Der lustige Krieg (The Merry War) is a three-act operetta composed by Johann Strauss II. The work was first performed on 25 November 1881 at the Theater an der Wien. Its libretto was by F. Zell (Camillo Walzel) and Richard Genée. The operetta was well received at its premiere, and was performed 69 times during its first run.
| Violetta, Countess Lomelli, a widow | soprano | Caroline Finaly |
| Artemisia, Princess of Massa-Carrara | contralto | Rosa Streitmann |
| Else Groot | soprano | |
| Balthasar Groot, her husband, a tulip merchant from Holland | baritone | |
| Marchese Sebastiano | tenor | Alexander Girardi |
| Colonel Umberto Spinola | tenor | |
| Riccardo Durazzo | baritone | |
| Fortunato Franchetti | bass-baritone | |
| Biffi | tenor | |
| Pamfilio | baritone | |
| First lady | soprano | |
| Second lady | mezzo-soprano | |
| Third lady | contralto | |
| First commissioner | tenor | |
| Second commissioner | bass | |
| Colonel van Scheelen | spoken | |
| Officers and their wives, soldiers and people (chorus) | ||
Place: The garrisoned Mediterranean city of Massa.[1]
Time: First part of the 18th century
It concerns a dispute between two states. The 'war' between them is played out as a game of love between Colonel Umberto Spinola, the commander-in-chief of the Genoese army, and the widowed Countess Violetta. Despite the name of the operetta, there is no fighting or bloodshed in the 'war'.
Johann Strauss: Der lustige Krieg, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Jeunesse-Chor, Wiener Motettenchor