Pique Dame

After the revolution of 1848 the "Singspiel" lost much of its appeal and the lively works of Jacques Offenbach were welcomed by the Viennese with open arms. Franz von Suppè (1819-1895), already a well established composer of incidental music for comedies, was the first to offer substantial competition in this new field. As he often added distinctively Viennese music of his own, he is rightly called ”Father of the Vienna Operetta”. ”Pique Dame” (Queen of Spades) is a revision of the earlier, less successful „Kartenschlägerin“ of 1862. It was remounted to a better reaction under its new title in 1865 at the Carl Theatre.

Little is heard of it now except the tuneful overture which sounds remarkable effective in the sparkling arrangement for symphonic band by Gerhard Baumann.