Talk:The Gypsy Baron

Questionable source material

The article mentions that Strauss had been working on the operetta in 1883; however, Mór Jókai's novel, A cigánybáró, wasn't published until 1885, and not until 1886 in German, after the premiere date given for the operetta. The dates don't seem to work out. Likewise, the source is given as Sáffi, but Mór Jókai's novel (novella) A cigánybáró translates to English as "the gypsy baron." Did he have another work titled Sáffi that also somehow has the same translation but doesn't appear in the list of his works on the Mór Jókai page? Further, a google search for Sáffi by Mór Jókai only seems to find links to the opera, not any mention of an actual novel. It would be great if someone could clear this up. (BTW, I think this is my first post--my apologies if the formatting is wrong.) Jacobw56 (talk) 02:24, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

Jacobw56 It appears his wife Adela had connections to the author and was familiar with the work (A cigánybáró ) prior to its publication. February 1883 was when the composer was introduced to the work by his wife according the source linked below. Soon after, Strauss spoke with Mór Jókai about adapting the work for the stage, and the author connected Strauss to the librettist for his operetta who was Hungarian (Ignaz Schnitzer) in 1883. Therefore, there was no need to wait for a German translation or the initial publication in Hungarian as Strauss and his librettist were in direct contact with the author in 1883 and presumably had access to the novella prior to its publication. See this book: Anna G. Piotrowska (2013). Gypsy Music in European Culture: From the Late Eighteenth to the Early Twentieth Centuries. Northeastern University Press. p. 136-137. ISBN 9781555538378. I am not sure about Saffi as a work (perhaps an alternative title for the novella?) and it’s connection to the novella/operetta. I’ll dig some more tomorrow. Best.4meter4 (talk) 03:28, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

Update, in checking Grove it's pretty clear A cigánybáró is the correct name. I changed the article accordingly. Frankly, the whole article could use some fact checking and better referencing. Best.4meter4 (talk) 05:40, 20 January 2022 (UTC)

In digging further, I think Saffi is correct. Most likely that was the working title of Jokai's story which he had not yet fully adapted into the novel but had shared out as many writers do (short stories are later adapted into novels, etc.). Strauss was working from the 1883 version of the story (not yet published), and not the novel. This was a confusing tangle. Best.4meter4 (talk) 16:58, 20 January 2022 (UTC)