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ANDRÁS MIKÓ AND GYÖRGY SZÉKELY: THE COUNT OF LUXEMBOURG, 1952
guoting his argumentation because, on the one hand, it makes us understand
the socio-political reading of Lehar’s operetta, following in Brecht’s footsteps
unintentionally. On the other hand, it gives a fine example of the (narrow¬
minded yet impressive) theoretical integrity of the work taking place in the
nationalized Operetta Theatre.
According to Székely, “The Count of Luxembourg is about two young people
in love and unwilling to ruin their lives because of bad and dishonest social
conventions”. Love becomes a “revolutionary force [and it has become such]
since the emergence of capitalism” because of this unwillingness.*” In order to
prove this, Székely quotes Engels, who claims that “the total freedom to marry
[...] can only prevail in general, if the abolishment of capitalist production
and the conditions of ownership it has created results in the elimination of
the economic side aspects which still have such a huge influence on the choice
of a partner”.?” Following this thesis, Székely claims that “the first half of the
play is about removing marital barriers commercially and about the strange,
conflicting improvement and equalization of an unequal marriage according
to class considerations. Even at that time, the freedom of love meant a certain
opposition, a revolution.”*”” So René and Angéle have to fight their own class
struggle, but
until they fall in love, until they come face to face with each other, they behave
in the same way as the rest of the society around them. They are both involved in
pretty dirty deals; [Angéle] by marriage of convenience and [René] by marrying
for money. They are part of, and no better part of the society in which they live.
However, from the moment they see each other face to face and fall in love and love
decides their fate, they are confronted with the environment around them. They
break the rules of convention, habit and generally accepted manners, and fight for
their own freedom in a revolutionary way.*”
Love becomes a factor of social transformation, making the second finale
rather scandalous, “when these two people [...] step out of the usual frames
and set out freely”.*”? Székely’s conclusion, namely that René and Angéle “fight
for their freedom in this way”,**° suggests the lofty subject of freedom and
freedom struggle, underscoring the aspirations of the Operetta Theatre from
Students of Vienna on.
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