About the work
Der lustige Krieg (The Merry War) is a three-act operetta by Johann Strauss II, with a libretto by Camillo Walzel (writing as F. Zell) and Richard Genée. It premiered on 25 November 1881 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
Plot
Near Genoa, two small Italian states declare war on each other over a trivial matter, without any actual fighting taking place. In the army camp, Colonel Umberto Spinola and the widowed Countess Violetta Lomelli meet in disguise and, through a mix-up during a proxy wedding, end up accidentally married to one another — only to realise they are genuinely in love.
Cultural significance
The operetta was an immediate hit, running for 69 performances in its first season and ranking among Strauss's most frequently staged works of his time, with the Marchese's waltz proving especially popular. It also travelled abroad under the English title The Merry War.