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Das war ich
(That Was Me) (1902)Libretto by Richard Batka after Johann Hutt (G)
2S,A,T,Bar
2(II=picc).2.corA.2.2-4.2.0.1-timp.perc-harp-strings
Abbreviations (PDF)
Bote & Bock
Dresden
Company: Hofoper Dresden
| PAUL, a tenant farmer | Character Baritone |
| MARTHE, Paul's wife | Lyric Soprano |
| PETER, a farm labourer | Lyric Tenor |
| RÖSCHEN, Paul's cousin | Soubrette Soprano |
| THE NEIGHBOUR | Character Alto |
In a German village around 1830
Röschen is in love with Peter, the farm labourer, but her cousin Paul is against a marriage between the two because he himself, having had enough of his own married life, has an eye on his cousin. One day he succeeds in kissing the reluctant girl. He is caught by the neighbour who, having been rejected by him years ago, senses an occasion for revenge and wants to inform Marthe, Paul’s wife, of the outrageous incident on the spot. Paul, however, forestalls her, kisses Marthe quickly and repeats with her the whole delicate scene with Röschen, so that Marthe answers the neighbour with a laugh: ‘That was me!’ Now the neighbour tries the same with Peter. However, Röschen had played the same game with him as Paul had with Marthe, and so the neighbour once more gets the reply: ‘That was me!’ Thus jealousy is outwitted, and Röschen is eventually allowed to marry Peter.
Comic