COUNTESS MARITZA

by Emerich Kálmán (1882 - 1953).

Count Tassilo Endrödy-Wittenburg has been forced to sell his possessions to repay his father's debts. He takes a job at one of Countess Maritza's estates, under the assumed name Béla Török, in order to earn enough money to pay for his sister Lisa's dowry. The Countess soon arrives and prepares for a large party celebrating her engagement to Baron Koloman Zsupán. Except the fiancé doesn't exist. He has been created to discourage Maritza's many suitors. Tassilo's sister Lisa arrives as one of the guests and, upon seeing her brother, quickly agrees to keep his identity secret. Strangely, Baron Zsupán soon arrives to claim his bride (He has read in the papers of his engagement to Maritza and immediately traveled to her estate). Maritza puts him off as best as possible and soon begins to fall in love with Tassilo.

Meanwhile, Lisa finds herself quite taken with the Baron. Maritza soon believes that Tassilo is only posing as an estate manager in order to secure a financially rewarding marriage and she also questions his close relationship with Lisa. She pushes a large amount of banknotes on him and tells him to never speak to her of love again. Maritza realizes her mistake when she discovers Tassilo giving away the money to the musicians at the party. Her jealousy is also assuaged when she finds out that Tassilo and Lisa are siblings. Tassilo's wealthy aunt, Princess Bozena Cuddenstein, soon arrives to tell Tassilo that all of his possessions have been bought back, and she upbraids him for being so proud. Lisa agrees to marry the Baron, yet Tassilo stubbornly refuses to 'speak' of his love for Maritza. He decides to write a letter declaring his love. She accepts as genuine his love for her and agrees to marry him.

The Composer

Kálmán was born Imre Kálmán on October 24, 1882 in the village of Siófok, on the eastern shore of Lake Balaton in western Hungary. The young Kálmán had hoped to be a concert pianist but was forced to abandon that career when he suffered a nerve injury to his hand. Eventually, he enrolled in the Budapest Royal Academy of Music, along with fellow students Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Leo Weiner, and future operetta composers Albert Szirmai and Viktor Jacobi.

His works elegantly and deftly combine Hungarian folk songs, and their distinctive rhythms, with the typical Viennese waltz. His waltzes are easily the equal of Lehár's, yet Kálmán's gift for natural melody, catchy comedic duets, and inventive ensemble and choral writing is far ahead of his contemporaries.' He is known for his colorful and opulent orchestrations and fine instrumental counterpoint, and often makes use of distinctive percussion instruments, harp, celesta, banjo, guitar, cimbalom, and even the native Hungarian tárogátó, a woodwind instrument similar to the soprano saxophone.

In a bizarre turn of events, Hitler was so impressed with Kálmán's music that he offered the composer honorary Aryan status. He refused; his music was banned by the Nazis; and he fled Vienna, traveling first to Paris in 1939 and then to the United States when the Germans occupied Paris. He became an American citizen in 1942 but returned to Europe in 1949, eventually settling in Paris.