Friedrich Schreyvogl

The conversion of a pedantic family tyrant into an understanding husband and father.

Johann Strauss firmly established himself as the leader of a dance orchestra in Vienna in the 1840s. His sons Johann junior and Josef have clearly inherited their father's talent. Nevertheless, father Johann is strictly opposed to both of them training as composers.

The young emperor Joseph II of Austria and Hungary is not interested in romance and marriage, and every time his mother makes arrangements for him to meet eligible young ladies, he escapes under some pretense. This time he is off on a 'tour of inspection' with his trusted friend von Kleber. Things become complicated when von Kleber, pretending to be the emperor so as to protect the real Joseph from discovery, falls in love with Christine, the landlady of their lodgings. And when Christine later writes to the emperor, her letter is read by the mother of the real emperor, as keen as ever to see him getting married, and so the lady is invited to the imperial court.

Arthur Schnitzler's key piece describes the liaisons of his artist colleagues from the Cafe Central, Vienna. Behind the character "Treuenhof" is Peter Alterberg recognized, "Winkler" = Arthur Schnitzler, "Flatterer" = Frida Uhl, "Rapp" = Stefan Großmann, "Willi" = Hans Lang, "Van Zack" = Adolf Loos, and "Lisa" = Lina Loos.

When the cosmopolitan pastor Linhart takes care of the pregnant, unmarried maid Angela, the entire village believes that he must be the father of the child—especially when he takes in the baby Andreas after the mother's death. Twenty years pass. Andreas has grown into a handsome young man. The old rumors have long since been forgotten. But when Andreas falls in love with the pretty Hanni and the old farmer Santner wants to leave him his farm, the envy and hatred of the villagers are reawakened.