Choreography in Operetta Performances. Case Study: The Couplets “How Can One Live Without Love” From the Operetta Die Csárdásfürstin (Silvia or the Csárdás Princess), Act I, Scene 3, By Emmerich Kálmán

Die Csárdásfürstin (Silvia or The Csárdás Princess) is the most famous composition by Emmerich Kálmán. This work remains one of the most frequently staged operettas worldwide due to its charming music and romantic storyline, which combines the exoticism of the Hungarian csárdás with the brilliance of Viennese society. The present study analyzes the choreographic moment constructed on the basis of a French cancan performed by Count Boni Cancianu and the dancers of the Orfeum Cabaret in Budapest, which appears in Act I of the operetta Silvia. According to the libretto, this scene represents the count’s farewell moment before departing on a long tour to New York together with the operetta’s main character, Silvia Verescu.

The research methods employed consist of analyzing the stage behavior of the performer, the baritone Cătălin Petrescu, through direct observation of video recordings, focusing on his interaction with the cabaret dance ensemble (the ballet ensemble of the Ion Dacian Operetta and Musical Theatre in Bucharest), his relationship with the stage set, and the way Boni Cancianu relates to the audience. Hypothesis: In order to perform a choreographic moment within an operetta performance, the performer requires, in addition to outstanding vocal qualities and interpretative skills, motor abilities related to the learning of dance techniques. The couplet How Can One Live Without Love from the operetta Silvia,
expressed through movement in the form of a French cancan, is not merely a spectacular dance moment but also a key atmospheric element that includes character development and the social conflict present in the libretto.

The cancan defines the cabaret world, marks the beginning of the love story between Silvia and Edwin, and contributes significantly to the stylistic charm of the operetta. It can therefore be stated that Silvia is an operetta full of vitality, humor, dances, and melodies inspired primarily by Hungarian music (with the csárdás predominating), while also including lyrical moments of great sensitivity. For this reason, it offers performers roles of considerable artistic value. In operetta performance, dance and gesture are not mere additions but integral components of the performers’ expressive language, without which the charm of operetta would be lost.