Early in 1878, Friedrich Zell (the pen name of Camillo Walzel) (1829 - 1995) and Richard Genée (1823 - 1895), approached Franz von Suppé with a book based, very loosely, on the Florentine author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 - 1375). Entitled Boccaccio, oder Der Prinz von Palermo, it would become one of the most popular Viennese operettas of all time. Suppé, already wealthy from the success of Fatinitza, composed the score in just a few weeks.

The first performance of Suppé's Boccaccio took place on February 1, 1879, at the Carltheater in Vienna. The operetta's success was both immediate and long-lasting; it was staged throughout Europe and the United States within a few years. No doubt the title of Boccaccio piqued the interest of many who typically would not have attended an operetta, and it is almost certain many of these people were disappointed. Boccaccio has little to do with the author's life, and only a few isolated moments are drawn from his writings.

Possibly the greatest stroke of genius on the part of the Suppé and his librettists was making title character a trouser role. Boccaccio, the real-life friend and lover of women, is embodied as a woman, making him a comic hermaphrodite. Using a male singer in the role—more common since the 1930s—not only changes the audience's perception of the character, but the transposition of the part alters the entire musical dynamic of the operetta. Several scenes in Genée and Zell's book are drawn from "Day Seven" of Boccaccio's Decameron (1353): The duel between Boccaccio and Leonetto in the first act is from section six of "Day Seven." The magic olive tree scene is from section nine and the Finale of the second act is derived from section two.

Some have found parts of Suppé's score too heavy for the subject matter. The opening scene in front of the Santa Maria Novella church, for instance, is thick, convoluted, and filled with repeats. The texture becomes even more dense when the book-seller announces a new publication by Boccaccio.

The rest of the show, however, is more lively, and one of the best numbers, Boccaccio's "Ich sehe einen jungen Mann dort steh'n," unfolds as the title character explains where he finds material for his stories. Other highlights in the first act include the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta "Ein armer Bettler flehet um Erbarmen," the student song "Immer in undici, dodici, tredici," and Lotteringhi's "Bumti-rapata." In the second act, we hear a splendid piece of musical irony as Leonetto unwillingly serenades Peronella with "O hör, was Liebe spricht." Later in the act, Fiametta, Isabella, and Peronella deliver a trio with a Viennese waltz flavor. Even the brief third act has its gems, including the duet for Boccaccio and Fiametta, "Florenz hat schöne Frauen" (Mia bella florentina).



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