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A moving and lightly comic production of Franz Lehár's renowned operetta, Der Zarewitsch, brings out the plot's lively love story at the Volksoper Vienna. This version of the operetta has a new text written by Jürgen Bauer. The original libretto was penned by Béla Jenbach and Heinz Reichert, for which Lehár composed a sumptuous, almost symphonic score, with many of the characters expressed with distinctive musical qualities. Few who attend Der Zarewitsch at the Volksoper Wien, as the opera house is known in German, will leave unimpressed by Lehár's compositional prowess, nor by his unabashed skills in musical storytelling.

First performed on 21 February 1927 at the Künstlertheater in Berlin, Der Zarewitsch was written after Lehár had previously enjoyed success with Paganini. He wanted to continue exploring historical drama and a Polish play of the same name, written by Gabriela Zapolska, gave Lehár the ideal foundation. Indeed, the Austro-Hungarian composer had seen the play on the Viennese stage some ten years before. Loosely based on the life of Alexei, the son of Tsar Peter the Great, the original librettists chose to downplay some of the darker themes present in the original play. Instead, they focused on the story's lighter, more romantic elements.

For example, Alexei, the Zarewitsch, was imprisoned and tortured by his father in real life but the operetta tells a tale of two young lovers making their way in exile. Part of the operetta's action takes place in the city of Naples, where the pair eventually learn that the Tsar has died, meaning that Alexei will be named in his place. Will their love survive the responsibilities of state that await the once Zarewitsch on his return to Russia?

Der Zarewitsch features some of Lehár's most memorable melodies. Among them is Einer wird kommen (Someone will come), delivered by Sonja, Alexei's love interest. Warum hat jeder Frühling, ach, nur einen Mai? (Why does every spring have but one May?) is a duet Lehár wrote for Sonja and the title character. Sung at the beginning of the third act, it provides a splendid opportunity for both performers to express themselves musically. With these arias and duets, Lehár was clearly showing the influence of some operatic greats, notably Puccini, as the composer began to show ever more emotional depth in his work.

This production of Der Zarewitsch at the Volksoper Vienna provides audiences with a spellbinding story that explores duty and sacrifice in the context of romantic love. Despite its frequent comic touches, the operetta has an emotional depth driven by Lehár's thoughtful score.