Kalman: Die Csardasfurstin

Die Csardasfurstin – by Kalman, with Moffo & Kollo, Deutsche Grammophon ★★★
Emmerich Kalman wrote this light operetta in 1915, a precursor to the current-day musical that we all know of. This is a filmed version, staged in Budapest, and well done, with first-class acting and singing as well as filming. The plot was very trivial, but then, what do you expect out of an operetta? It is the story of class identification for the nobility in marriage, and how that was overcome with a prince desiring to marry a Vaudeville chorus girl. It is a light operetta, not one that would become one’s favorite, though certainly of more demanding singing than the current music scene as we know it.  Two stars for the operetta and 4 for the performance give a three-star average.