On one of his visits to Budapest, the younger Johann Strauss formed an acquaintanceship with the Hungarian writer Mór Jókai, whose global popularity was also considerable; the fruit of their association turned out to be one of the “Waltz King's” finest operettas: Der Zigeunerbaron, or The Gypsy Baron, with which the 60-year-old Strauss once again captivated the world.
One of the work's virtues is that its music lends itself to the opera stage, with the sounds of the Hungarian csárdás, Gypsy music, the Viennese waltz and weightier melodies all rubbing along together marvellously.
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