Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

determining to see the ambitious Arsena no more, he goes away and joins the gipsy band. He soon
becomes so popular with the gipsies that they make him their Gipsy Baron; and presently he falls
in love with a beautiful gipsy maiden, Saffi, and is married to her. In Act 2 the Gipsy Baron
discovers some buried wealth, and keeps the matter secret for some time; but when the hidden
treasure is found out by the Government he is arrested for having held treasure trove. On making
over the treasure to the State, however, he is allowed to go free; and then he joins the Austrian
Army and goes to the wars. In Act 3 he returns from the campaign, having covered himself with
glory; and for his mighty deeds of valour he is created a real Baron. His gipsy wife, Saffi, is also
now discovered to be the child of a famous Pasha; and she and her husband become great people
in the land.
150. THE MERRY WAR
Opera Comique in Three Acts Johann Strauss
Libretto By Zell and Genée
First Produced Vienna, November, 1881
Chief Characters The Countess Violetta, Artemisia, Umberto, Balthasar, Groats
THE scene of this operetta is laid in Genoa. A quarrel has arisen between the States of Genoa and
Massa Carrara, for the absurd reason that a celebrated dancer has accepted engagements to
perform at the theatres of both places at the same time; and because the authorities of each theatre
claim the dancer, a quarrel has arisen, and a comical warfare is carried on. Every day one harmless
grenade is solemnly fired from both camps; but beyond this the " merry war " proceeds no further.
One day, however, the charming Countess Violetta appears in one of the camps in mistake for the
other, to which she desires to pass in order to take up the command of the Castle. Finding herself
in a fix, she makes use of her many fascinations to deceive the commander, Colonel Umberto, and
so coaxes him to give her a safe conduct through the lines into the opposing camp, where she
desires to be. After she has gone Umberto discovers the trick she has played upon him; and in
order to be even with her he determines to make her marry him, since he is already in love with
her. Having learnt that she is about to be married by proxy to the Duke of Limbourg, he dons a
disguise, and passes himself off as the Duke, and is thus married to Violetta without further
trouble. In all his schemes he is assisted by a comical Dutchman, Balthasar Groats, a dealer in
bulbs, who, having been mistaken for a spy, and arrested, is anxious enough to help the Colonel in
his love-making and so gain his release. After the wedding is safely over, there are many amusing
complications, since the Dutchmans wife, Artemisia, appears on the scene, and becomes jealous
because she cannot understand her husbands interest in the pretty Countess; and Violetta herself,
having fallen in love with the obliging Umberto in his first character as Commander, treats her
new husband (whom she believes to be the Duke of Limbourg) with scant ceremony and much
show of pettish dislike. Finally, however, all the misunderstandings are explained away, and
Violetta is delighted to find that the man she has married is none other than the fascinating
Umberto; and the Dutch couple are also reconciled to each other. At the same time the dancer,
about whom The quarrel between the two States had arisen, announces her refusal to keep her
engagement at either theatre; and the casus belli being thus removed, the "merry war" comes to a
happy end.