About the work
Der Göttergatte is an operetta (opera buffa) in two scenes with music by Franz Lehár and a libretto by Victor Léon and Leo Stein. It was Lehár's third operetta and premiered on 20 January 1904 at the Carltheater in Vienna.
Plot
The piece parodies the ancient myth of Amphitryon: Jupiter descends to earth in secret, taking the shape of the general Amphitryon to approach his wife Alcmene, while his servant Mercury impersonates Amphitryon's servant Sosia. The resulting double mix-up of master and servant drives the confusion until every misunderstanding is resolved at the end.
Cultural significance
Musically, Lehár audibly models the score on Jacques Offenbach's operetta parodies, making it an early, lighthearted example of his work. He later reworked the material twice, as "Die ideale Gattin" (1913) and "Die Tangokönigin" (1921).