Waldmeister

An excursion into the countryside can quickly become such a scandal. A group of fun-loving young people, lead by the singer Pauline, flee from a storm into what appears to be a forest mill. When the no-nonsense forest intendant Tymoleon turns up to catch his students on their unsanctioned excursion, he thinks Pauline is the miller’s wife and happily succumbs to her sweet-talk. But of course Tymoleon is the fiancé of beautiful Freda, in whom the young Botho has fallen head over heels in love with, which of course is why he seizes the opportunity to expose Tymoleon. This is facilitated with the help of the professor of botany, Erasmus Müller, who has come to inspect the “black woodruff”, allegedly discovered by Freda’s mother, Malwine. Erasmus immediately sees that it is merely woodruff coloured with ink, but the effect of the plant, worked generously with alcohol into a rather palatable punch, leaves nothing to be desired. And so, after the odd trials and tribulations, the right couples find their way to each other.

Johann Strauss wrote this song of praise to the sensory pleasures a good twenty years or so after Die Fledermaus. In the Strauss anniversary year 2025, Josef E. Köpplinger will rediscover this gem briskly and entertainingly for the stage. Be sure not to miss it!

WALDMEISTER programme reading sample