Composer: Michael Balfe.
Author: Alfred Bunn.
First sung at London, England, Her Majesty's Theatre, Drury Lane, Nov. 27, 1843.
ACT I
Many years ago, when noblemen, warriors, gipsies, lovers, enemies and all sorts and conditions of men fraternized without drawing very fine distinctions except when it came to levying taxes, a company of rich nobles met in the gardens of the Count Arnheim to go hunting together. The Count was the Governor of Presburg, and a very popular man, except with his inferiors.
They began their day's sport with a rather highfalutin song sung by the Count's retainers:
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"Up with the banner and down with the slave, Who shall dare dispute the right, Wherever its folds in their glory wave, Of the Austrian eagle's flight?" |
The verses were rather more emotional than intelligent, but the singers were all in good spirits and prepared for a fine day's sport.
After this preliminary all the party—among whom was the young daughter of the Count, whose name was Arline, and a girlie sort of chap, Florestein, who was the Count's nephew—came from the castle, with huntsmen and pages in their train; and what with pages running about, and the huntsmen's bright colours, and the horns echoing, and the horses that one must feel were just without, stamping with impatience to be off, it was a gay scene. The old Count was in such high feather that he, too, broke into song and, while singing that
"Bugles shake the air,"