Die Försterchristl (also ''Die Försterchristel'') is an

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

in three acts by Georg Jarno to a

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Bernhard Buchbinder Bernhard Ludwig Buchbinder (7 July or 20 September 1849 – 24 June 1922), pseudonym ''Gustav Klinger'', was an Austro-Hungarian actor, journalist and writer. His best-known operetta libretto remains '' Die Försterchristl''. Career Buchbinder ...

. It premiered on 17 December 1907 at the

Theater in der Josefstadt The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna. It is often referred to colloquially as simply ''Die Josefstadt''. Following ...

in Vienna. Three years later, its English version by librettist Leonard Liebling had a run of 64 performances at

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

Herald Square Theatre The Herald Square Theatre was a Broadway theatre in Manhattan, New York City, built in 1883 and closed in 1914. The site is now a highrise designed by H. Craig Severance. History The Park Theatre opened in 1883 (also known as the New Park Th ...

in 1910/11 under the title ''The Girl and the Kaiser''. The work is known in English as ''The Girl and the

Kaiser Kaiser ( ; ) is the title historically used by German and Austrian emperors. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (). In English, the word ''kaiser'' is mainly applied to the emperors ...

'', ''The

Bohemian Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to: *Anything of or relating to Bohemia Culture and arts * Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, originally practised by 19th–20th century European and American artists and writers. * Bohemian style, a ...

Dancer'', ''The

Forester A forester is a person who practises forest management and forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Fores ...

's Daughter'' and in French as ''La petite amie de sa majesté'' and ''Christelle et l'empereur''.

Roles

* Kaiser Joseph II *

Graf (; feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility and later also of the Russian nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title ...

Kolonitzky, Adjutant general *Graf Gottfried von Leuben,

Majordomo A majordomo () is a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another. Typically, this is the highest (''major'') person of a household (''domūs'' or ''domicile'') staff, a head servant who acts on behalf of the owner of a larg ...

*von Reutern, Chamberlain *Baronesse Agathe von Othegraven,

Lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

*Count Sternfeld,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*Kontesse Josephine, his sister *Franz Földessy, Steward to Sternfeld (

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

) *Hans Lange,

forester A forester is a person who practises forest management and forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Fores ...

*Christine, his daughter (

soubrette A soubrette is a female minor stock character in opera and theatre, often a pert lady's maid. By extension, the term can refer generally to any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means " ...

) *Peter Walperl (buffo) *Minka,

gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

*Ladies and gentlemen of the court,

gendarmes A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...

, guards,

footmen A footman is a male domestic worker employed mainly to wait at table or attend a coach or carriage. Etymology Originally in the 14th century a footman denoted a soldier or any pedestrian, later it indicated a foot servant. A running footman deli ...

, citizens and peasants, gypsy musicians

Plot

Time and place: At the Hungarian border and in Vienna, 1764 In short: The title character (Christine) impulsively falls in love with a handsome stranger, never suspecting that the man is really the Austrian emperor Joseph II. Upon learning the emperor's true identity, Christine pleads with him to save her former boyfriend, rebel leader Franz Földessy, from the firing squad.

Act 1

''Forest clearing in front of the forester's house'' Christine meets a stranger who hunted without permission in the forest. She admonishes him and takes his watch as a security for a fine. She also tells him freely what she thinks of the Emperor and his court in Vienna. Franz Földessy is in love with Christine and asks her father, the forester Hans Lange, for her hand. Peter Walperl, who is also in love with her, reveals in his jealousy that Franz is a deserter. Franz admits that he once hit an officer who seduced his sister and therefore had to flee the army. Christine decides to go to the court in Vienna and ask the Emperor to pardon Franz.

Act 2

''Hall in the castle in Vienna'' At the court, Christine meets the same stranger again whom she admonished for hunting without permission. He promises to arrange an audience with the Emperor. At that audience, she realises that the stranger is in fact the Emperor. He grants the pardon for Franz, and Christine loses her heart to him. When she meets Franz again, she is cold and rebuffs him, but she is overjoyed and blissful when the Emperor asks her for a dance at the court ball.

Act 3

''Room in the forester's house'' Back at home, Christine continues to reject Franz. To remove the source of substantial gossip, the Emperor arrives and explains that he is not allowed to follow his own heart. He suggests that she marry Franz, whom he made Head Forester, and gives her a ring as a present when he leaves. Christine overcomes her disappointment; she transforms the experience into a precious dream and marries Franz Földessy.

Notable arias

*Herr Kaiser, Herr Kaiser, du liebe Majestät (

Waltz The waltz ( , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom dance, ballroom and folk dance, in triple (3/4 time, time), performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the ...

) *Steht ein Mädel auf der Puszta (

Csárdás Csárdás (, ; ), often seen as Czárdás, is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from ' (old Hungarian term for roadside tavern and restaurant). It originated in Hungary and was popularized by bands in Hungary as well as neighb ...

) *Ich tu nur bös, bin sonst fidel (Waltz) *Will ich einen Liebsten haben (Waltz) *Ein Mädel ohne jeden Fehl (Waltz) *Gebt mir die Geigen der ganzen Welt (Waltz) *Ein ganz gewöhnlich Schneiderlein *Mädchen vom Zigeunerstamme

Film adaptations

The operetta has been turned into films on four occasions: * '' The Bohemian Dancer'', a 1926 silent German film directed by

Frederic Zelnik Frederic Zelnik (born Friedrich Zelnik; 17 May 1885 – 29 November 1950) was an Austrian producer, director, and actor. He was one of the most important producers-directors of the German silent cinema. Zelnik achieved success through period oper ...

, with

Lya Mara Lya Mara (born Aleksandra Gudowicz; 1 August 1897 – 1 March 1960) was a Polish people, Polish actress. She was one of the biggest stars of the Cinema of Germany, German silent cinema. Biography Lya Mara was born Aleksandra Gudowicz in a Polis ...

Harry Liedtke Harry Liedtke (12 October 1882 – 28 April 1945) was a German film actor. Early life Liedtke was born in Königsberg, East Prussia as the seventh out of 12 children of a merchant. After his father's death in 1896, he grew up in an orphanage and ...

and

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood primarily a ...

* '' The Forester's Daughter'', a 1931 film, also by Zelnik, with

Irene Eisinger Irene Eisinger (8 December 1903 – 8 April 1994) was an Austrian and British opera singer and film actress. Her career was closely linked to the foundation and the early years of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Life and career Irene Eisinge ...

Paul Richter Paul Richter (1 April 1895 – 30 December 1961) was an Austrian film actor. He owed his great popularity in German films of the silent era largely to the directors Joe May and Fritz Lang. Biography Richter made his film debut right before W ...

, Oskar Karlweis and

Adele Sandrock Adele Sandrock (; 19 August 1863 – 30 August 1937) was a German actress. After a successful theatrical career, she became one of the first German movie stars. Early life Sandrock was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the daughter of the German ...

* '' The Forester's Daughter'', a 1952 West German film directed by

Arthur Maria Rabenalt Arthur Maria Rabenalt (25 June 1905 – 26 February 1993) was an Austrian film director, writer, and author. He directed more than 90 films between 1934 and 1978. His 1958 film ''That Won't Keep a Sailor Down'' was entered into the 1st Moscow In ...

, with Johanna Matz,

Will Quadflieg Friedrich Wilhelm "Will" Quadflieg (; 15 September 1914 – 27 November 2003) was a German actor from Oberhausen. He was the father of actor Christian Quadflieg. He is considered one of Germany's best post-war actors. One of his most widely rec ...

Karl Schönböck Karl Schönböck (4 February 1909 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary – 24 March 2001 in Munich, Republic of Germany) was an Austrian actor.

and

Käthe von Nagy Ekaterina Nagy von Cziser, stage name Käthe von Nagy (4 April 1904 – 20 December 1973), was a Hungarian actress, model, dancer, and singer who worked in German and French cinema. Early life and education Käthe von Nagy, the daughter of a wea ...

* '' The Forester's Daughter'', a 1962 West German film directed by

Franz Josef Gottlieb Franz Josef Gottlieb (1 November 1930 – 23 July 2006) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 60 films between 1959 and 2005. He also directed the children's series ''Ravioli'' in 1983; it aired on ZDF in 1984. He was b ...

, with

Sabine Sinjen Sabine Sinjen (18 August 1942 – 18 May 1995) was a German film actress. She appeared in more than 50 films between 1957 and 1994. Sinjen was married to television director Peter Beauvais from 1963 to 1984. She appeared as one of 28 women ...

Peter Weck Peter Weck (born 12 August 1930) is an Austrian film director and actor. In addition to his about 130 film and television acting credits between 1954 and 2015, he worked as a director on more than 50 productions between 1969 and 2007. Biography ...

and

Georg Thomalla Georg Thomalla (14 February 1915 – 25 August 1999) was a German actor. He appeared in about one hundred fifty film and television productions between 1939 and 2000 and was widely known in Germany for his comedic roles. Thomalla was well known ...

Bibliography

References

*', Anton Würz (ed.), Stuttgart 1962 {{DEFAULTSORT:Forsterchristl, Die German-language operettas 1907 operas Operas Operas set in Vienna