Countess Maritza // Opera Krakowska

“Countess Maritza”, the second success of the Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmána after “The Gipsy Princess”, secured him a permanent place among the most outstanding operetta authors of the 20th century. The piece tells about true love, free from any dependencies, such as property, position in the society or the social hierarchy, although these circumstances are discussed here most. Therefore, the piece is pretty enjoyable, as it incorporates the yearnings of a huge part of the humankind. Moreover, Kálmán seduces with effective melodies, coloured with Hungarian folklore and Gypsy tunes. Most arias and duets have detached from the original work and gained individual popularity, like Maritza’s csardas “I hear Gipsy violins”, the duet of Maritza and Zsupan “Let's Go to Varasdin” or the evergreen aria “Play Gipsy”.

Spectacular music, beautiful voices, a funny intrigue, gentle humour, rich costumes with sublime details, and a wonderfully distant world that brings joy and consolation.