The Csárdás Princess

Emmerich Kálmán's Die Csárdásfürstin is truly a sparkling jewel of the operetta genre: this begins with the plot alone, which presents itself as an entertaining mixture of great emotions, over-the-top humor, a wicked nightclub and a glittering aristocratic world. It tells the story of the love between the celebrated chansonette Sylva Varescu and the high-ranking aristocrat Edwin, which almost threatens to break apart because of these differences in status.

Kálmán wrote music for the story which, in the melange of melancholy longing with sincere cheerfulness and rousing dance rhythms so typical of this composer, congenially captures the emotional range of the varied events on stage. Needless to say, almost every number in this score has become a hit, and in Linz this highlight of the genre is in the best of hands with operetta specialist Thomas Enzinger.