About the work
Die Zaubergeige (original title Le violoneux) is a one-act operetta by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Mestépès and Chevalet. It premiered on 31 August 1855 at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris.
Plot
In a village in southern Germany, young Peter needs 500 guilders to buy his way out of military service; his fiancée Rose, the ward of village fiddler Martin, urges him to ask Martin for help. Out of superstition Peter smashes Martin's violin, which reveals a hidden will leaving Rose an inheritance of 5,000 guilders.
Cultural significance
The unexpected inheritance solves Peter's money troubles and clears the way for the couple's wedding. The piece dates from Offenbach's first productive season at the Bouffes-Parisiens in 1855.