The winning cupid
The winning Cupid is "a great comic pantomime in two elevators with machines, aircrafts and dances", which was performed since 1814 in the theater in the Leopoldstadt Vienna. The piece was played 57 times until 1821 and was thus one of the most successful mimes on this stage. It can be representative of many similar pieces in the first half of the 19th century. The score was especially praised in its time. It has been completely preserved as one of the few of this genre and is located in the music library of the Vienna Library.
The private theater in the Leopoldstadt was not allowed to give ballets in order not to compete directly with the Hofbühnen. The pantomime was allowed. It was a sort of ballet for the "simple people". The performers of the pantomime were called "grotesque dancers" in contrast to the court dancers.
Karl Hampel, the mime master of the theater, conceived the action and theater mastermistress Franz Volkert composed the music. It is closely matched to the plot and contains many social stances like the Viennese Waltz. As usual the figures of this pantomime are borrowed from the Commedia dell'arte. The action, as usual in the Stegreifkomedy, consists of known elements, which can be combined again and again. In addition to artistic interludes between acrobatics and magic tricks, the costumes and transformations on the open stage had a sensation. The mythological figures show that many Baroque elements have survived in this theater form. Amor serves as Deus ex machina to perform all the tricks of the stage machinery. Edit the sourcetext
Harlequin asks Pierrot for something edible. This one denies him, but Colombina brings him something. The two fall in love, but are surprised and separated by Pierrot. By chance, Harlequin rescues the god Cupid by falling a tree in which it was enchanted, and receives a talisman with which it can be transformed. Thus, he can prevent the involuntary marriage of Colombina and the son of a baron who has ordered her guardian Pantalone. He escapes with Colombina. Dancing coffins put Pantalone and his notary in barrels. A hunter's house, before which Pierrot discovers the sleeping harlequin and takes away bread and wine, turns into a Turkish mosque. The evil sorcerer, who put his furies and satyrs on Harlequin, appears and promises Pantalone to restore Colombina, but Cupid rescues the lovers.
Pantalone locks Colombina into the house and orders her to love the groom. Harlekin frees her. The groom finds a wrong Colombina and falls in love with her, but she is kidnapped by a wrong Harlequin. Harlequin appears in various disguises, such as hermits. Pierrot's attempt to slay Harlequin by an evil fairy fails through Amor's intervention. The bridegroom also wants to stay with the wrong Colombina when the real one appears. Harlequin and Colombina can stay together. Pantalone, Pierrot, the magician and the fairy have the look. Everyone is reconciled. Edit source text
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