Composer

:

Victor Herbert

Genre

:

Opera

Style

:

Operetta

Compose Date

:

1898

First Performance

:

1898

Average_duration

:

5:02

The Fortune Teller is an opera composed by Victor Herbert, an Irish-American composer, cellist, and conductor. The opera was composed in 1898 and premiered on September 26, 1898, at the Knickerbocker Theatre in New York City. The libretto was written by Harry B. Smith and was based on a play by Victorien Sardou. The plot of The Fortune Teller revolves around a group of Hungarian gypsies who are traveling through Austria. The gypsy queen, Fatima, is a fortune teller who predicts the future for the locals. The story follows the love triangle between two gypsy men, Balthazar and Andor, and a wealthy Austrian woman, Laura. Balthazar and Andor both fall in love with Laura, but she is already engaged to a wealthy Austrian man, Count Berezowski. The gypsies decide to help Balthazar win Laura's heart by pretending that he is a wealthy prince. However, their plan backfires when Laura discovers the truth and decides to marry Count Berezowski instead. The opera is divided into three acts and features a variety of musical styles, including Hungarian folk music, waltzes, and operatic arias. The first act introduces the characters and sets up the love triangle, while the second act features a masquerade ball where the gypsies try to trick Laura into falling in love with Balthazar. The third act features the resolution of the love triangle and ends with a joyful celebration. One of the characteristics of The Fortune Teller is its use of Hungarian folk music. Herbert was known for incorporating folk music into his compositions, and The Fortune Teller is no exception. The opera features several Hungarian folk songs, including "Csárdás" and "Gypsy Love Song," which have become popular outside of the opera. Overall, The Fortune Teller was a success and helped establish Herbert as one of the leading composers of his time. The opera has been performed numerous times since its premiere and remains a popular work in the operatic repertoire.

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