Die Csárdásfürstin

Operetta in three acts by Imre Kálmán

Libretto - Leo Stein and Bella Jenbach

First performance: 17 November 1915, Vienna.

First performance in Bulgaria: 5 December 1918, Free Theatre in Sofia.

First performance in Ruse: 20 November 1958, conductor - Nikola Nikola Nikolaev, director - Svetozar Donev, artist - Petar Popov, choreographer - Assen Manolov, choirmaster - Nikola Nikola Nikolaev.

Main characters:

Prince Leopold von Lippert-Weilersheim

Cecilia, his wife

Edwin, Techen Sin

Contessa Stasi, niece of the prince

Count Bonnie Cancianu

Silva Varescu, variety singer

General Ronsdorff

Feri Bachi, writer

Kish, notary public

Mouse 

Short synopsis

First act

Tonight in the popular capital variety the actress Silva, called by the audience the Queen of Chardash, will take the stage for the last time. During the night ѝ  is about to go on tour to Paris with his friends - the writer Ferry Bacci and the cheerful, soul of every company Bonnie. The latter, burning with love for Silva but, above all, for the girls of the ballet of the variety show, frantically arranges the trip and the farewell dinner. Belatedly, Count Edwin arrives, determined to stop Silva's departure. He loves her and longs for the two of them to bind their lives together forever. His mother, the Princess, is outraged by this scandalous liaison and threatens her son with telegrams to stop his maintenance. Edwin decides to break with his family and start a new life together with Silva. But Silva, knowing full well that she would hardly fit in as the wife of a man from aristocratic circles, is too concerned about Edwin's future. She therefore suppresses her sincere and strong feelings for the young man and insists that he leave.

Worried and unable to find a place for herself in this situation, the Princess decides to intervene in the young Count's relations and arrives in Budapest. At the variety show, a familiar atmosphere and dear memories surrounded her - she had started from here also as a favourite singer of the public and was also called the Queen of Chardash. Poignant encounters with the waiter Mishka and Feri Bachi - once madly in love with her - follow. But the current princess (formerly Cecilia, or simply Cilica), is hell-bent on defending the "conquered" aristocratic heights and nothing can bring her back. In vain does Edwin introduce her to Silva. Already a princess, the former chansonette and one-time Queen of Chardache and the current one, who is at the height of her fame, have no points of contact. And the young Count decides on a fateful step - he signs a marriage contract with Silva and sets off for his regiment. The young woman is happy, but only for a brief moment - Bonnie ѝ  shows an invitation to Edwin's betrothal to the contessa Stasi. Silva, burning with resentment, immediately leaves for Paris.

Second act         

Prince Leopold's palace in Vienna. Count Edwin's engagement to Contessa Stassi will be officially announced at the ball. The Count had sought in vain for a connection with Silva in Paris. His telegrams invariably returned unanswered. His fiancée and the waiter Mishka, who is now in the service of the palace, sympathize with him in vain. But it is at the ball that Feri Bacci arrives, as father, Bonnie as Feri's son, and Silva as Bonnie's wife. The scenario succeeds and the courtly milieu more than welcomes them. Edwin and Silva meet and their love is rekindled. Bonnie falls in love with Stasi at first sight and she becomes the destiny of his life. But the princess-chansonette keeps a watchful eye. The danger is inside the palace and she announces the engagement of Count Edwin and Contessa Stassi through the Prince. Unexpectedly to the public, Edwin rejects the betrothal and holds out his arms to Silva. Everyone is outraged. Taken aback, Silva shows her marriage contract, breaks it, returns Edwin's freedom and leaves the palace. Feri Bacci and Mishka follow her. 

Third act

The variety again. Old friends welcome the "Parisian" guests. Cecilia and the Prince burst in, looking for her son, who has disappeared since the scandal at the palace. Feri and Mishka, offended by the Princess's chansonette behavior, decide to expose her and thus help Edwin and Silva. The ingenious scenario unerringly works. Hidden in the sepulchre, the Prince, her noble husband, sees the true nature of his wife. This doesn't dampen his spirits at all. On the contrary, he is ready to give his blessing. To Cilica he does not ѝ  there is nothing left to do but acquiesce. Bonnie and Stassi "clarify" their misunderstandings and announce their engagement on the condition that the same will happen with Edwin and Silva. The resourceful Bonnie takes on the difficult task and, as always, succeeds. Having received parental blessings, the two happy couples embark on the marriage path.

The idea of the operetta, dedicated to the variety star Silva Varescu, originated with Kalman (24.10.1882-30.10.1953)  at the beginning of 1914. The libretto, by the famous German playwrights Leo Stein and Béla Jönbach, was titled Hail Love. Inspired by the plot of the work, Kalman began work on it with unusual enthusiasm. Despite several breakdowns in the collaboration between composer and librettists, the operetta was completed. The premiere took place on 17 November 1915 in Vienna. The stage fate of The Queen of Chardache can without exaggeration be called glamorous. In Vienna the operetta lasted 2,000 performances, and in Berlin, where the title role was played by the celebrated Fritzi Massari, the show was performed daily for two years. After Vienna and Berlin, The Queen of Charades began its triumphal procession on stages all over the globe, which continues to this day.

The first performance in Bulgaria of The Queen of Chardash was soon after the Viennese premiere - on 5 December 1918 in the newly built Free Theatre in Sofia.

The first performance in Ruse took place on 20 November 1958 with a post-novice team consisting of Nikola Nikola Nikolaev as conductor; Svetozar Donev as director; Petar Popov as painter; Assen Manolov as choreographer; Nikola Nikola Nikolaev as choirmaster. Mimi Nikolova, Nadia Kharitonova, Ivan Dimov, Lilyana Doneva, Assen Selimski, Kosyo Lungov, Lyuben Bankov and others.

The next Ruse premiere of The Queen of Chardash was much later - only in the spring of 1986. The production team consisted of: conductor - Milen Nachev; director - Nedyalko Kovachev; choirmaster - Tomina Sidova; scenography - Ivan Savov; costumes - Vasil Dimov; choreography - Hristomir Mikhailov. In the roles participate.

In the central roles in later realizations of the beloved operetta by the Ruse audience have participated remarkable artists from the Ruse opera theatre such as Penka Dilova, Ana Angelova, Adelaide Yakimova, Mimi Nikolova, Ivan Stoev, Violeta Shakhanova, Yolanta Nikolaeva, Dimitar Kurkchiev, Nikola Abajimarinov, Minko Minkov, Ventsislav Vodenicharov and others. 

And so, over the years, the Rousse Opera has reached the current, seventh production of "The Queen of Chardache", deservedly crowned by the public as the "Queen of Operettas".