Az Obsitos / Der gute Kamerad
Az Obsitos
Libretto by Karl von Bakonyi
Premiere: Vígszínház, Budapest, March 16, 1910
In a small Hungarian village, a mother has waited 15 years for the return of her soldier son from the battlefront. With the close of the Italian campaign of 1859, two soldiers arrive in the village. One is Tihamér Tausendschön, son of a Jewish peddler, who, like Zsupán in Johann Strauss’ Der Zigeunerbaron,regales everyone with stories of his adventures in back of the front line and his heroics in the canteen. The other soldier is Andris Dömötör, whose closest army buddy, before dying on the battlefield, made Andris promise to personally bring the sad news to his mother. When Andris arrives to fulfill his promise, the old lady believes him to be her son; he has not the courage to tell her the truth. Even her daughter Málcsi believes that it is her brother who has returned from war. Only when Tihamér asks Andris, the presumed male head of the family, for Málcsi’s hand, does Andris confess to her his true identity and his love for her. When the leader of the village asks to see Andris’ military discharge documents, Málcsi insists that he abandon his charade. With the heroism of a true Hungarian mother, the dead soldier’s mother bows to the inevitable.
Der gute Kamerad
Libretto by Victor Léon and Karl von Bakonyi
Premiere: Bürgertheater, Vienna, October 27, 1911
German-language revision of Az Obsitos
Act I: Karoline von Gubendorf, the lady of an Austrian castle, and her daughter Marlene await the return of their son and brother Franz from a long absence at war. As the battlefield had already claimed the lives of both Karoline’s husband and older son, Franz will become the man of the house and can therefore give his consent to the planned marriage of Marlene and the district commissar, Martin. Marlene and her mother re-read one of Franz’s old letters, in which he longs for his mother’s embrace and writes of how he has been comforted on the battlefield by his faithful comrade Alwin. The village’s wealthy mushroom farmer, Vitus Rabenlechner, revels in the imminent return from war of both his brother Xaver, whom he sees as a marriage prospect for Marlene, and Franz, whom he sees as a partner for his daughter Walpurga, although her heart beats for her uncle Xaver. When Vitus proposes his double-marriage plans to Karoline, she dismisses him as crazy. Complications arise when the imposing town magistrate, Ramsauer, arrives with his flirty daughter Portiuncula Immaculata and reminds Martin that he had better soon make good on his debts. Martin assures Ramsauer that all will be squared away as soon as he takes a wife and receives her dowry. In desperation, he proposes marriage, first to Walpurga and then to Portiunucla. Shouts are heard—the soldiers are returning. Karoline and Marlene’s elation turns to despair when there is no sign of Franz among the returning soldiers—they lose hope and re-enter their home. Alwin arrives to carry out Franz’s dying wish to bring a final greeting to his mother. He is intercepted by Vitus, who, when informed that Franz is dead, connivingly convinces Alwin to impersonate Franz—that to do otherwise would destroy the frail Karoline. Because so much time has passed since Franz went off to war and Marlene was then so young, and, as Alwin knows so much about the family, the village, and the neighbors, it is believed that the impersonation might work. Their conversation draws Karoline out of the house—she is thrilled to welcome home her “son.”
Act II: Alwin is slowly adjusting to life at “home,” although Marlene jokingly teases him that he acts as if he has never seen the place before. The parish priest arrives at the home and grows suspicious when Alwin cannot remember his earlier teachings. Vitus convinces the priest to back off—that news of Franz’s death would surely kill Karoline. When Xaver reveals to Walpurga that he is not the war hero that his brother Vitus had proclaimed, she recognizes that Marlene could not possibly have any interest in him. Walpurga rushes into Xaver’s arms, as they acknowledge the twisted family tree that would result if she married her uncle. Marlene and Alwin, meanwhile, admit to being overcome by strange sensations—they are falling in love. Eventually, Marlene realizes that he is not her brother, but she entreats him to continue the masquerade for her mother’s sake. She will wed Martin, as planned, but her resolve weakens as she and Alwin intone their mutual love. At the wedding ceremony, Vitus announces that he had no choice but to give his daughter Walpurga to her beloved Xaver. When Martin asks that Alwin consecrate his union with Marlene, Alwin refuses. All are shocked, even more so when Alwin confesses his love for Marlene, who everyone still believes is his sister. When Karoline appears, Alwin says his farewell and prepares to leave the village, even after she admits that she has known since earlier in the day that her son Franz was killed in battle. Marlene pleads with her mother to stop Alwin’s departure. With a welcoming “My son!” and the placement of Alwin’s hand in that of Marlene, Karoline welcomes back her son.
