''Der lustige Krieg'' (''The Merry War'') is a three-act operetta composed by Johann Strauss II. The work was first performed on 25 November 1881 at the

Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prima ...

. Its libretto was by F. Zell ( Camillo Walzel) and Richard Genée. The operetta was well received at its premiere, and was performed 69 times during its first run.

Roles

Synopsis

:Place: The garrisoned

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

city of Massa. :Time: First part of the 18th century It concerns a dispute between two states. The 'war' between them is played out as a game of love between Colonel Umberto Spinola, the commander-in-chief of the Genoese army, and the widowed Countess Violetta. Despite the name of the operetta, there is no fighting or bloodshed in the 'war'.

Recordings

''Johann Strauss: Der lustige Krieg'',

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien'', or RSO Wien) is the orchestra of the Austrian national broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). Unlike most other Austrian orchestras, the RSO Wien has a sub ...

, Wiener Jeunesse-Chor, Wiener Motettenchor *Conductor:

Ulf Schirmer Ulf Schirmer (born 1959) is a German conductor and opera house administrator. Born in Eschenhausen, Lower Saxony, Schirmer studied at the Bremen Conservatory, and also at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, with György Ligeti, Christ ...

*Principal singers: Eva Mei, Jorma Silvasti, , Jörg Schneider, Paul Armin Edelmann, Birgid Steinberger *Recording date: *Label: ORF CD240

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lustige Krieg, Der Operas by Johann Strauss II 1881 operas German-language operettas Operas Italy in fiction