Herbert Ernst Groh Role:Tsarevich
Der Zarewitsch (The Tsarevich) is an operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German libretto by Heinz Reichert and Béla Jenbach is based on the play of the same name by Polish author Gabriela Zapolska. One his later operettas, Lehár composed the work as a vehicle for Richard Tauber, the acclaimed Austrian tenor. The work received its first performance at the Deutsches Künstlertheater in Berlin on 21 February 1927, with Tauber and Rita Georg in the leading roles.

The plot of Der Zarewitsch is loosely based on a true story: the self imposed exile of the son of Peter the Great, Alexei, who shirked his father's command by running away to Naples with his Finnish mistress disguised as a page. The couple spent two years galavanting around until Alexei was compelled by his father to return. His father was paranoid that Alexei was conspiring against him and ultimately Alexei ended up being imprisoned and tortured. The Russian senate convicted him of conspiring against his father and he was sentenced to death. He died due to ill health before he could be executed, most likely resulting from the poor treatment he received while imprisoned.

Reichert's libretto differs on several points from the life of Alexei. First, he changed the story so that the young girl, Sonja, is first seen disguised as a male Circassian dancer. When the Tsarevich runs away with Sonja he believes that she is a boy adding what Richard Traubner of Opera News called an "underlying homosexual frisson" to the operetta. Eventually the young prince discovers that Sonja is in fact a girl disguised as a boy. The two fall in love and escape to Naples. A further major difference is that the operetta does not have such a tragic ending, though it is not exactly happy either. Eventually the Zarewitsch learns that his father has died and he knows his relationship can not continue with Sonja as he is now the Tsar. The operetta ends with a "bittersweet royalcommoner parting".
Contents
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* 1 Main roles
* 2 Famous arias
* 3 Recordings
* 4 References
* 5 External links

[edit] Main roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast,
21 February, 1927[1].
(Conductor: - )
Tsarevich tenor Richard Tauber
Iwan, a valet baritone Paul Heidemann
Mascha, Iwan's wife soprano Charlotte Ander
Sonja soprano Rita Georg
Lina soprano
The First Minister bass
Master of ceremonies bass
Grand Duke spoken
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