Friedrich Richard Genée was a Prussian born Austrian librettist, playwright, and composer.Genée was born in Danzig. One of his best known works was the libretto of Karl Millöcker's operetta Der Bettelstudent, which he co-wrote with Friedrich Zell .In 1876, Genée composed the operetta Der...
, based on Les noces de Fernande by Victorien Sardou
Victorien Sardou
Victorien Sardou was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play...
and The Lady of Lyons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton
Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton PC , was an English politician, poet, playwright, and novelist. He was immensely popular with the reading public and wrote a stream of bestselling dime-novels which earned him a considerable fortune...
. However, the librettists added the element of combining love and politics to the French comedy plots. A West German film adaptation The Beggar Student
The Beggar Student (film)
The Beggar Student is a 1956 German musical film directed by Werner Jacobs and starring Gerhard Riedmann, Waltraut Haas and Elma Karlowa. It is based on the operetta Der Bettelstudent by Karl Millöcker...
was directed by Werner Jacobs
Werner Jacobs
-Selected filmography:* Gitarren der Liebe * André and Ursula * San Salvatore * Santa Lucia * The Count of Luxemburg * Münchhausen in Afrika * Here I Am, Here I Stay...
in 1956.
Performance history
The work was performed first at the Theater an der WienTheater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien is a historic theatre on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district of Vienna. Completed in 1801, it has seen the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music...
, 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 December 6, 1882. It was a success and allowed Millöcker to retire from conducting. Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
rejected the libretto in favor of A Night in Venice
Eine Nacht in Venedig
Eine Nacht in Venedig is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II and was premiered in Berlin on 3 October 1883 in the Neues Friedrich Wilhelmstadisches Theater, and is the only one of the operettas of Johann Strauss II ever to be premiered outside Vienna...
, but Millöcker's work turned out to be an enduringly popular operetta, with over 5,000 productions.
The piece played at the Thalia Theatre
Bowery Theatre
The Bowery Theatre was a playhouse in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City. Although it was founded by rich families to compete with the upscale Park Theatre, the Bowery saw its most successful period under the populist, pro-American management of Thomas Hamblin in the 1830s and 1840s...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1883 and then in English at the Casino Theatre in 1883. It was revived in New York at least three times: in 1898 at the American Theatre, in 1899 at the American Theatre, and in 1913 at the Casino Theatre. It was also performed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the Alhambra Theatre
Alhambra Theatre
The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as The Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two years and reopened as the Alhambra. The building was...
in 1884, in a four-act version.
The operetta has been filmed at least four times – once in English (1931), and once as a silent film (1927). It has also been performed on German television. Recent productions in English include Ohio Light Opera
Ohio Light Opera
The Ohio Light Opera is a professional opera company based in Wooster, Ohio that performs the light opera repertory, including Gilbert and Sullivan, American, British and continental operettas, and other musical theatre works, especially of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
(1996), and Light Opera Works
Light Opera Works
Light Opera Works is a resident professional not-for-profit musical theatre company in Evanston, Illinois. It was founded in 1980 by Philip Kraus, Bridget McDonough , and Ellen Dubinsky....
(1991).
Roles
| Role | Voice type Voice type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types... |
Premiere cast, 6 December 1882 (Conductor Conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble... : Carl Millöcker) |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel Ollendorf, Commander of Krakow | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Felix Schweighofer |
| Symon Rymanowicz, the beggar student | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
|
| Jan Janicki, a student | tenor | Alexander Girardi Alexander Girardi Alexander Girardi was an Austrian] actor and tenor singer in operettas.- Career :Girardi was born in Graz; his father was the locksmith Andreas Girardi who had migrated to Graz from Cortina d'Ampezzo. Following the early death of his father, Alexander Girardi was raised by his stepfather who put... |
| Enterich, a jailer | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Carl Adolf Friese |
| Piffke, warden | tenor | |
| Puffke, warden | tenor | |
| Richthofen | tenor | |
| Palmatica, Countess Nowalska | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
|
| Laura Nowalska, Palmatica's daughter | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
|
| Bronislava, Palmatica's daughter | soprano | |
| Onuphrie, Palmatica's servant | bass | |
| Count Bogumil Malachowski, Palmatica's cousin | bass | |
| Eva, wife of Bogumil | mezzo-soprano | |
| Major von Wangenheim | tenor | |
| Lieutenant von Schweinitz | bass | |
| Captain Henrici | bass | |
| Prisoners and their wives, soldiers, wedding guests chorus | ||
Synopsis
- Place: KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... - Time: 1704
Act 1
Colonel Ollendorf seeks revenge against Laura Nowalska, who rebuffed him with her fan, offended by his advances. Laura's mother declares that only a Pole and nobleman can be her son-in-law. He releases a seemingly penniless student and his friend (Symon and Janicki) to pose as a millionnaire and his aide, to entice the bankrupt but venerable Nowalska family. Laura agrees to marry Symon, and Janicki falls in love with Laura's sister.Act 2
The money that the colonel supplied to Symon is just about gone and he is no longer able to keep up the appearance of nobility. He and Laura have developed genuine feelings for each other and he struggles with the decision to tell her the truth. He writes a letter confessing the ruse. The colonel senses that the letter will end the plot, and convinces Laura's mother not to open it. When the wedding ceremony is over, the colonel reveals the truth about Symon, who is subsequently driven from the palace.Act 3
Symon is contemplating suicide, when his friend Janicki reveals that he is a Polish officer and is part of a group of patriots who are planning to capture the citadel and to reinstate King Stanislaus. The Governor-General discovers that Janicki knows the whereabouts of the Polish grand duke and bribes him with 200,000 thalerThaler
The Thaler was a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in various currencies as the dollar or tolar. Etymologically, "Thaler" is an abbreviation of "Joachimsthaler", a coin type from the city of Joachimsthal in Bohemia, where some of the first such...
s to reveal his location to the Austrians. Janicki asks Symon to impersonate the grand duke until the money for his capture can be paid. The plot succeeds. In return, he is knighted by King Stanislaus and accepted by his wife and mother-in-law.
Musical numbers
Act 1- Ach unsre Lieben sperrte man ein: Introduction – Chorus
- Und da soll man noch galant sein – Ach ich hab' sie ja nur auf die Schulter geküßt: Ollendorf (the "Kiss on the Shoulder" waltz)
- Die Welt hat das genialste Streben: Entrance Duet – Symon – Jan – Chorus
- O Juchheissa, hurra! Die Messe beginnt: Chorus & Ensemble
- Einkäufe machen sollten wir eigentlich: Entrance Trio – Laura – Bronislawa – Palmatica
- Das ist der Fürst Wybicki
- Bravo! Bravo! Es geht ganz famos
- Ich knüpfte manche zarte Bande: Ensemble & Song – Ollendorf – Laura – Bronislawa – Symon – Jan – Palmatica – Chorus
- Du bist die Seine? – Höchste Lust und tiefstes Leid – Bei solchem Feste: Finale Act I – Palmatica – Laura – Symon – Bronislawa – Ollendorf – Jan – Enterich – Chorus
Act 2
- O Einen Mann hat sie (hab' ich) gefunden: Trio – Palmatica – Bronislawa – Laura
- O Durch diesen Kuß sei unser Bund geweiht!: Duet – Jan – Bronislawa
- Soll ich reden, darf ich schweigen? – Ich setz' den Fall: Duet – Symon – Laura
- Glückliche Braut! Dir strahlet hell das Leben: Ensemble – Symon – Ollendorf – Palmatica – Jan – Laura – Chorus
- Mit Geld und guten Worten: Couplet – Ollendorf
- Klinget, Feierglocken, klinget!
- Trinkt uns zu, trinkt uns zu
- Tempo di Mazur
- Heidahi, heidaha! Sind wer och nich invidiert...
- Ach, ich hab' sie ja nur auf die Schulter geküßt: Finale Act II – Ollendorf – Symon – Enterich – Laura – Bronislawa – Palmatica – Jan – Chorus
Act 3
- Lumpen, Bagage, Bettelstudent!
- Der Fürst soll nur ein Bettler sein: Introduction – Bronislawa – Chorus
- Ich hab' kein Geld, bin vogelfrei: Couplet – Symon
- Still, man kommt! – Dort steht der Patron!
- Die halbe Stunde ist vorbei
- Jetzt lach' ich jeglicher Gefahr: Ensemble – Ollendorf – Palmatica – Symon – Jan – Laura – Bronislawa – Chorus
- Befreit das Land! Geknüpft das Band!: Finale Act III – Symon – Laura – Bronislawa – Jan – Palmatica – Chorus
Recordings
- 1955: Conductor Anton Paulik, Volksoper Chorus and OrchestraVienna VolksoperThe Vienna Volksoper is a major opera house in Vienna, Austria. It gives about three hundred performances of twenty-five productions during an annual season running from September through June....
, Kurt Preger, Eberhard Wächter, Rosette Anday, Wilma LippWilma LippWilma Lipp is an Austrian operatic soprano, particularly associated with Mozart roles, especially Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute....
and Esther RéthyEsther RéthyEsther Réthy was a Hungarian operatic soprano who had a major career in Europe from 1934 through 1968. She was notably a principal artist at the Vienna State Opera for over a decade and was a frequent performer at the Salzburg Festival. She performed a broad opera repertoire that encompassed...
.