Kálmán was one of the leading composers of the so called ’Silver Age’ of Viennese operetta during the first quarter of the 20th century. He became well-known for his fusion of Viennese waltz with Hungarian csárdás (czardas) and Gipsy music. Countess Maritza is one of his most popular operettas with an extremely entertaining story, which became world-famous by its well-known melodies such as Play, Gipsy! or Let’s Go to Varasdin. Countess Maritza is a must for everyone who wants to gain impressions about traditional Hungarian culture!
PLOT
The story takes place in Transylvania on the estate of Countess Maritza at the beginning of the 20th century. Countess Maritza, the young and beautiful widow who is determined not to give up her freedom by marriage, has a subtle plan to put off her numerous suitors. She ’invents’ a fictional fiancé, Baron Kálmán Zsupán, a non-existent person. Now the countess is about to arrive at the estate so as to give a party to celebrate her ’engagement’. Her new bailiff, Béla Török is in charge of organising the supper. But Török has got a secret, as well, since he is not the person he seems to be – in reality he is Count Tasziló Endrődy-Wittenburg, an impoverished young Baron who takes the job incognito to pay for his sister, Lisa's education. The guests arrive, but the proceedings seem to get out of control, predicting an inevitable catastrophe: Tasziló notices her sister (unaware of the scam) among Maritza’s guests, and – to Maritza's greatest amazement – a real-life Zsupán materialises and arrives, having seen an announcement of his 'engagement' in the press, and now is all set to marry her and take her off to his own estates in Varasdin, Yugoslavia.
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