Circus princess

Imre Kalman recalls: “After the“ Maritsa ”, my librettists — Grunwald and Brammer — faced me and my damn question: what to write? that: I wrote an operetta that takes place around the theater — Silva, an operetta that takes place in the theater — Bayadera. Let's write an operetta that takes place in a circus. ”And in 1926 the circus princess appeared. ".

- G. Yaron . Annotation to the publication of mounting operetta. Leningrad record factory, 1979.

The action takes place in 1912 in St. Petersburg and Vienna.

Act 1. St. Petersburg. Stanislavsky Circus Lobby

The high society audience of the Russian capital is intrigued by the new circus star that has appeared.

This is a mysterious young artist who never takes off his mask and performs under the pseudonym Mr. X. Circus director Stanislavsky reports that under the terms of the contract even he did not see Mr. X’s face.

Surrounded by a crowd of admirers, a young widow appears in the lobby of the circus, heir to the great fortune of Princess Fyodor Palinska. Under the terms of the will of her deceased husband, she must marry a compatriot within six weeks, otherwise the entire capital will be transferred to other relatives of her late husband living abroad.

Around the princess are many applicants for her hand, among them - a relative of the Russian emperor, Grand Duke Sergei Nikolaevich. But Fedor rejects him with a sneer.

She is interested in the personality of Mr. X. Mr X appears. He is presented to the public. Fedor refuses the artist's request to kiss her hand. Jester, circus unworthy of such an honor.

Fans of the princess are trying to remove the mask from Mr. X in order to satisfy the curiosity of their lady, but Fedor stops the quarrel. The audience goes to the hall.

Mr. X reflects on the fate of a circus artist and the attitude of secular society towards him, then hurries to the arena. He must speak.

Tony Schlumberger appears in the lobby, a young Austrian from Vienna who is in love with an Englishwoman Mabel Gibson in a circus dancer. Mabel appears.

In the course of the comic dialogue, it turns out that in fact she is also an Austrian from Vienna named Lisa, and she claims to be an Englishwoman at the insistence of the circus director for exotics. By agreeing to meet, Tony leaves.

Returned after the speech, Mr. X. He is shocked by the meeting with Fedora and tells Mabel his secret. His name is Fyodor Palinsky, and several years ago he was in love with this woman, who turned out to be the bride of his uncle, Prince Palinsky.

When the prince learned about his nephew's love for his bride, he ruined his career in the hussar regiment, and Fyodor had to flee the house and become a circus artist.

Grand Duke Sergei Nikolaevich appears, to whom Fedor has just refused once again. Having parted with the hope of becoming the princess's husband, the grand duke decides to take revenge on her by dishonoring in the eyes of secular society.

To this end, he offers Mr. X to meet Fedora under the name of Prince Kirasov. Now the proud princess will allow him to kiss his hand.

Mr. X agrees, he cannot resist the temptation to see his beloved woman and talk to her. The prince invites everyone to take part in a festive dinner right here in the lobby of the circus.

Mr. X comes without a mask. The Grand Duke introduces him to Fyodor as Prince Chyrasov ^[2] . Fedor does not take his eyes off a handsome young man. The plan of the Grand Duke begins to be implemented.

Act 2. Ballroom in the Grand Duke's Palace

It's been six weeks. Feeling Fedora and the imaginary prince Kirasov strengthened.

They are in love with each other, but the Grand Duke considers it necessary to speed things up.

At the ball, he sends the princess a forged letter from the king, in which he allegedly demands that Fedor come to the palace tomorrow, where the king himself will appoint her fiancé for her former husband’s capital to remain in Russia.

The only way out - right here in the home church of the Grand Duke to get married with Prince Chyrasov. The lovers take this exit with delight and go after the prince to the church. Before this, the prince was deceiving Fedor, saying that he had told Fedor about everything.

Tony and Mabel appear at the ball, their relationship also reached a climax. They also decide to get married immediately. The wedding ceremony is committed. From the church go the prince and princess Chirasovy.

Suddenly, circus artists led by director Stanislavsky enter the hall . They present a portrait of Mr. X to the couple. The Grand Duke tells Fedor that her husband is a fake prince, in fact, he is a circus artist Mr. X, and she has now become a circus princess.

The princess is terrified, she rejects her newly-made husband.

In anger, Fedor reveals the whole truth to him - he is a real prince (prince) of Palinsky, he has been in love with her for a long time, and only because of his unhappy love and jealousy was he forced to become a circus artist. Fedor is trying to get him back, but Palinsky leaves with circus artists.

Act 3. Vienna. The Archduke Karl Hotel

In the hotel restaurant, the hostess Carla Schlumberger and the head waiter Pelican discuss the affairs of the hotel and the personal affairs of the hostess.

She is concerned about the behavior of her son Tony, who returned from St. Petersburg is not himself. Also suspicious causes a mysterious lady, who settled in the hotel at the same time with the return of Tony. Carla leaves.

Tony appears, he is in despair: he does not know how to tell his mother, who is afraid, the news that he had married without her knowledge, and even a circus actress. Tony tells Pelikan about everything, he promises to help.

Lisa comes down to the restaurant, she insists that Tony introduce her to her mother. She does not want to be in a false position anymore. In the midst of an explanation is Karl. Hide the truth is no longer possible.

After a stormy explanation, Karl and Liza find a common language and are reconciled (Liza turns out to be the daughter of Austrian officer Burstaltler, whom Carl was in love with as a young man), Tony receives forgiveness. The restaurant opens, the public appears.

Among the guests are the Grand Duke and Fedor.

Fedora is inconsolable, but proud, she will not be the first to seek reconciliation with her husband, who left in an unknown direction after the wedding. The Grand Duke strongly supports her in this.

Fedor appears. He forgave his wife, but he does not want to explain himself to her under the Grand Duke. With the help of the Pelican, the Grand Duke manages to be removed from the restaurant. Fedor sits down to Fedor.

And the couple made up and will now live happily ever after.

The setting of the operetta in Russia had peculiarities related to the consequences of the revolution and the improbable circumstances of life in Russia, which the public in Vienna did not notice and which struck the Russian public. Therefore, in Russian versions, the libretto was often transferred completely to Vienna or to Paris, respectively, and the characters from the Russian grand dukes and aristocrats turned into Austrians or French (however, the first alterations transferred the action to the environment of Russian white emigres) ^[3] . Thanks to the Russian librettists, the name of the Green Parrot restaurant also appeared.

One of the first productions was staged at the Moscow Operetta Theater in 1927 , which was carried out with the direct participation of the director and prominent comic actor Gregory Yaron (he played the role of Pelican).

Also in Soviet productions, the party of Mr. X, written for the tenor, was often performed by baritones (the most famous was Georg Ots ), for which some parts of the party were converted (in particular, the famous aria was lowered to the tone).

Kalman. Circus Princess. A. Yakovenko ( O. Wiklandt ), L. Kazanskaya (T. Karpova), E. Savitskaya, D. Uzunov ( V. Zeldin ), N. Ruban, G. Yaron , S. Tsenin , A. Tikhonov. Conductor Y.Silantev . All-Union Radio 1954.

Kalman. Circus Princess. S. Barabas, F. Fehringer, V. Muller. Conductor F.Marshalek. Cologne Radio 1955.

Kalman. Circus Princess. R.Shock, M.Shramm, J.Katona, J.Lovinger, F.Gruber. Conductor R.Stolts. Berlin Opera. 1970.

• Die Zirkusprinzessin (1929, Germany, dir. Victor Janson, screenplay by Jane Bess, Imre Kalman)
• Mr. X (USSR, 1958, dir. Yuzef Khmelnitsky ).
• Circus Princess (FRG, 1970, dir. Manfred Köhler).
• Princess of the Circus (film) (USSR, 1982, dir. Svetlana Druzhinina ).

• History of creation