GRAND DUCHESS OF GEROLSTEIN-- FRITZ' RONDO

From the start of his career, Offenbach and his writers skewered the establishment, and this didn't change when he became famous. Written in 1867, at the height of Offenbach's powers, the Grand Duchess was a huge hit with Parisians, as it hilariously satirized the military. It was later banned for a time after France lost the Franco-Prussian war. As its message still resonates today, the Comic Opera Guild and translator Thomas Petiet moved its setting up to World War 1, when modern technology clashed with 19th Century militarism. Similarly, 20th century war is also becoming obsolete today.

Fritz (David Troiano) returns with a bedraggled group of soldiers, having invented trench warfare in the course of trying to hide. He describes how it all came about in the famous Rondo. For more comic operas and operettas, visit comicoperaguild.org

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Music

Tags:

• Grand Duchess of Gerolstein
• Offenbach
• Comic Opera Guild
• David Troiano
• Chris Grapentine
• Barbara Scanlon
• Katy Kujala
• Matt Peckham
• Mitch Gillett
• Thomas Petiet
• Operetta
• Rondo de Fritz