Zsuzsi Kisasszony

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Libretto by Miksa Bródy and Ferenc Martos 

Premiere:  Vígszínház, Budapest, February 27, 1915

There is great excitement in the small Hungarian town—guests will be arriving from Budapest for the dedication of the flag of the firefighters’ union. All are feverishly waiting particularly for Falsetti, the famous tenor and a native son of the town. Arriving with him is the composer and consul Laufen-Laufen, whose wife Szerafina entertains a love for Falsetti. Zsuzsi, the ward of town postmaster Pribichei helps her foster father with running the post office, and is in love with Péterfi, the editor of the local paper. But Falsetti takes a liking to Zsuzsi and invites her to come to Pest with promises of turning the country postmistress into an artist. Falsetti settles Zsuzsi in his apartment in Budapest, but pays her little attention, as he is preparing for his new role as Otello. Zsuzsi is disillusioned and, what’s more, Szerafina unmasks Falsetti and claims that it was only on a bet that he intended to seduce the young country girl. The reporter Dinnye, Péterfi’s servant, appropriates the superstitious tenor’s talisman—Falsetti cannot imagine singing without his good-luck piece. The broken tenor returns home to the small town. He declares that he will not sing again and will return to his old profession. Zsuzsi makes up with Péterfi, and Dinnye, seeing the situation clearing up, returns the talisman to Falsetti. The tenor regains his self-confidence, then his voice, and with that, peace is re-established throughout.