About the work
Fatinitza is an operetta in three acts by Franz von Suppé, premiered in 1876 in Vienna. The libretto by F. Zell and Richard Genée is set during the Russo-Turkish War and is famous for its breeches-role entanglements.
Plot
The young Russian lieutenant Vladimir must disguise himself as a woman in a military ruse — as "Fatinitza". The disguise leads to a chain of comic confusions when the general falls in love with the supposed Fatinitza and the girl Lydia with the real Vladimir. Amid the turmoil of war, captivity and harem, the entanglements finally resolve happily.
Cultural significance
Fatinitza was one of Suppé's greatest operetta successes and consolidated his reputation as a master of Viennese operetta. The opera's rousing march became popular far beyond the work itself.