About the work
Apajune, der Wassermann is an operetta in three acts by Carl Millöcker to a libretto by Richard Genée and Camillo Walzel (F. Zell). It premiered on 18 December 1880 at the Theater an der Wien.
Plot
In a Wallachian village, the bride Natalitza sings a ballad about the water spirit Apajune, who is well disposed toward young wives. When a steward poses as Prince Prutschesko and has her brought to the castle, a tangle of disguises, mistaken identities, and romantic complications follows, resolved only when a young soldier rescues the real prince from danger, clearing the way for a previously forbidden marriage.
Cultural significance
The operetta became known above all for its comic "Qua-Qua" frog ensemble number; a 1904 revival featured several performers who later became stars of Lehár's "Die lustige Witwe".