Page 261 - 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. 261
national stereotypes and political issues in polnische hochzeit by joseph beer
and Jadja’s wedding then compels Boleslav to disclose his identity to his un-
cle. The sudden appearance of Korosoff, the tsarist secret police (ochrana)
officer, changes Boleslav’s situation: it turns out that his illegal crossing of
the border with a fake passport has been discovered, and now he is a want-
ed man. Mietek does not reveal Boleslav’s true identity but Staschek makes
hiding the truth conditional on Jadja agreeing to marriage. Thus in order to
save Boleslav, Jadja – terrified and blackmailed – agrees to marry Staschek.
Staschek then bribes Korosoff and dismisses him, and seizing the opportu-
nity also arranges with Mietek the date of the wedding.
The second act takes place in Mietek Oginski’s manor house on the
day of Staschek and Jadja’s wedding. Suza has prepared a scheme: after the
groom has arrived, guests will be welcomed with a wedding drink and then
– taking advantage of the festivities – Jadja and Boleslav will run away and
cross the nearby Russian-Austrian border and get married there, as Suza
has already arranged appropriate documents with the starost, or mayor.
A flare launched into the sky is to be a sign that the whole plan succeed-
ed and the newlyweds were saved. Staschek’s arrival triggers Suza’s plan,
with Staschek and Mietek drinking a lot, and fast, with the alcohol served
to them by Casimir, Suza’s lover. Since the wedding is just starting, Mietek
demands that Staschek should give him back his bills of exchange. Having
received the documents, he burns them in the fireplace, thus settling his
debts, or so he imagines.
The wedding is supposed to be carried out in line with an old Polish
tradition, according to which the bride should be dressed in an outfit that
covers her completely and should be led by six bridesmaids to the chapel
altar. Suddenly everybody notices a flare in the sky and Suza triumphant-
ly announces that there will be no wedding, as the bride has just married
Boleslav. Her joy, however, turns out to be premature. Staschek saw through
Suza’s scheme, sent some dragoons after the runaways and the flare simply
means that Jadja has been caught. Now that nothing can prevent Staschek
from marrying her, he also reveals shrewdness in his relations with Mietek:
instead of giving him back the bills of exchange he had only handed over
blank sheets of paper, and to prove this he shows genuine documents to his
would-be father-in-law.
In the manor chapel a forced wedding ceremony thus takes place.
Boleslav arrives and tells Casimir the story of Jadja being kidnapped by
the dragoons. He wants to disrupt Jadja and Staschek’s wedding but it is al-
ready too late – the newlyweds are leaving the chapel. Staschek finally gives
259
and Jadja’s wedding then compels Boleslav to disclose his identity to his un-
cle. The sudden appearance of Korosoff, the tsarist secret police (ochrana)
officer, changes Boleslav’s situation: it turns out that his illegal crossing of
the border with a fake passport has been discovered, and now he is a want-
ed man. Mietek does not reveal Boleslav’s true identity but Staschek makes
hiding the truth conditional on Jadja agreeing to marriage. Thus in order to
save Boleslav, Jadja – terrified and blackmailed – agrees to marry Staschek.
Staschek then bribes Korosoff and dismisses him, and seizing the opportu-
nity also arranges with Mietek the date of the wedding.
The second act takes place in Mietek Oginski’s manor house on the
day of Staschek and Jadja’s wedding. Suza has prepared a scheme: after the
groom has arrived, guests will be welcomed with a wedding drink and then
– taking advantage of the festivities – Jadja and Boleslav will run away and
cross the nearby Russian-Austrian border and get married there, as Suza
has already arranged appropriate documents with the starost, or mayor.
A flare launched into the sky is to be a sign that the whole plan succeed-
ed and the newlyweds were saved. Staschek’s arrival triggers Suza’s plan,
with Staschek and Mietek drinking a lot, and fast, with the alcohol served
to them by Casimir, Suza’s lover. Since the wedding is just starting, Mietek
demands that Staschek should give him back his bills of exchange. Having
received the documents, he burns them in the fireplace, thus settling his
debts, or so he imagines.
The wedding is supposed to be carried out in line with an old Polish
tradition, according to which the bride should be dressed in an outfit that
covers her completely and should be led by six bridesmaids to the chapel
altar. Suddenly everybody notices a flare in the sky and Suza triumphant-
ly announces that there will be no wedding, as the bride has just married
Boleslav. Her joy, however, turns out to be premature. Staschek saw through
Suza’s scheme, sent some dragoons after the runaways and the flare simply
means that Jadja has been caught. Now that nothing can prevent Staschek
from marrying her, he also reveals shrewdness in his relations with Mietek:
instead of giving him back the bills of exchange he had only handed over
blank sheets of paper, and to prove this he shows genuine documents to his
would-be father-in-law.
In the manor chapel a forced wedding ceremony thus takes place.
Boleslav arrives and tells Casimir the story of Jadja being kidnapped by
the dragoons. He wants to disrupt Jadja and Staschek’s wedding but it is al-
ready too late – the newlyweds are leaving the chapel. Staschek finally gives
259
