German: Die Landstreicher (The Tramps) is a German-language operetta in one prologue and two acts by Carl Michael Ziehrer to a libretto by and Karl Lindau. It was first performed on 26 July 1899 at the summer theatre "Venedig in Wien".[1]
The premiere was just three weeks after the death of Johann Strauss II. Despite the Viennese mourning for their beloved composer, the operetta was especially noted for its Viennese spirit and more so with Ziehrer himself conducting, the review from the press was favorable with Ziehrer heralded as a new composer to usher in a new age. German: Die Landstreicher was the most popular of his stage works.
| Berta Fliederbusch, tramp | soprano | Poldi Augustin | |
| August Fliederbusch, her husband, also a tramp | tenor | ||
| Mimi, a dancer | soprano | ||
| Prince Adolar Gilka | tenor or baritone | ||
| Anna Gratwohl | soprano | ||
| 'Gerichtsassessor' Roland | tenor | ||
| Lieutenant Mucki von Rodenstein | mezzo-soprano or tenor | Ludmilla Gaston | |
| Lieutenant Rudi von Muggenheim | soprano or baritone | Anton Matscheg | |
| Kampel, a court usher | bass | Max Schönau | |
| Gratwohl, an inn-keeper, Anna's father | baritone or bass | Vali Paak | |
| Leitgeb, a hotelier | baritone | ||
| Frau Leitgeb | contralto | ||
| Stöber, conductor of a male choir | tenor or baritone | ||
| Lajos von Geletneky, a painter | tenor or baritone | ||
| Dancers, parlour maids, waiters, peasants, summer visitors, singers, costumed guests etc. | |||
The libretto for German: Die Landstreicher was the basis for Ludwig Engländer's Broadway musical The Strollers which was staged at the Knickerbocker Theatre in 1901.[2]
A film was made in 1937 directed by Karel Lamač with a script by Géza von Cziffra. It starred Paul Hörbiger, Rudolf Carl, Lucie Englisch, Erika Drusovich and Rudolf Platte. Further film versions were made for the Austrian boadcaster ORF in 1960 and again in 1968 in a co-production of ORF and the German broadcaster ZDF.