Page 260 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2021. Opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama ▪︎ Operetta between the Two World Wars. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 5
P. 260
opereta med obema svetovnima vojnama
the operetta’s dramaturgy there appear both Poles and citizens of the in-
vading country – Russians. To present both the local and national colour,
the Polish protagonists bear traditional Polish first names (Boleslav, Mie
tek, Staschek, Jadja) and stereotypical Polish surnames with the ‘-ski’ end-
ing (or ‘-ska’ in a female version), such as Oginsky, Zagorski, Kawietzky,
Schlapinska, Lombska, whereas the chief of the Russian police is called Ser-
gius Korrosoff.
The operetta starts with an introduction (Vorspiel) on the Austri-
an-Russian border when the main character of the work, the 32-year-old
count Boleslav Zagorski, is attempting to illegally cross it. He spent 16 years
in exile in Austria, where he had fled together with his father, who had
been persecuted for his patriotic activity in support of Poland. Now, Bole-
slav decides to return to Poland, by whatever means necessary, prompt-
ed by a longing for his home country and adolescent love, Jadja, a daugh-
ter of Baron Mietek Oginski. A Pole he meets in the border inn discovers
the young man’s identity and at the mention of his father he gives Boleslav
a fake passport, thanks to which he manages to enter the territory of the
Russian partition.
In the first act of the operetta, the main dramatic threads are outlined.
Notorious for his love of gambling, Baron Mietek Oginski, Jadja’s father,
goes into heavy debt with his powerful and wealthy neighbour – Count
Staschek Zagorski, Boleslav’s uncle. Count Staschek, living quite a roguish
life, has just divorced his fifth wife, and he has made the decision to marry
Jadja. Mietek sees this marriage as a chance to be relieved of his debts, but
Jadja does not agree to marry old and off-putting Staschek as she still hold
the memory of her beloved Boleslav. Boleslav, in turn, spurred by his long-
ing for Jadja, arrives at Oginski’s property immediately after his return to
the country and meets his love once again. He also intends to visit his un-
cle Staschek in order to get back the family treasures and money that was
left behind by his father. Suza, the skilled housekeeper at Oginski’s man-
or estate, warns Boleslav about Staschek and tells him not to reveal his true
identity, as his uncle has become a traitor to the Polish nation, collaborat-
ing with the Russians.
Dressed up as a servant, Boleslav serves at the table during Staschek’s
visit to Mietek’s house and – unrecognised by his uncle – learns to his hor-
ror from the conversation that Staschek not only does not intend to return
the family treasures back, but he has also decided to send his nephew to Si-
beria immediately upon his arrival at the manor. The prospect of Staschek
258
the operetta’s dramaturgy there appear both Poles and citizens of the in-
vading country – Russians. To present both the local and national colour,
the Polish protagonists bear traditional Polish first names (Boleslav, Mie
tek, Staschek, Jadja) and stereotypical Polish surnames with the ‘-ski’ end-
ing (or ‘-ska’ in a female version), such as Oginsky, Zagorski, Kawietzky,
Schlapinska, Lombska, whereas the chief of the Russian police is called Ser-
gius Korrosoff.
The operetta starts with an introduction (Vorspiel) on the Austri-
an-Russian border when the main character of the work, the 32-year-old
count Boleslav Zagorski, is attempting to illegally cross it. He spent 16 years
in exile in Austria, where he had fled together with his father, who had
been persecuted for his patriotic activity in support of Poland. Now, Bole-
slav decides to return to Poland, by whatever means necessary, prompt-
ed by a longing for his home country and adolescent love, Jadja, a daugh-
ter of Baron Mietek Oginski. A Pole he meets in the border inn discovers
the young man’s identity and at the mention of his father he gives Boleslav
a fake passport, thanks to which he manages to enter the territory of the
Russian partition.
In the first act of the operetta, the main dramatic threads are outlined.
Notorious for his love of gambling, Baron Mietek Oginski, Jadja’s father,
goes into heavy debt with his powerful and wealthy neighbour – Count
Staschek Zagorski, Boleslav’s uncle. Count Staschek, living quite a roguish
life, has just divorced his fifth wife, and he has made the decision to marry
Jadja. Mietek sees this marriage as a chance to be relieved of his debts, but
Jadja does not agree to marry old and off-putting Staschek as she still hold
the memory of her beloved Boleslav. Boleslav, in turn, spurred by his long-
ing for Jadja, arrives at Oginski’s property immediately after his return to
the country and meets his love once again. He also intends to visit his un-
cle Staschek in order to get back the family treasures and money that was
left behind by his father. Suza, the skilled housekeeper at Oginski’s man-
or estate, warns Boleslav about Staschek and tells him not to reveal his true
identity, as his uncle has become a traitor to the Polish nation, collaborat-
ing with the Russians.
Dressed up as a servant, Boleslav serves at the table during Staschek’s
visit to Mietek’s house and – unrecognised by his uncle – learns to his hor-
ror from the conversation that Staschek not only does not intend to return
the family treasures back, but he has also decided to send his nephew to Si-
beria immediately upon his arrival at the manor. The prospect of Staschek
258
