³if i were your mirror a reflection on austrian history
TRANSCRIPT
“If I Were Your Mirror”
A Reflection on Austrian History Through Elisabeth das Musical
by
Carolyn Nicole Richardson
A THESIS
submitted to
Oregon State University
Honors College
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree of
Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in German
(Honors Scholar)
Honors Baccalaureate of Science in Mechanical Engineering
(Honors Scholar)
Presented May 25, 2021
Commencement June 2022
AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF
Carolyn Nicole Richardson for the degree of Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in German and
Honors Baccalaureate of Science in Mechanical Engineering presented on May 25, 2021. Title:
“If I Were Your Mirror” – A Reflection on Austrian History Through Elisabeth das Musical.
Abstract approved:_____________________________________________________
Benita Blessing
This project examines the portrayal of the life and times of Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich
(Empress Elisabeth of Austria) in the popular Austrian musical Elisabeth das Musical (Elisabeth
the Musical), written by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay. Elisabeth was first performed in
Vienna in 1992 and has since become the most successful German-language musical of all time.
The musical is used as a case study to investigate contemporary Austria’s relationship with – and
denial of – its own history by examining the musical’s portrayal of historical figures and events.
Elisabeth is further analyzed for its depiction of the titular character in her roles as a wife,
mother, and Empress. The effects these roles have on her mental health is also explored. Despite
Elisabeth’s popularity, the musical’s social commentary has seldom been examined in an
academic context. This project seeks to address these lacunae in Austrian History and Women
and Gender Studies through the translation and analysis of critical lyrics from the musical.
Key Words: Austria, History, German-Language, Translation, Musical Theater, World War II,
Sisi, Mental Health
Corresponding e-mail address: [email protected]
©Copyright by Carolyn Nicole Richardson
May 25, 2021
“If I Were Your Mirror” – A Reflection on Austrian History Through Elisabeth das Musical
by
Carolyn Nicole Richardson
A THESIS
submitted to
Oregon State University
Honors College
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree of
Honors Baccalaureate of Arts in German
(Honors Scholar)
Honors Baccalaureate of Science in Mechanical Engineering
(Honors Scholar)
Presented May 25, 2021
Commencement June 2022
Honors Baccalaureate of: Arts in German and Honors Baccalaureate of: Science in Mechanical
Engineering project of Carolyn Nicole Richardson presented on May 25, 2021.
APPROVED:
_____________________________________________________________________
Benita Blessing, Mentor, representing World Languages and Cultures
_____________________________________________________________________
Bradley Boovy, Committee Member, representing World Languages and Cultures
_____________________________________________________________________
Elizabeth Helman, Committee Member, representing Theatre
_____________________________________________________________________
Toni Doolen, Dean, Oregon State University Honors College
I understand that my project will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State
University, Honors College. My signature below authorizes release of my project to any reader
upon request.
_____________________________________________________________________
Carolyn Nicole Richardson, Author
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 8
TRANSLATIONAL METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 10
INTRODUCTION TO ELISABETH DAS MUSICAL .................................................................................. 12
SIGNIFICANCE OF ANALYZING ELISABETH DAS MUSICAL ............................................................... 14
AUSTRIAN HISTORY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN ELISABETH ...................................................... 16
AUSTRIAN HISTORICAL CONTEXT............................................................................................................................ 16 AUSTRIAN HISTORY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN ELISABETH ................................................................................. 20
SISI IN ELISABETH .................................................................................................................................... 27
SISI AS A HISTORICAL FIGURE ................................................................................................................................ 27 PORTRAYAL OF SISI IN ELISABETH ............................................................................................................................ 32
Sisi as a Wife, Mother, and Empress .................................................................................................................. 33 Mental Health in Elisabeth ................................................................................................................................. 50 Sisi’s Legacy in Elisabeth ................................................................................................................................... 63
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 66
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................................... 71
APPENDIX................................................................................................................................................... 74
BOOTE IN DER NACHT / SHIPS IN THE NIGHT...................................................................................................................... 74 EINE KAISERIN MUSS GLÄNZEN / AN EMPRESS MUST SHINE ................................................................................................. 75 DER LETZTE TANZ / THE LAST DANCE ............................................................................................................................... 80 ICH GEHÖR’ NUR MIR / I BELONG ONLY TO ME .................................................................................................................. 81 HASS / HATE ............................................................................................................................................................... 82 KITSCH / KITSCH ........................................................................................................................................................... 85 NICHTS IST SCHWER / NOTHING IS DIFFICULT ..................................................................................................................... 87 NICHTS, NICHTS, GAR NICHTS / NOTHING, NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING .......................................................................... 88 SO WIE MAN PLANT UND DENKT / AS ONE PLANS AND THINKS / BEST LAID PLANS ................................................................... 89 WENN ICH DEIN SPIEGEL WÄR / IF I WERE YOUR MIRROR ................................................................................................... 93 WIE DU / LIKE YOU ....................................................................................................................................................... 94 WIE DU REPRISE / LIKE YOU REPRISE ............................................................................................................................... 97
8
Introduction
Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich (Empress Elisabeth of Austria) lived a fairytale life. The
young Duchess Elisabeth of Bavaria was born Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie von Wittelsbach in
1837. Sisi, as her friends affectionately called her, was raised in the country and enjoyed
horseback riding and poetry. As the fourth-born child and a daughter besides, Sisi's indulgent
father allowed her many freedoms not afforded to her older sister, Helene, who was expected to
marry the Emperor Franz Joseph. However, in a chance meeting, Sisi caught the Emperor’s eye
instead. Franz had never been keen on his arranged marriage, or marriage at all for that matter.
But when Franz met Sisi at a party, he was immediately taken by her. The young Emperor was
captivated by Sisi’s free spirit and beauty, and Sisi found Franz similarly charming. The two fell
instantly in love. Despite his mother’s strong objections to the match, Franz and Sisi married
later that year, turning Sisi into a real-life fairytale princess. Or at least this is how the story of
Sisi is usually portrayed. The reality, however, was much less enchanting. Sisi had strained
relationships with her husband and children. She had a lifelong battle with depression and eating
disorders. Nonetheless, depictions of Sisi have traditionally minimized the immense difficulties
and sorrows of her life.
In 1992, Elisabeth das Musical (Elisabeth the Musical) broke free of the popular mold of
Sisi stories. Elisabeth portrays the titular character’s life story in a more critical light, embedding
the story in a socio-historical context usually absent from popular depictions of Sisi. The
German-language musical Elisabeth, produced in Austria, was written by Michael Kunze and
scored by Sylvester Levay. Since its premier in Vienna, Elisabeth has sold nearly 12 million
tickets worldwide and been staged in 13 countries, making it the most successful German-
9
language musical of all time.1 Much like Ernst Marischka’s classic 1950s film trilogy Sissi
starring Romy Schneider, Elisabeth das Musical re-established the Austro-Hungarian empress
Elisabeth as Austria’s favorite fairytale princess. What sets Elisabeth apart from other depictions
is the musical’s nuanced portrayal of Sisi as a person. Kunze’s Sisi is not a storybook princess
who lives happily ever after. Contrary to other portrayals, particularly Marischka’s, Kunze
portrays Sisi as a complicated, flawed individual whose life was not a fairy tale, but rather a
tragedy. He further uses this beloved national figure as a vehicle to discuss Austrian history and
nationalism.
Despite Elisabeth’s popularity and its rich social commentary, the musical has seldom
been analyzed in an academic context. In this work, I will address this gap by analyzing Kunze’s
portrayal of the life and times of Empress Elisabeth of Austria in Elisabeth das Musical. I begin
by examining contemporary Austria’s relationship with its history. Throughout the musical,
Kunze interweaves subtextual discussion of Austrian nationalism and the country’s denial of –
and reckoning with – its involvement in World War II. I then analyze how Kunze portrays Sisi as
a wife, mother, and Empress. The musical casts doubt on the notion that Sisi was a happily
married wife or a well-meaning mother. I will further explore how Sisi’s mental health is
portrayed in the musical. Elisabeth prominently features Sisi’s experiences with depression,
eating disorders, and suicidal ideation – themes which are omitted from most earlier depictions
of Sisi. Her mental health is manifested and underscored by the presence of der Tod (Death),
who is one of the show’s lead characters. Finally, I will discuss the musical’s intentionality in
disrupting the sugar-coated narratives of Sisi. By completing the analysis of the above themes, I
will address a lacuna in Women and Gender Studies, and explore Austria’s relationship with its
1 “Elisabeth – VBW International.”
10
history. I will also make available my English-language translations of many of the songs in
Elisabeth, which are provided in the appendix to this piece as a means of making this story more
accessible to speakers of English.
Translational Methodology
Elisabeth has been staged in eight languages, none of them English. As a result, this project
began as an effort to create a version of the musical that could be performed in English. The
project began as translational in nature but developed into a critical analysis of the musical itself.
Although the objective of this effort has evolved, the final product still relies heavily on
translation. As a result, my English-language translations of relevant lyrics will be provided as
evidence throughout this thesis. It is therefore appropriate to begin with a brief discussion of the
translational approach used in this work.
There are numerous kinds of translation – ranging from loose to literal, from precise to
symbolic – each serving a different purpose. Twentieth-century theater critic Oliver Sayler
scrutinized the misuse of translational styles in the theater in particular. In his 1922 article
“Translation and the Theatre,” Sayler criticizes the translational quality of the plays adapted into
English at the time. He felt that many of these English-language adaptations had not used an
appropriate translational style.2 “Except in class room work, where the premium rests on the
exact and literal rendering of the word, phrase and line, the task of the translator is to make clear
the content and significance of the original.”3 Saylor felt that literal translation was hardly
suitable outside of the classroom and that anything translated for purposes beyond the scholastic
needed to uphold the intent of the original source more than the words themselves.
2 Sayler, Translation and the Theatre, 109. 3 Ibid.
11
Sayler was hardly the first individual to believe in this philosophy of translation.
Translators as far back as the Roman scholar Cicero believed in a more culturally aware style of
translation. Referring to his own translational approach, Cicero stated, “I did not translate [texts]
as an interpreter, but as an orator, keeping the same ideas and forms, or as one might say, the
‘figures’ of thought, but in language which conforms to our usage.”4 Cicero believed that
translators should act more like orators of a speech or poem. As he saw it, the work of a
translator should be more than to create a mere literal interpretation of the source material, rather
they should bring the text to life in a manner that feels natural to native speakers of the target
language. Through this performative style of translation, something important is gained: an
adaptation of content from one tongue and culture that is reimagined into a language – both
linguistic and cultural – so that a new audience can readily understand it.
This style of translation is at the center of this project. The intent of the in-text
translations provided in this work is to offer Kunze’s words in a form that is accessible to
English speakers. This means that at times phrases are reordered or taken less literally in order to
be more comprehensible to the reader, but still represent Kunze’s original meaning and tone.
This method will be referred to as direct translation. Some translations in the appendix will also
feature what will be referred to as lyrical translations: translations of a song that preserve the
syllables and rhyme scheme of the source material. This style of translation is done with the
intent that the English version could be performed to Levay’s original music. These adaptations
seek to preserve the broader meaning or “color” of the source material while not necessarily
preserving the original words.
4 Robinson, Becoming a Translator, 84.
12
All English-language translations provided in this work are my own and use the above
methodology. In the appendix, and in a few in-text instances, I will present my translations of
relevant sections from Elisabeth in the form of a table. The German lyrics will appear on the left
and a direct translation from German into English will be on the right. In the appendix, any
lyrical translation will appear to the right of the direct translation. A short example of this format
is provided below.
So wie man plant und denkt5 / As One Plans and Thinks / Best Laid Plans
German:
Was nützt ein Plan,
ist er auch noch so schlau,
er bleibt doch immer Theorie.
Und nur das eine weiß man
ganz genau:
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
Direct:
What use is a plan –
Even a clever one –
It remains always a theory.
And the only thing one can
ever know for sure:
It will never be like what
one plans and thinks!
Lyrical:
Even the best
laid plans of mice and men
Can only be a theory
Well if you think you know
then think again
'Cause what you hope and plan
Will never be!
Given the time and scope constraints of an undergraduate thesis, not all songs discussed
in this project were formally translated in their entirety. However, twelve direct translations of
songs examined in this work are provided in the appendix, along with selected lyrical
translations.
Introduction to Elisabeth das Musical
Before discussing the analysis of Elisabeth, it is prudent to first introduce the show’s major
themes and characters, as well as provide a brief plot synopsis. Elisabeth das Musical is a
fictional retelling of the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837-1898). Elisabeth is the story
of Sisi’s battle for independence and belonging as she struggles against others’ expectations of
5 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, So wie man plant und denkt.
13
how she should behave. In the process of trying to win her fight, Sisi ends up pushing away
everyone who cares for her. Despite ultimately winning her freedom, Sisi never finds happiness.
The show serves as both an individual and a cultural warning. On an individual level, the show
demonstrates that freedom for its own sake does not bring fulfilment or happiness. On a broader
societal level, the show acts as a cautionary tale against nationalism, isolationism, and hatred.
Elisabeth takes place against the backdrop of an Austria that is headed towards World War I.
Although the show is nominally about Sisi’s life, Kunze makes a very deliberate choice to
include clear elements of the rising social unrest, nationalism, and anti-Semitism in 19th-century
Austria. Additionally, the musical provides a more nuanced understanding of Sisi as an
individual compared with other popular depictions. Elisabeth offers a more complex perspective
on Sisi’s relationship with her family and her role as Empress, as well as the effect depression
and eating disorders had on her life.
Elisabeth chronicles Sisi’s life from about age 16 until her death at age 60. Her life story
is narrated by Luigi Lucheni – named for the Italian anarchist who fatally stabbed the real
Empress Elisabeth in 1898. Throughout the story, Lucheni seeks to convince the audience that
Sisi was more flawed than they believe her to be. He opens the show by inviting Sisi’s
contemporaries to expound upon her story. Lucheni starts Sisi’s journey when she is about 16
years old, and is a high-spirited, lively young woman. Early in the show she falls in love with
Emperor Franz Joseph and he with her. The couple get married and start a family soon after.
Early in the show, the audience realizes that the fairytale beginning to the relationship will not
last, and that Sisi is immediately unhappy in her marriage. Scene after scene demonstrates that
Franz spends little time with her in favor of his imperial duties. Additionally, the motif of Sisi’s
14
lack of agency appears in the form of her mother-in-law Archduchess Sophie, a controlling
figure who repeatedly deprives Sisi of what she wants.
Roughly ten years elapse for Kunze’s Sisi and little changes except that Sisi has become
more desperate to escape the cage of the Viennese Court. Her prolonged unhappiness results in a
personification of death, der Tod, appearing to her frequently. Death courts Sisi throughout the
show. He tries to persuade Sisi that she will never be happy in the palace, but that she could be if
she escapes with him. Sisi initially refuses, determined to find her freedom a different way. She
realizes that she can use Franz’s love for her as leverage, and she weaponizes it to gain her
independence from Franz and Vienna. Once she wins this freedom, she spends much of her time
travelling Europe. Her absence takes an emotional toll on her children – particularly her son
Rudolf. In Rudolf’s loneliness, Death comes to Rudolf claiming to be a friend. Death whispers to
Rudolf for years and eventually convinces Rudolf to kill himself. Wracked with grief after her
son’s death, Sisi spends the rest of the show in mourning dress, openly longing for death. Nine
years later, Sisi gets her wish when the anarchist Lucheni fatally stabs her. Sisi greets Death, and
they embrace. With a literal kiss of Death, the musical ends.
Significance of Analyzing Elisabeth das Musical
How we portray the past is deeply dependent on how we view the present. Media – especially
fictional media – is always influenced by the time and place in which it was created. Although
the films, books, and other media about Sisi are based on her life in the 19th century, each
retelling of her story is reflective of what was happening in the world at the time the content was
created. One particularly illustrative form of depicting both the past and present is through period
pieces: works of fiction that are set during a particular historical time. Some period pieces are not
only set in a historical time and place, but also detail the lives of prominent historical figures.
15
Biographical-style period pieces have gained traction in musical theater since the success of
Andrew Llyod Webber’s Evita6 in the 1970s. Such period pieces are worth investigating because
they reflect, and often analyze, both the individual they portray as well as how this person is
remembered in the time in which the work was developed. An example that may be more
familiar to the reader is the Broadway musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton is
set during the American Revolutionary War, but it is nonetheless a story of 21st-century America.
The musical deals with contemporary issues of race, class, and politics in modern America,
exploring these tropes through the lens of U.S. history. Just as analyzing Hamilton provides
insight into the feelings of Americans in the 2010s, analyzing Elisabeth allows us to better
understand how Austrians felt in the 1990s.
Elisabeth is a particularly interesting piece of media to investigate because it is the most
successful German-language musical of all time. The musical has sold nearly twelve million
tickets worldwide since its premier in 1992.7 Elisabeth is not merely a phenomenon in the
German-speaking world. The musical has been performed in thirteen countries and eight
different languages, including Korean, Japanese, and Hungarian. Elisabeth’s international
success is a testament to the story’s ability to transcend its cultural context. The story remains
compelling even without knowledge of Sisi because it is a charismatic tale of an individual
trapped in a life she does not want. Kunze takes a fairytale premise and paints richer, more
complicated portraits of the individuals rather than merely rehashing their archetypes. Elisabeth
is a captivating tale because the protagonist is not perfect, nor are those who antagonize her evil.
This story’s princess, prince, and wicked stepmother all have redeeming qualities as well as
6 Incidentally, Andrew Llyod-Webber asked Kunze to adapt Evita into German during the 1980s. Prior to writing the
libretto for Elisabeth, Kunze brought numerous other musicals to German-speaking audiences, including The
Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Into the Woods, and Wicked. “Michael Kunze – Writer, Lyricist, Librettist.” 7 “Elisabeth – VBW International.”
16
flaws. These complexities allow audiences to better relate to the characters, which in turn, makes
the show more popular and more worthy of further investigation.
Austrian History and National Identity in Elisabeth
Austrian Historical Context
Kunze adroitly weaves social commentary about Austrian history, politics, and nationalism into
Elisabeth. To better understand the musical’s subtext, some historical context is first needed.
Elisabeth was commissioned by the prominent Austrian theatre organization Vereinigte Bühnen
Wien (United Stages of Vienna).8 The show was an immediate success. Premiering in 1992,
Elisabeth ran in Vienna for six consecutive years with only a brief pause.9 After the original run
closed in 1998, it was soon revived again in Vienna 2003 and has since seen two additional
Viennese revivals.10 Elisabeth created a much-needed space for Austrians to reflect on their
nation’s past and present. It is no coincidence that the musical emerged as such a success in
Austria when it did. Elisabeth provided a means of processing and reflecting on the national
political scandals and international pressure in the 1980s and ‘90s that severely disrupted the
Austrian public’s understanding of their nation’s role in World War II.
Austria has long grappled with questions about its identity and place in Europe. After the
Napoleonic order in Europe ended, there was a push to create a unified German state.11 German
speakers throughout the regions of modern Germany and Austria had significant linguistic and
cultural commonalities, making the idea of a unified country appealing to many. However, there
was no consensus about how to organize the new state.12 There was particular disagreement
8 “Elisabeth – VBW International.” 9 Ibid. 10 Ibid. 11 Vermeiren, “Germany, Austria, and the Idea of the German Nation, 1871-1914.” 201 12 Ibid.
17
regarding Austria’s place in it, especially among Austrians. At the time, many Austrians were
not in favor of joining such a collective because it would have required a “division or
constitutional transformation of the empire.” Austrian nationalists feared that joining this larger
German entity would lessen Austria’s power. Although Austria and Germany did not ultimately
merge, the question of whether to have a Groß oder Kleindeutschland (Greater or Lesser
Germany) lasted well into the 20th century.
Although Germany and Austria – then Austria-Hungary – did not formally merge, in
1879 they agreed to the Doppelte Allianze (Dual Alliance). This pact would ultimately lead the
two nations to fight together as the Central Powers in World War I.13 After their defeat, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire was officially dissolved by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in
1919. The new Austrian Republic was further forced to cede substantial amounts of territory.
Furthermore, Germany and Austria were expressly forbidden from consolidating power.
However, the treaty did not keep many Austrians from yearning for such a merger. When Adolf
Hitler moved to overtake Austria in 1938, many there applauded the new Führer. Austrians –
roughly 200,000 of them – cheered on the Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square) as they welcomed Hitler
and the so-called Anschluss (Annexation).14
Despite the warm reception and active assistance to the Nazi regime during World War
II, evidence of Austria’s support for the Nazis was largely erased from national memory after the
war. This concerted effort to reshape Austria’s past is commonly called the Opferthese or
Victimization Theory. This theory describes Austria as a victim of the Third Reich rather than a
perpetrator of Nazi principles.15 Victimization Theory asserts that the independent country of
13 Joll and Martel Gordon, The Origins of the First World War, 21. 14 Markova, “Balancing Victimhood and Complicity in Austrian History Textbooks.” 15 Ibid.
18
Austria ceased to exist after the Anschluss and thereby the nation had no moral, political, or
financial liability for the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime.16 This claim was put forth
even before the war ended. The 1943 Moscow Declaration – signed by the Soviet Union, the
United Kingdom, and the United States – stated that Austria was, “the first free country to fall a
victim to Hitlerite aggression.”17 That is, Austria was granted so-called First Victim Status rather
than being cast as a co-perpetrator of the war’s brutalities. Giving Austria this standing was
hardly a selfless act on the part of the Allied signatories. Austria’s geopolitical future was caught
in the escalating Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom and
United States.
Given how easily Austria fell to the Third Reich, the Allies did not trust Austria to
govern itself. A policy statement written by the US State Department in 1948 details the United
States’ reasons for involving itself in Austria: namely, to prevent communism from taking hold
there.18 The dossier states, “To the western states in general, and the US in particular, the
ultimate fate of Austria is important not only from the point of view of its strategic location in
Europe but more immediately to prevent the inclusion of Austria in the Soviet orbit.”19 This
document repeatedly claims that the US’s efforts in Austria seek to fulfill the 1943 Moscow
Declaration. Austria’s government similarly invoked the Moscow Declaration as validation for
its actions. Building on the 1943 declaration, Austria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the
“Rot-Weiß-Rot-Buch” (“Red-White-Red-Book”) in 1946, which reinterpreted Austria’s
relationship with the Nazi party as one of victimization rather than collaboration.20
16 Markova. 17 “The Moscow Conference, October 1943.” 18 “Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Germany and Austria, Volume II - Office of the Historian.” 19 Ibid. 20 Vasant, “Challenging Austria’s Victim Status: National Socialism and Austrian Personal Narratives,” 39–40.
19
This myth of victimhood allowed Austria to portray its past in a way that was free of the
dark narrative with which Germany had to grapple. Prior to the late 1970s, Austria had spent
most of the post-war era denying any involvement with the Third Reich. History textbooks and
public discourse painted Austria as a victim of the war rather than a perpetrator of the Holocaust,
and thus an entire generation of Austrians grew up believing that their country had no fault in the
war’s proceedings.21 Unlike in Germany, where the student protests of the 1960s and ‘70s
spurred young people’s interrogations about their parents’ involvement in the war, Austria’s
younger generation had no reason to believe their parents were complicit. Nevertheless, this
reckoning was coming: it just would not occur for another decade.
Austria’s collective awakening to its World War II involvement in the last quarter of the
20th century came about in large part due to international pressure. The beginning of this
awakening is attributed to the American television series Holocaust, which premiered in 1979
and portrayed the events of the Holocaust in more vivid detail.22 As people both in Austria and
abroad began to question Austria’s complicity in the Holocaust, a political scandal erupted that
cast even more doubt on Austria’s victimhood narrative. This event is known as the Waldheim
Affair. In 1986, evidence came to light that the then presidential candidate Kurt Waldheim had
been a member of the Nazi Wehrmacht. Austrian politicians and the pseudo-independent
domestic media sought to misinform the public about Austria’s past in order to get Waldheim
elected.23 Waldheim ultimately won the election with 53.9 percent of votes – the largest margin
21 Markova. 22 Kovacs, “Innocent Culprits - Silent Communities. On the Europeanisation of the Memory of the Shoah in
Austria,” 228. 23 Markova.
20
in Austrian history – but the backlash from his victory resulted in a new national culture of
Holocaust awareness that would survive his presidency.24
In the years following the Waldheim Affair, Austrian scholars launched numerous
historical and sociological studies, and the media began to cover the history of Austrian Nazism
critically. In 1991, political rhetoric had changed as a result of this new public discourse,
culminating in Austria’s Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky publicly admitting Austria’s
culpability for the Holocaust.25 This moment of reimagining Austria’s history is when Elisabeth
arrives on the Viennese stage. Fifty-four years after Austria welcomed Hitler and the Nazis,
Kunze’s Elisabeth premiered. Less than a mile away from Heroes’ Square, the musical openly
called into question Austria’s understanding of its identity and its past.
Austrian History and National Identity in Elisabeth
In Elisabeth, Kunze reflects on Austrian history with a critical eye. The musical takes place
against the backdrop of late 19th-century Austro-Hungarian politics, yet the show’s subtext is a
discussion of more contemporary Austrian politics and history. In Elisabeth, Kunze expresses
clear concern for how Austrians remember – and learn from – their nation’s past. He skillfully
makes these lessons palatable by enticing audiences to consider these questions through his
rendition of a beloved national figure in the complexity of her historical context. Empress
Elisabeth reigned during the height of the Habsburg Monarchy and oversaw the creation of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire as a dual monarchy. Under her and her husband’s rule, the nation was
massive, wealthy, and powerful. As a result, it is easy for this period to be remembered
nostalgically as the glory days of Austria. In Elisabeth, Kunze picks apart the contemporary
24 Markova. 25 Markova.
21
notion that 19th-century Austria was as glorious as it is romanticized to be. Moreover, he seeks to
highlight the underlying nationalistic and antisemitic sentiments that led Austria to willingly
participate in two World Wars.
Kunze introduces themes of problematic nationalism early in the show. The first time the
audience meets Emperor Franz Joseph, his advisors – specifically his mother – decide to
abandon their Russian allies. During the song “Jedem gibt er das Seine” (“To Each He Gives His
Own”), Franz’s advisor, Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg, informs the Court that the Crimean
War is worsening. Schwarzenberg recommends that Austria come to Russia’s aid because Russia
previously saved them during the 1848 Revolutions. Another advisor, Count Grünne, conversely
cautions against getting involved. “If we stand with Russia, England will resent us. If we go with
England, Russia will be angry with us. In either case, an alliance would be fatal.”26 To an
Austrian audience, this line has clear parallels to the country’s political situation after the end of
World War II. Kunze shows Franz’s Austria as caught between Russia and England; mid-20th-
century Austria was caught between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom and the United
States. In both circumstances, Austria chose neutrality.
Austria’s isolationist tendencies are further illustrated during the conclusion of the
meeting. Sophie adjourns the meeting so that she and Franz can go meet Helene and her family
in Bad Ischl. Dismayed that the Russian matter has not been resolved, Schwarzenberg asks what
he should tell the Russian ambassador. Sophie replies indifferently, “Wars should be conducted
by others. Happy Austria is getting married.”27 28 Sophie feels that since Austria itself has no
26 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Jedem gibt er das Seine. 27 In addition to Sophie declining to help an ally, the words she uses when doing so are a reference in and of
themselves. Sophie’s German-language response alludes to the Latin phrase “Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria,
nube” (Let others fight – You, happy Austria, marry), which was a motto for the Habsburg dynasty dating back to
the Holy Roman Empire. [Cruz and Stampino, Early Modern Habsburg Women.] 28 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Jedem gibt er das Seine.
22
vested interest in the war, they should not opt to insert themselves into it. With these words,
Kunze clearly illustrates an Austrian preference towards isolationism. Sophie and Grünne both
prefer to have Austria keep to itself rather than get involved in international affairs: even if it
means leaving an ally to fend for itself in a war it will ultimately lose. As the show progresses,
Kunze’s view that isolationism is problematic will become apparent.
Figure 1 Franz (center) and his advisors review matters of state. Sophie characteristically stands over
Franz’s shoulder and guides him to make the decision she wants him to (Vienna 2012).29
As they are at the center of the show’s political subtext, the rest of this section will focus
primarily on Lucheni and the ensemble cast. Kunze uses Lucheni as a narrative device to warn of
the dangers of isolationism, nationalism, and hatred. As his namesake is the murderer of the
show’s protagonist, Lucheni is free to say objectionable things because the audience is not
intended to like him. Therefore, he can freely express viewpoints – both about Sisi as a person
and about Austria as a whole – that would otherwise be difficult to include in the musical.
Despite his problematic beliefs, Lucheni is a charming, charismatic figure: illustrating the allure
of a demagogue. Lucheni uses his guile to manipulate the ensemble and has no qualms about
playing on their fears. He repeatedly provokes the ensemble, stoking the flames until their anger
29 Mögenburg, Franz Sits with His Advisors.
23
boils up to a point where they are ready to take action. Once the hate and fear have reached a
peak, Lucheni seizes his moment to act, playing his namesake’s role as Sisi’s assassin.
The political tension in the show builds slowly. In a relatively early song called “Die
fröhliche Apokalypse” (“The Cheerful Apocalypse”), people sit in a Viennese café house,
discussing politics and gossiping about the new imperial couple. Lucheni opens the song by
declaring “the world is going under, undoubtedly.”30 This is the first of several allusions to
Austria as a sinking ship. This song is also the audience’s first glimpse of how the citizenry feel
about the state of the world around them. “We sit around in the coffeehouse and wait, yawning,
for the apocalypse.”31 The civilians express ambivalence to what they themselves believe will be
the end of the world. Throughout the show, the ensemble is largely apathetic to the world’s evils
unless they themselves are directly affected by them.
Another example of the ensemble’s indifference happens earlier in the show during Sisi
and Franz’s wedding. During the ceremony, the ensemble sings “Alle Fragen sind gestellt” (“All
Questions Have Been Asked”). In this song, the ensemble expresses apathy for both the good
and bad in the world. “Ugliness doesn’t disturb us. Beauty seems to us to be trivial. The good
deed does not teach us. The evil deed doesn’t concern us.”32 This last phrase in particular depicts
an indifference to how others behave, even if that behavior causes harm. As the ensemble
continue, they claim to be, “the last members of a world which has no escape […and…] which
contemplates its own suicide.”33 Here, the ensemble foreshadows that the state of politics is not
sustainable; on its current nationalistic course, Austria has doomed itself. While the Austrian
30 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Die fröhliche Apokalypse. 31 Ibid. 32 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Alle Fragen sind gestellt. 33 Ibid.
24
Empire is ostensibly near its height, the chorus simultaneously foretells of the Empire’s
impending demise.
Kunze uses similar foreshadowing when he depicts Austria’s unification with Hungary.
Sisi and Franz are crowned Queen and King of Hungary in the song “Éljen,” Hungarian for
“long live.” In this song, Lucheni and the Hungarian crowd have different reactions to the
coronation, but their contrast has a similar effect to the imagery at the imperial wedding. The
Hungarians rejoice that the new monarchy, and Sisi in particular, will save Hungary and make it
strong. “Hungary’s hardship is over. […] She will heal the wounds of Hungary.”34 Lucheni
however, forebodes the darker events on the horizon. He tells the audience, “Nationalism
belongs to the new times. It will result in the collapse of the Empire. […] The end of the old
world!”35 Here Lucheni directly, and excitedly, links nationalism to the downfall of the Empire.
Franz tries to subdue this unrest in order to preserve his Empire, but his son Rudolf sees
that his attempts are not working. Rudolf faults him for his manner of solving the problem. After
a heated fight with his father over politics, Rudolf concludes by shouting, “You want to preserve
[the Empire], but what you harvest is hate!”36 Rudolf’s assertion transitions directly into a
powerful and uncomfortable song called “Hass” (“Hate”). During this song, the ensemble moves
about the stage with military precision. As illustrated in Figure 2, their costumes in many
productions are unsubtle homages to Nazi uniforms, and the swastika is strongly alluded to in
their armbands and banners. “Hate” is chanted to a drum beat rather than sung. In this song,
Kunze openly confronts the idea that Austrians did not support what the Nazis believed in. The
34 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Éljen. 35 Ibid. 36 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Streit Vater und Sohn.
25
song was so controversial that several stanzas of the song were altered in later productions, and
the song was cut entirely from the Takarazuka production.
Figure 2 (Left) Ensemble members wear uniforms reminiscent of those of Nazis. They also wear masks that
obscure their faces (Vienna, 1992).37 (Right) The same ensemble is seen in outfits that directly invoke
imagery of Nazi brown-shirted SA troops. They are seen at the end of the song shouting “Heil,” freezing
with their right arms extended in a Hitler salute as the lights go dark. (Vienna, 1992).38
In this song, the ensemble calls for “hate and violence to all those who are not like us.”39
The crowd decries the presence of Jewish people, immigrants, and the weak leaders who let such
individuals spread through the country. When a passerby asks what is happening, Lucheni
answers eagerly, “Progress […] The 20th century is advancing, unmistakably!”40 Here, Lucheni
gives voice to the very real sentiment that the extermination of marginalized groups, such as the
Jewish, Roma, and Sinti peoples, would be beneficial to humanity as a whole. In the original
1992 production, the ensemble shouts, “Deutschland den Deutschen!” (Germany for
Germans!).41 This particular phrase is among the lines that were changed in future productions
due to its controversiality. Since the 1970s, the call for “Germany for Germans” has been used
by German right-wing extremists to incite violence against immigrant and Jewish communities.42
37 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Ensemble Carries Banners Reminiscent of Nazi Symbols. 38 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Ensemble Salutes. 39 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Hass. 40 Ibid. 41 Ibid. 42 Pfeiffer, “Wir Lieben Das Fremde – in Der Fremde,” 35.
26
Kunze’s use of this line reminds the audience that antisemitism and hatred have not been
relegated to Austria’s past; they are still contemporary problems.
Additionally, given that the characters saying this line are Austrian civilians, the call for
“Germany for Germans” indicates that the ensemble has already embraced the idea of Austria
becoming a part of Germany. They consider themselves German. Although this particular line
was cut from subsequent productions, another clear reference to Austria’s desire to join Germany
remains. The crowd criticizes Franz’s leadership and throws their support behind Germany’s
Emperor. They declare, “Wilhelm should be our Emperor. Wilhelm II is our man!” This cry is an
open reminder that many in Austria had long believed that Austria and Germany should merge.
Just as with the use of “Germany for Germans,” the symbolism of the ensemble’s yearning for
Emperor Wilhelm’s rule conveys two points. First, it reminds the audience of the extreme
nationalism and antisemitism that was present in 19th-century Austria. Second, the staging and
costuming are a clear portrayal of Austria’s welcoming of Hitler and the Nazis.
At the end of the show, the audience is offered a glimpse into the result of all this hatred.
The final throes of the Empire are seen in the second to last song in the musical, “Am Deck der
sinkenden Welt” (“On the Deck of the Sinking World”). Lucheni declares, “The world is a ship,
and the ship is going under. Shall I demonstrate?”43 He then proceeds to count off a series of
deaths in Sisi’s extended family – all of whom were nobility and many of whom were
assassinated when their subjects rose up against them. Franz appears a moment later and asks
Lucheni, “What is this, a madhouse?” to which Lucheni replies, “[it is] your sinking ship,
Majesty.”44 Here in the final moments of the show, Kunze again uses the image of Austria as a
sinking ship. In this scene, Lucheni unequivocally links hatred and nationalism to the descent of
43 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Am Deck der sinkenden Welt. 44 Ibid.
27
the Empire and asks the audience to learn from Austria’s past so that nationalism is not allowed
to run rampant in the future.
Sisi in Elisabeth
Sisi As A Historical Figure
Despite the lasting fanfare around Sisi as a fairytale princess, her actual life was neither
enchanted nor romantic. At the age of 16 Sisi married her 23-year-old cousin Franz Joseph.
Unlike most portrayals of Sisi, including Elisabeth, their relationship was hardly love at first
sight. Sisi was not interested in Franz, and although evidence seems to suggest that Sisi warmed
up to him, it is clear that throughout their relationship Franz was far more in love with her than
Sisi was with him. Sisi’s poems, which she guarded carefully during her lifetime, provide a
glimpse into her inner life. Just fourteen days after she married Franz Joseph, she wrote the
following poem,45 titled “Freiheit” (“Freedom”).46
Freiheit / Freedom
Oh, daß ich nie den Pfad verlassen,
Der mich zur Freiheit hätt’ geführt,
Oh, daß ich auf der breiten Straßen
Der Eitelkeit mich nie verirrt!
Ich bin erwacht in einem Kerker,
Und Fesseln sind an meiner Hand.
Und meine Sehnsucht immer starker –
Und Freiheit! Du, mir abgewandt!
Ich bin erwacht aus einem Rausche,
Der meinen Geist gefangen hielt,
Und fluche fruchtlos diesem Tausche,
Bei dem ich Freiheit! Dich – verspielt!
Oh, that I had never left the path
That would have led me to freedom,
Oh, that the broad streets of vanity
Had never led me astray!
I awoke in a dungeon
And shackles are on my hands.
And my longing grows always stronger –
And Freedom! You turned away from me!
I awoke from an inebriation
That held my spirit captive,
And I curse this exchange in vain
Through which I gambled away freedom!
45 It is likely that Kunze drew inspiration from many of Sisi’s own poems and letters when writing Elisabeth.
Throughout the show, Kunze’s Sisi describes herself as being chained and tortured. She also refers to her spirit as
being held captive. Similar imagery is seen in many of the real Sisi’s poems, including the one featured here. 46 Rödhammer, Elisabeth, Kaiserin von Österreich Und Königin von Ungarn, 1837-1898, 96.
28
Sisi wrote other poems indicating her unhappiness as a new bride, including “Sehnsucht”
(“Longing”) and “Heimat” (“Homeland”).47 Sisi’s discontentment came from a variety of
sources. Despite seemingly being in love with Sisi, Franz spent little time with her. His mother,
meanwhile, spent numerous hours trying to instruct Sisi on how to conduct herself as Empress.
This training was near torture for Sisi because she did not get along with Sophie, and further
because Sisi disliked the constraints of palace life in general.48
As a wife and Empress in the 1800’s, one of Sisi’s primary duties was to produce a male
heir for her husband and her country. It would take five years before the couple had a son, but by
Sisi’s 20th birthday, she was already the mother of two daughters. Sisi’s mother-in-law believed
Sisi was too young and inexperienced to raise the girls, and therefore intervened to raise them
herself.49 Sisi’s firstborn was taken away from her and christened Sophie Friederike without
Sisi’s knowledge.50 A few years later, Sisi’s second daughter Gisela was whisked away as well.
Sisi was only allowed visiting rights to either of the girls on her mother-in-law’s terms.51 Sisi
pleaded with Franz to convince his mother to allow her to see the children, which Franz mostly
ignored.52 Sisi eventually managed to convince Franz to let her bring the girls with them on a trip
to Hungary, but she would regret this decision for the rest of her life.
During the visit to Budapest, both Sophie Friederike and Gisela fell ill. Gisela recovered,
but her sister did not. Barely more than two years old, Sophie Friederike died in her mother’s
arms, likely due to typhus.53 The loss of her firstborn affected Sisi severely. She avoided getting
47 Rödhammer, 96. 48 Ibid. 49 Hotbauer, Empress Elisabeth of Austria: The Fate of a Woman under the Yoke of the Imperial Court, 30–33. 50 Haslip, The Lonely Empress, 86. 51 Hotbauer, 30. 52 Rödhammer, 112. 53 Hotbauer, 30–33.
29
close to Gisela or her son Rudolf, who was born a few years later.54 Sophie Friederike’s death
also sent Sisi into a deep depression. When she was not locked in her room, she was out
horseback riding until she reached a state of exhaustion.55 She refused to eat for days, which
would soon become a common behavior for her.
Sometime after her daughter’s death, Sisi realized that her attractiveness to others could
increase her cultural capital and thereby her political power, and thus spent the rest of her life
obsessed with her appearance. She spent hours every day on her beauty routine, and her hair care
alone took two to three hours.56 She followed a rigorous exercise regimen, which included riding
and gymnastics.57 Her stringent physical routine mirrored her attempt to control her appearance
through intensive dietary restriction to keep her body severely slim. Despite being 5’8” tall and
having four children, Sisi rarely weighed more than 110 pounds.58 She further had a waistband of
19.5 inches to as little as 16 inches.59 She even refused to have her portrait taken after the age of
32 in order to preserve the image of her youthful beauty.60 She succeeded on this front, as her
beauty was well known throughout Europe throughout her life, but maintaining her image came
with a steep cost. Years of fasting and exhaustive exercise took a severe toll on Sisi’s physical
health. The years of strenuous exercise left her suffering from sciatica and arthritis.61 By 1894,
Sisi was near emaciation as she weighed a meager 97.5 pounds.62
Paired with her declining physical health, Sisi’s mental health also got worse over the
years. She struggled with severe bouts of depression throughout her life. Her mental health
54 Hotbauer, 30–33. 55 Ibid. 56 Hamann, The Reluctant Empress, 126–42. 57 Ibid. 58 Hamann, Kaiserin wider Willen, 182. 59 Haslip, 334. 60 Hamann, 126–42. 61 Ibid. 62 Ibid.
30
became particularly poor in the last decade of her life as Sisi grieved the loss of numerous close
relationships in short succession. Her cousin Ludwig II of Bavaria drowned in 1886; his death
was rumored to be a suicide. Just two years later, Sisi’s beloved father Max died in 1888,
followed by her mother Ludovika four years later. In 1890, one of Sisi’s few close friends,
Hungarian statesman Gyula Andrássy, succumbed to cancer. A fire took the life of Sisi’s sister
Sophie Charlotte in 1897. Likely the worst of the Empress’ sorrows came in January 1889, just
months after her father’s death, when Sisi’s 30-year-old son Rudolf killed himself and his
mistress.63 Rudolf’s death greatly affected his mother for the rest of her life.
In the following years, Sisi openly expressed suicidal thoughts of her own more than
once.64 After her son’s death, Sisi spent years traveling listlessly around Europe with minimum
company and under a false name. On one of these trips, Sisi, then aged 60, visited Geneva,
Switzerland. On September 10th, 1898, Sisi and one of her ladies-in-waiting were walking on the
shore of Lake Geneva when Luigi Lucheni, a 25-year-old Italian anarchist, approached the two
women and stabbed Sisi with a sharpened file.65 An hour later, the Empress was pronounced
dead.66
More than 120 years later, the lasting impact of Sisi’s legacy in Austria is easy to spot.
Imagery of the 19th-century Empress is everywhere in modern Vienna. Keychains, postcards, T-
shirts, and more are adorned with her portrait and sold at tourist attractions throughout the city.
63 This event would become known as the Mayerling Affair, named for the hunting lodge where the pair died.
Although the letters of Rudolf and his lover, Mary Vetsera, indicate that they had formed a murder-suicide pact, the
imperial court tried to obfuscate the cause Rudolf’s death since suicide would have prevented him from a church
burial. Rudolf had no son, only a young daughter by his wife, Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. This made Franz’s
brother Archduke Karl Ludwig the would-be successor to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Franz outlived his brother,
which made Franz’s nephew the new heir presumptive. Franz’s nephew was a man by the name of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, whose assassination in 1914 is often cited as an inciting incident for World War I. 64 Haslip, The Lonely Empress, 396, 408. 65 Newton, Famous Assassinations in World History, 132. 66 Ibid.
31
There is also an entire museum dedicated to her. Many of these souvenirs and locales feature
Sisi’s portrait as famously rendered by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1865. Even Elisabeth das
Musical features an homage to this portrait with a scene wherein Sisi wears a replica of the white
gown embroidered with golden stars, complete with edelweiss stars woven into her hip-length
brown wig.
Figure 3 (Left) Winterhalter’s famous oil painting of Sisi.67 (Right) Actress Roberta Valentini as Sisi in the
2015 Munich production of Elisabeth (Munich 2015).68
In addition to tourist attractions and mementos, Sisi has inspired numerous movies,
television, theater, literature, children’s books, fashion, and more. As mentioned earlier, one of
the most classic depictions is the 1950’s film trilogy Sissi directed by Ernst Marischka starring
Romy Schneider as Sisi. There are more contemporary portrayals of her as well, including a
2009 film Sisi directed by Xaver Schwarzenberger. Kunze’s Elisabeth makes nods to many of
these existing depictions of Sisi.
67 Winterhalter, English. 68 Munich, Elisabeth Das Musical’s Sisi in Outfit Alluding to Winterhalter’s Classic Sisi Portrait.
32
Portrayal of Sisi in Elisabeth
Just as Kunze analytically depicts Austrian history in Elisabeth, his musical similarly reflects
critically on the life and legacy of Sisi. Elisabeth takes a beloved historical figure, one whose
story is traditionally told like a fairytale, and depicts her instead as a deeply unhappy woman:
someone whose life was anything but enchanted. Kunze’s story of Sisi starts the way we expect
fairytales to end: A man of much higher social status falls in love with Sisi and she with him.
They believe that all they need to be happy is the company of the other. Unlike a fairytale
however, wherein the princess escapes her wicked stepmother by marrying the prince, Sisi must
fight against her version of a wicked stepmother because she married the emperor. Rather than
providing an escape from the sorrows and entrapment of her previous life, Sisi’s marriage is
what traps her. Instead of portraying Sisi as a vibrant young woman who overcomes her
adversities, Kunze’s Sisi becomes jaded, depressed, and isolated.
Kunze’s Elisabeth is no fairytale; the princess dies at the end. Not only is the princess
murdered at the end of the story, she has a life-long courtship with the character Death. As she
struggles with depression, eating disorders, and the loss of loved ones, Sisi becomes increasingly
compelled by the lure of Death’s calls. Sisi’s eventual assassination is depicted as though her
death finally reunited her with her real true love: Death. Kunze thus provides Sisi with a happy
ending of sorts, though not one typically associated with a fairytale princess. The following
sections will discuss the Kunze’s portrayal of Sisi, her mental health, and her legacy.
33
Sisi as a Wife, Mother, and Empress
Like any person, real or fictitious, Kunze’s Sisi is expected to play a variety of roles
throughout the course of her life. In addition to the duties expected of Sisi as a wealthy 19th-
century woman, she later takes on the roles of Empress, wife, and mother. She spends most of
the musical fighting against the expectations that others have of how she should behave in her
various roles. In Act I, young Sisi is free-spirited, strong-willed, and independent, and she takes a
stand against each character who tries to inhibit her ability to decide her own fate. This constant
struggle takes a toll, however, and by the last quarter of the show Sisi’s free-spirited nature has
transformed into listlessness. Her pursuit – and eventual achievement – of her independence
leaves Sisi lonely and deeply isolated. Sisi’s struggle for independence becomes more about the
need to prove herself than about the objectives she started out fighting for.
From her first appearance in the musical, Sisi is portrayed as being unhappy with the
roles she must play. The audience first meets young Sisi as her father, Max, is about to leave for
a trip. This occurs during the song “Wie du” (“Like You”). Sisi pleads with her father to take her
with him, because she does not want to obey the rules of her governess or be trained to be a
proper young lady. Her father lovingly but firmly refuses to bring her along. Sisi continues to list
off the things she cannot do but would love to do if she were like her father: write poems, go
horseback riding, wrestle with her brothers. Sisi’s governess enters at the end of the song and
tells Sisi she must come get dressed, to which Sisi responds, “I hate getting dressed. I hate being
a princess. If I weren’t a princess, I would go to the circus…As a circus rider, or an artist! I can
already dance on a tightrope!”69 Sisi then eagerly offers to show the governess her tightrope
skills, but the governess dismisses her.
69 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wie du.
34
Sisi’s life takes an eventful turn when her mother brings her along on a trip to Bad Ischl.
There, Sisi’s sister Helene is expected to become engaged to Emperor Franz Joseph. In the song
“So wie man plant und denkt” (“As One Plans and Thinks”), Ludovika, Helene, and Sisi arrive
in Bad Ischl. They are soon seated beside Sophie and Franz. The mothers make small talk and try
to encourage Franz Joseph and Helene to talk to each other. The mothers think things are going
well, unaware that Franz Joseph keeps stealing glances at Sisi. Sophie encourages her son to
invite Helene to the ball. Franz begins to oblige, but just before he reaches Helene, he turns
around and offers his hand to Sisi instead. Everyone is taken aback by Franz’s decision to choose
Sisi. Sophie is not only surprised but unhappy about the development, for she does not believe
Sisi to be suitable to become Empress. Although Franz Joseph usually listens to his mother, on
this point he stands firm. He wants to marry Sisi.
Sisi is shocked at first, but quickly recovers from her surprise. She falls in love with
Franz almost immediately thereafter. The song where they meet transitions immediately into a
fairytale-style love song called “Nichts ist schwer” (“Nothing is Difficult”). In this duet, Franz
begins by warning Sisi that being an Emperor’s wife will not be easy for her. Sisi dismisses his
caution, saying that she will be content as long as they have each other. The song progresses, and
Franz and Sisi both go on to say to the other that in time, the other will come to see things the
way they see it.
During “Nothing is Difficult,” Franz gives Sisi a necklace that has substantial
metaphorical significance to Sisi’s character arc. She eagerly takes the necklace and puts it on.
The symbolism comes from the word choice used to describe this necklace. The German word
for necklace is Halskette. Halskette is often shortened to just Kette, which is the word used in
this song, however, this shortened form also means “chain” or “shackle.” The symbolic
35
resonance of this chain/necklace is highlighted by Sisi’s reaction to the necklace after she takes
it. Upon Franz gifting her the necklace, Sisi exclaims, “how precious!”70 As soon as it is around
her neck however, she remarks, “how heavy the chain/necklace is.”71 These two simple lines
foreshadow what is to come for her character. Much like her life as Empress or even just being
Franz’s wife, the idea seems beautiful and wonderful at first, but it turns out to come with a steep
cost that she is unwilling, but ultimately forced, to pay. The necklace symbolizes Sisi’s pursuit of
independence; what first appears to be a key to her freedom turns out to be a chain that
ultimately ties her down instead.
Still enamored with Franz for the moment, Sisi gets married in the next song. After the
wedding, there is disagreement amongst the guests about whether this marriage is good for the
couple or the Empire. Max and Sophie are both unhappy that their daughter and son,
respectively, married someone they believe to be an unfit match. In “Sie passt nicht” (“She
Doesn’t Belong”), Max is displeased by the arrangement because he knows that Sisi won’t be
happy in Vienna. After Sophie reluctantly congratulates Max as the father of the bride, Max
replies, “Don’t congratulate me. Love makes one dumb. [For Franz] Sisi gives up that which
embellishes life. Vienna will kill her. She should flee before she gets used to it.”72 Unlike Max,
Sophie is not concerned about Sisi, but rather because of her. Sophie makes her opinion of the
young Empress clear: “The little one is missing almost everything that an Empress needs. I see
her and think to myself [Franz] does not belong with her.”73 Sophie rejects Max’s claim that it
was the place, and not the person, who is at fault.
70 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Nichts ist schwer. 71 Ibid. 72 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Sie passt nicht. 73 Ibid.
36
The crowd has mixed reactions to Sisi as well. Half the ensemble believe that the new
couple’s story is romantic. “It’s almost like a fairytale; a child becomes Empress. […] She fits in
well here!”74 Meanwhile, the other half doesn’t believe that Sisi can become a suitable Empress,
although they do believe that she will be easy to manipulate. “Eyes red from crying! Clumsy and
prissy. So delightfully helpless, like a sheep. She carries no weight here.”75 The one thing both
parts of the crowd have in common is that they all see Sisi as a child. They also see her as a
means to an end. They either see her as see her as a naïve girl they can manipulate for their
benefit, or they see her as a fairytale princess instead of a real person. The former impression
was one Sisi had to combat during her life, while the latter is emblematic of the way Austrian
memory reshaped the image of Sisi into a real-life fairytale princess.
Among the people who want to impose their will upon Sisi is her new mother-in-law. The
morning after the wedding, Sisi is abruptly awoken by Sophie. In “Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen”
(“An Empress Must Shine”), the Archduchess storms into Sisi’s bedroom and commands her to
get up for she will not tolerate idleness. Sisi is startled.
Sisi: What’s wrong?
Sophie: […] The day begins punctually at the 5 o’clock bell every morning!
Sisi: But Franz Joseph told me I should rest today.
Sophie: Rest? From what? I asked him; I know that you spared yourself last night.
Sisi: That cannot be.
Sophie (to herself): I said that too.76
This exchange alludes to Sophie’s firm conviction that one of Sisi’s primary duties as Empress is
to have children – and that Sisi should waste no time doing so. Before Sisi can recover from this
accusation or Franz’s betrayal, Sophie proceeds to criticize Sisi’s appearance. Sophie demands to
inspect Sisi’s teeth, after which she remarks that they are too yellow. Sisi asks indignantly, “Am
74 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Sie passt nicht. 75 Ibid. 76 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen.
37
I a horse?” to which Sophie replies, “Oh no, but rather a role model!”77 Sophie asserts, “Believe
me child, I mean well. […] I don’t want any kind of dispute. […] Comply with the ceremonial
and I will soon be pleased with you.”78 Although in this moment Sisi is too flustered to put up
much resistance, Sisi pushes against Sophie’s rules regularly later on. As a result, their
relationship remains strained for the rest of their lives.
This song also features Sisi’s first attempt to plead with Franz to interfere in Sophie’s
treatment of her. When Franz enters, Sisi rushes to him, begging for his assistance. She cries,
“Help me, Franz Joseph! See how your mother tortures me. […] She imprisons me. Help me,
don’t leave me alone!”79 Sophie explains calmly, “Leave her to me, my son. I will educate
her.”80 Sisi sees Sophie’s treatment of her as abusive, even at this early stage in their
relationship. Meanwhile Sophie merely believes she is doing what is necessary to turn Sisi into
an Empress. As the two women await Franz’s verdict, he takes Sisi’s hands. Instead of helping
her, he replies in a measured tone81 that he would love to help, but “it would be better for us both
if you follow my mother’s advice.”82 He then exits, leaving Sisi alone with her mother-in-law.
Franz’s response can imply one of three things. One, that he does not want to fight with his
mother and would rather Sisi simply learn to submit to her as well; two, that Franz agrees with
his mother that Sisi is not yet an adequate Empress and that it would be more politically useful to
him if she were better trained; or three, he intends both of the former meanings. Regardless, his
lack of support for Sisi in this moment is the first in a series of similar failings that result in Sisi
pulling away from him and the Viennese Court. As Franz leaves, Sisi accuses him of abandoning
77 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen. 78 Ibid. 79 Ibid. 80 Ibid. 81 The melody that underscores Franz’s response is used by Sisi when she later refuses to help her son in his hour of
need. This will be discussed more later in this section. 82 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen.
38
her.83 Sophie’s maltreatment and Franz’s unwillingness to interfere compels Sisi to begin to fight
against the roles she finds herself in.
The first sign of Sisi’s rebellion against the expectations put upon her, especially those of
her mother-in-law, spawn from a phrase that Sophie uses when criticizing Sisi in this song.
During their fight, Sophie tells her that she wants Sisi to become Empress, but that she is not yet
“gezähmt und gezogen” (tamed and trained).84 The young Empress turns around and uses these
words in her defiant next song “Ich gehör’ nur mir” (“I Belong Only to Myself”). The first lyric
in Sisi’s song utilizes Sophie’s words specifically. “Ich will nicht gehorsam, gezähmt und
gezogen sein” (“I don’t want to be obedient, tamed, and trained).85 Here, Sisi pushes back on
Sophie’s expectations. Other lyrics in “I Belong Only to Myself” are also direct references to
Sophie’s treatment of her. “I don’t want to be modest, beloved, and betrayed. I am not your
property. I belong to me.”86 Sisi asserts that she is her own person. The song is a defiant
statement against Sophie, against Franz, and all the rules and expectations imposed on her. The
melody also becomes a theme for her character in her struggle for independence.
Despite her determined mantra, Sisi continues to be strong-armed by others. The song
“Die ersten vier Jahre” (“The First Four Years”) summarizes the difficult early years of Sisi’s
marriage. Lucheni introduces the arrival of Sisi’s first daughter, Sophie Friederike. “In the
second year of marriage, she has her first little daughter, and she is promptly freed of her
motherly duties by her mother-in-law.”87 Indignant and upset, Sisi approaches Sophie and
83 Specifically, she says, “also, du läßt mich im Stich,” which is a German idiom similar to the English expression
“leaving someone out to dry.” Sisi’s feelings of desertion by her husband are mirrored when her son later uses the
same phrase when Sisi refuses to interfere in his father’s treatment of him. This will be discussed in more detail near
the end of this section. 84 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen. 85 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Ich gehör’ nur mir. 86 Ibid. 87 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Die ersten vier Jahre.
39
demands her daughter back. Sophie informs Sisi that she will raise the child herself. Again, Sisi
runs to Franz and begs him to interfere, invoking another use of gequält (tortured) to describe her
state.
Sisi (to Franz): Your mother tortures me on and on. Now she’s stolen my child, you
must speak with her!
Sophie (to Franz): She herself is hardly more than a child. She cannot raise a child.
Franz (to Sisi): […] There is nothing I can do.88
Again, Franz sides with his mother instead of with Sisi. Sisi is pushed too far when this process
is repeated yet again after Sisi’s second daughter Gisela is born. Lucheni explains to the audience
that “Slowly, it becomes clear to [Sisi] that she can only get something accomplished if someone
wants something from her and she dictates the price.”89 Sisi knows that Franz does love her,
despite his repeated failures to help her. She uses this knowledge as leverage when Franz asks
her to accompany him on a trip to Hungary. She explains to him that she will only go with him if
the children come with her. Franz tries to tell her that the children are too young for such a
journey, but Sisi stands firm. Annoyed, Franz agrees. Unfortunately, both children fall ill and
little Sophie dies. The effect of Sophie Friederike’s death on Sisi will be discussed in detail in the
mental health section later, but for now it is sufficient to say that little Sophie’s death deeply
affected Sisi.
In addition to the emotional hardship of losing her child, Sisi faces continued adversity
from Sophie in the aftermath. When Sisi’s son Rudolf was born a few years later, Sophie is even
more intent on keeping Sisi away from the new Crown Prince than she had been with Sisi’s other
children. Sisi tries to subvert Sophie by sending one of her ladies-in-waiting to retrieve Rudolf in
“Kind oder nicht” (“Child or Not”). Unfortunately, Sophie intercepts the pair, and instructs the
88 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Die ersten vier Jahre. 89 Ibid.
40
lady-in-waiting to ignore the Empress’ request. “The Crown Prince stays here; these visits [with
his mother] are not good for him. He lacks discipline.”90 The lady-in-waiting protests, “But he is
still a child!” Sophie replies firmly, “Child or not, for he who will rule, only duty counts. […] He
will be no Mama’s boy.”91 Sophie further tells the woman, “The wishes of the Empress are
irrelevant.”92 This song, and this last line in particular, demonstrates Sisi’s lack of agency in her
role as a mother, and the consistent disregard for her wishes. From the birth of her firstborn
through the end of Act I, Sisi fights desperately to win back control of her children from her
mother-in-law.
Sophie’s continual denial of Sisi’s access to her own children pushes Sisi to her limit. She
locks herself away in her bedroom and drafts a letter to her husband. In “Mach auf, mein Engel”
(“Open Up, My Angel”), Franz comes to Sisi after a hard day. From outside her door, he
recounts the burdens of the empire and asks Sisi to let him in, for with her, he is “a ship in a safe
harbor.”93 In this moment, he effectively asks Sisi to fulfill her wifely duties and comfort him
after a hard day at work. Unfortunately for him, Sisi is not interested in coddling Franz. Instead
of playing the role of a reassuring wife, Sisi flatly refuses to even open the door. She shouts
through the door, “Why don’t you go to your mother instead? You have always preferred her.”94
Franz is taken aback by his wife’s behavior, but Sisi doesn’t stop there.
The scene continues with Sisi accusing her mother-in-law of mistreating Rudolf. Here,
she describes Rudolf as being gequält (tortured) by Sophie. Using gequält in this manner
underlines how Sisi’s fight for Rudolf has become an extension of her fight for herself. It also
90 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Kind oder nicht. 91 Ibid. 92 Ibid. 93 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Mach auf, mein Engel. 94 Ibid.
41
suggests that Sisi has conflated the mistreatment of her son with her own. Sisi declares that she
will not watch her son be treated in this manner any longer, and therefore she has written a
formal ultimatum. “If you don’t want to lose me, fulfill it,” she warns Franz.95 In her ultimatum,
Sisi demands the right to oversee the education of her children, as well as the right to decide for
herself when and where she goes. By linking her children’s fate to her own, Kunze again shows
how Sisi’s fight for her children has morphed into a fight for her own needs. Sisi tells Franz,
“Read my letter and decide for yourself: your mother or me. Now leave me alone.”96 Here, Sisi
takes a stand to win her independence outright instead of employing her previous tactic of asking
for smaller things as she did in “The First Four Years.” In “Open Up, My Angel.” Sisi recognizes
Franz’s love for her and weaponizes it to get what she wants: a ploy which ultimately works.
In the final song of Act I, “Ich will dir nur sagen” (“I Just Want to Tell You”), Franz
comes to Sisi to concede. Franz stands outside her room and tells Sisi that he agrees to her
demands, for he cannot bear to lose her love. Franz makes his commitment in a symbolic reprise
of Sisi’s earlier song of defiance, “Ich gehör’ nur mir” (“I Belong Only to Me”). Franz alters the
titular lyric of Sisi’s song to “Ich gehör’ nur dir” (“I belong only to you”).97 While Franz
capitulates to Sisi’s demands with his words, he further submits to her symbolically through his
use of Sisi’s musical theme. By reprising her melody, Franz fully acknowledges Sisi’s
independence. Once she is convinced that Franz intends to let her go where she wants and stay
no longer than she desires – Sisi repeats her defiant mantra “I belong only to me.” Sisi is now
convinced that she has won her freedom.
95 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Mach auf, mein Engel. 96 Ibid. 97 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Ich will dir nur sagen.
42
After Franz accepts her terms, Sisi is free during Act II to do as she pleases.
Unfortunately, her perceived victory does not ultimately make her happy. Sisi is so determined to
maintain her independence that she avoids becoming close to anyone for fear of saddling herself
with burdens like those she fought so hard to escape. Despite Franz granting Sisi the right to
oversee her children’s upbringings, once she wins her own freedom, Sisi takes little interest in
involving herself in the lives of her children. This unwillingness to assume her hard-won role as
a mother demonstrates how Sisi lost sight of what she was originally fighting for. She became so
determined to get her back children from Sophie that her need to win superseded any actual
desire to raise her children. Once she won her children back, she found childrearing to be nothing
but a new burden, and thus she subsequently freed herself of it. Although well-meaning at first,
Sisi’s persistence in fighting for her children was fueled by her need to prove her autonomy.
Throughout the show, Sisi is especially determined to prove her strength to her
controlling mother-in-law. Sisi repeatedly makes decisions knowing full-well that they will anger
Sophie – a fact that the ensemble and Lucheni are keenly aware of. A civilian observes early in
Sisi’s marriage that Sisi “loves everything that her mother-in-law hates.”98 Another civilian later
shares news that “[Sisi] was recently a guest at the Renz Circus. The Emperor’s mother did not
like that at all.”99 As the narrator, Lucheni calls out her behavior more directly. He tells the
audience, “She fought for her son only to prove to Sophie that she is the stronger one. But then
she pushed him away. For her, it came down to freeing herself.”100 Through these characters,
Kunze casts doubt on the popular portrayal of Sisi as someone who tried to be a good and
attentive mother despite Sophie’s domineering nature.
98 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Debrenzin. 99 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Die fröhliche Apokalypse. 100 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Kitsch.
43
Kunze further suggests that Sisi’s inattentiveness as a mother contributed to the
loneliness, and later depression, that led Rudolf to take his own life. Rudolf, both as a child and
an adult, yearns for his mother’s presence. Young Rudolf sings a song to himself called “Mama,
wo bist du?” (“Mama, Where Are You?”) wherein he wonders why his mother always leaves
him alone. Despite Rudolf’s repeated efforts to get his mother’s attention, Sisi ignores him. This
does not stop Rudolf from seeking his mother’s support. As an adult, he feels stifled by his
marriage and life at Court: just like his mother. He also struggles with his father, with whom he
deeply disagrees on political matters. Rudolf feels increasingly trapped and hopeless in his roles.
After a particularly severe fight with his father, Rudolf comes to Sisi in desperate search of an
ally. In the song “Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär” (“If I Were Your Mirror”), he contemplates the
similarities between himself and his mother. Depending on the production, Rudolf and Sisi are
either separated by physical distance on stage or else by a material barrier between them. Both
forms of staging poignantly illustrate the walls that Sisi has erected between herself and her
family.
In the 1992 and 2005 Viennese productions, the emotional barrier Sisi has put between
herself and her son are reinforced by the imagery of a two-way mirror. Rudolf stands outside her
room, trying to summon the courage to ask his mother for help. On the other side of the partition,
his mother is in the midst of her beauty routine, unaware of her son’s presence. Thinking about
his mother, Rudolf says, “If I were your mirror, then you would see yourself in me. Then you
wouldn’t find it so difficult to understand the things I don’t say.”101 In this song, Kunze suggests
that Rudolf has previously left signals in hopes his mother would pick up on his distress. Rudolf
understands that he and his mother are plagued by the same problems. He hopes that his mother
101 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär.
44
will also recognize these similarities so that they can help each other through them, or at least
commiserate in solidarity. Unfortunately, Sisi is too self-absorbed to see her hardships reflected
in her son.
Figure 4 (Left) Rudolf stands outside Sisi’s room. His mother is seen behind him, in the midst of her beauty
routine (Vienna, 2005).102 (Right) Rudolf stands outside his mother’s room, but now his reflection can be
seen in the mirror. The reflected version of Rudolf appears to be facing his mother, as if they were near to
each other and talking face to face (Vienna, 2005).103
Sisi hears a disturbance outside her room and asks with annoyance – to the tune of “I
Belong Only to Me” – “Why the disturbance? What is it? What do you want here?”104 Even as
she receives her visibly distraught son, Sisi insists on reiterating her independence. She wants to
know why she is being interrupted rather than why her son is distressed. At a breaking point,
Rudolf appeals to his mother. The music pauses. Rudolf cries out with the intonation of a
desperate child, “Mama, I need you.”105 On the verge of tears, he continues, “I come to you in
greatest distress. I feel imprisoned and surrounded. […] I see no way out. I can trust this only to
you.”106 For the first time, he openly reveals to his mother the severity of his situation. Rudolf
explains, “Court and marriage are a torture to me. I sicken, my life empty. […] If you beg the
Emperor for me, then it isn’t too late yet.” Rudolf believes that the only one who can save him
102 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Rudolf Stands Outside His Mother’s Room. 103 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Rudolf’s Reflection Is Seen next to Sisi. 104 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär. 105 Ibid. 106 Ibid.
45
from his misery is his mother. He confides in her and plainly asks for her help. Sisi, however,
does not oblige. She replies in a measured tone, “I have long since slipped away from the
Emperor; I have cut all ties. I never beg. I won’t do it for you either.”107 She utters this response
to the same melody her husband used when he refused to intervene in Sophie’s treatment of her,
thereby demonstrating that Sisi has adopted the same emotionally distant manner that Sophie
drilled into Franz. Here, Sisi literally and figuratively shuts Rudolf out; she does not allow him
into her physical space and refuses to help her son in his darkest hour.
In the 2002 Viennese staging, there is no material barrier between mother and son, yet the
distance between them is still just as apparent. Whenever Rudolf tries to get close to her, Sisi
pulls away. Near the end of the song, Rudolf falls to his knees and grabs his mother, clinging to
her desperately. Sisi is startled and does not know how to respond at first. She clearly considers,
even yearns, to reciprocate and put her arms around him, but she does not. Sisi visibly battles
with her desire to comfort her son and her belief that any form of attachment will weigh her
down. Ultimately, she pulls her hands up short and never quite touches him. Regardless of the
staging, the effect is the same; Sisi fails to support her son in his hour of need. Left feeling
trapped and unable to see a way out, Rudolf makes up his mind to end his life.
107 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär.
46
Figure 5 Rudolf kneels and throws his arms around his mother, desperate for his mother’s help (Vienna
2002).108
After the death of yet another child, Sisi must come to terms with her shortcomings as a
mother. Sisi grieves the loss of her son in a song called “Rudolf, wo bist du?” (“Rudolf, Where
Are You?”). The song is a regretful reflection on her failings as a mother. In this song, Sisi
reprises the melody of the song Rudolf sang when he was young, “Mama, Where Are You?”
This musical choice highlights Sisi’s new awareness of the similarities she shared with her son.
In her lament, Sisi calls out to Rudolf. “You needed me. I turned my back on you in order to free
myself. I have failed…I bear the blame.”109 With these words, Sisi finally realizes the truth of
what Lucheni and others had suggested all along: that she only fought for her children in order to
win her own freedom. In this song, Sisi realizes too late the steep cost of severing her family ties.
Sisi believed her independence from familial responsibilities would free her of encumbrances,
but instead it only left her with the heavy burdens of grief and guilt.
In the aftermath of their son’s death, Sisi and Franz’s relationship becomes further
strained and they spend even less time together. Franz buries himself in his work while Sisi
continues traveling in hopes of escaping her grief. In “Boote in der Nacht” (“Ships in the
108 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Rudolf Kneels before His Mother. 109 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Rudolf, wo bist du?
47
Night”), Franz catches up to Sisi and implores her to come home. He tells Sisi, “We belong
together. I still believe it. I love you. And love, they say, can heal all wounds.”110 Franz still
thinks that their relationship is salvageable, and he yearns to have Sisi at his side. Unfortunately
for him, Sisi is no longer interested in repairing their relationship. Sisi responds to Franz, “Love
can do a lot, but sometimes love is not enough. It is time that we admit that we are like two ships
in the night: each with their own goal and load.”111 Sisi believes it is time for them both to move
on.
To further symbolize the conclusion of their relationship arc, “Ships in the Night”
reprises the melody of the couple’s initial love song “Nothing is Difficult.” Symbolically, the
musical choice underscores that Sisi did not – as she claimed in their earlier duet – only need
Franz to be happy. This theme is the beginning and the end of their relationship. One particularly
poignant example of the degradation of their marriage is reflected in the imagery of the two
musical phrases below. Both sets of lyrics are sung by Sisi and Franz in harmony.
Nothing is Difficult112:
You will soon see life through my eyes,
And every day understand me a little better.
Ships in the Night113:
If you could just once see through my eyes,
Then you would misunderstand me no longer.
These lines highlight how their relationship develops through the course of the show. In the
earlier song, Sisi believes that they will always be happy as long as they are together, and further
that Franz will eventually come around to her point of view. Franz meanwhile knows that life at
court will be hard for Sisi, but he wants to believe they can make their relationship work. In the
reprise, Sisi admits to herself and her husband that they can no longer repair their relationship.
“Ships in the Night” is the symbolic dissolution of their marriage.
110 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Boote in der Nacht. 111 Ibid. 112 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Nichts ist schwer. 113 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Boote in der Nacht.
48
Figure 6 (Left) Sisi and Franz are shown during “Nothing is Difficult.” At the beginning of their
relationship, the pair gaze into each other’s eyes while standing hand in hand (Vienna, 2012).114 (Right)
Sisi and Franz are shown during “Ships in the Night.” The couple at the end of their relationship look past
each other and do not come into physical contact (Vienna, 2012).115
Perhaps the most poignant depiction of Sisi’s character arc overall lies in the contrast
between the two duets she shares with her father. In contrast to the first version of “Like You,”
wherein Sisi eagerly tells her father about all the things she wants to do while he plays a minor
role, Max leads the reprise. Father and daughter swap roles in the music as well, with Sisi only
occasionally interjecting into Max’s rebuke of her. Sisi’s mannerisms and appearance further
symbolize her transformation. In the earlier song, Sisi bounces around the stage with her hair
down, rambunctiously playing her father. In the reprise, her movements are deliberate, her hair is
tied back, and her demeanor is weary.
In the reprise of “Like You,” the ghost of Sisi’s father appears to her. Max chastises Sisi
for fighting so hard for her freedom only to lock herself away. He further accuses her of being
114 Mögenburg, Franz Sits with His Advisors. 115 Mögenburg, Older Sisi and Franz Stand Apart.
49
cynical and bitter. Sisi blames her change in demeanor on others, responding irritably, “They
have trained me to be Empress!”116 Here, she attributes her unhappiness and cynicism to being
forced into Sophie’s narrow definition of an Empress, even though Sisi has long possessed the
freedom to change her fate. Max tells his daughter, “One must try to be happy,” to which Sisi
retorts, “Why should one lie to oneself?”117 At this late stage the show, Sisi has become so jaded
that she thinks happiness is merely a delusion. Sisi has resigned herself to this fate and no longer
has any expectation of finding enjoyment in her life.
Max reminds Sisi that she never used to give up. She replies bitterly, “Perhaps because I
did not yet know anything of people!”118 Here, Sisi claims that her determination was misguided
and naïve, for she did not know how cruel and callous people could be. She tells him, “I once
wanted to be like you. […] Now it is too late; I am made of stone. I will never be like you.”119
The closing lyrics of this duet indicate Sisi’s outlook on her life. She believes it is too late for her
to change who she is; her demeanor and fate are set in stone. In the 1992 staging, Sisi opens her
fan and holds in in front of her as she delivers this final line, symbolically closing herself off
from her childhood aspirations and the rest of the world.
116 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wie du, Reprise. 117 Ibid. 118 Ibid. 119 Ibid.
50
Figure 7 (Left) Young Sisi excitedly tells her father about the things she wants to do (Vienna, 1992).120
(Right) A mature Sisi holds her fan in front of her, disinterested and closed off from the world (Vienna,
1992).121
Mental Health in Elisabeth
Sisi flirts with and battles against Death throughout the musical, literally and figuratively. She is
captivated by Death’s charisma, but simultaneously wants to rid herself of him. She sees Death
as yet another form of entrapment. Through this incarnation of death, Kunze turns Sisi’s story
into a danse macabre, a dance of death. A danse macabre is a centuries-old allegorical technique
wherein a personification of death demonstrates the universality of death; it is experienced by
everyone regardless of one’s status in life. Although at times Sisi tries to fight off Death, he
eventually comes for her all the same. In addition to being a physical embodiment of mortality,
the character Death is a stand-in for the broader external obstacles Sisi faces. He puppeteers Sisi,
physically manhandling her during multiple songs, in addition to manipulating her with his
words. He tries repeatedly to convince Sisi to run away with him, claiming that she will find
happiness only with him. Meanwhile, he pulls strings in order to make Sisi’s life miserable in
order to force her back to him. He steals away Sisi’s firstborn and later orchestrates Rudolf’s
120 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Young Sisi and Her Father. 121 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Sisi Opens Her Fan.
51
death as well. Kunze further uses Death as a means to discuss Sisi’s mental health as she deals
with a constant, overwhelming sense of entrapment. Death is a relentless presence in Sisi’s life
from her first appearance in the show until her last.
The audience first meets Death after young Sisi falls from a great height while showing
off her tightrope skills to her governess. In “Schwarzer Prinz” (“Black Prince”) – only the third
song in the musical – Death catches her, intending to whisk her away like he does with other
souls. However, he finds himself captivated by her and instead sets her down safely on her bed.
Young Sisi sits up and tells him, “I recognize you, Black Prince, and I am not afraid of you. You
are not like they describe you.”122 Sisi knows that she is looking directly at Death and she is
intrigued rather than frightened. Here, Kunze plants the idea of Sisi’s casual relationship with
Death. This acquaintance will develop into a courtship as the years go by. When Death starts to
leave, Sisi doesn’t want him too. As if a long-time friend were about to leave her, Sisi calls out,
“Where are you going? […] It felt so good in your arms, and I felt a longing to free myself from
everything.”123 Even before Sisi meets Franz, she has a desire to let go of her responsibilities and
even her life.
The symbolism in one specific phrase in the scene following “Black Prince” is
particularly telling of her relationship with Death and what he represents. Sisi confides to Death
the following:
Ich denk an dich, was immer ich auch tu:
Träume und Gedichte schreiben, oder Reiten mit
dem Wind124
I think of you whatever I do:
dreaming and writing poems, or riding
with the wind
122 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Schwarzer Prinz. 123 Ibid. 124 Ibid.
52
There are two reasons why this reference to poetry writing and horseback riding is particularly
noteworthy. First, poetry and riding were two of the main activities the real Sisi pursued in an
attempt to escape her sorrows. She spent much of her time reading poetry and often wrote poems
of her own. Sisi also spent many hours on horseback, often deliberately riding herself to a state
of exhaustion in order to avoid thinking about her troubles.125 Second, “Black Prince” is neither
the first nor the last time part of the phrase quoted above is used in Elisabeth. Sisi used these
words in the previous song, “Like You,” when she tells her father the things she wants to do
instead of go to her family gathering. The phrase reappears in her remorseful reprise of “Like
You” in Act II. Sisi’s use of the phrase in “Black Prince” indicates that she still feels Death’s
pull even while doing things she claims to love. Moreover, the activities Sisi enjoys become
inextricably blended with her need to escape her problems.
Figure 8 Death introduces himself to a young Sisi (Takarazuka, 2018).126
125 Hotbauer, Empress Elisabeth of Austria: The Fate of a Woman under the Yoke of the Imperial Court, 30. 126 Takarazuka, Young Sisi Meets Death.
53
Death next appears as a guest at Sisi’s wedding during a song called “Der letzte Tanz”
(“The Final Dance”). This song provides Sisi’s first physical dance with Death. As Sisi and her
new husband dance, Death arrives. Everyone on stage freezes except for Death and Sisi. Death
chides her for letting him in. “You want to be true [to Franz], yet you invite me. Still in his arms,
you smile at me. And where that will lead even you know.”127 By not shutting Death out, Sisi
allows him to strengthen his hold on her. Death claims that they both know that on some level,
Sisi wants to be with him. She clings desperately to Franz, the man she is supposed to love,
trying to prove to her devotion and commitment to her new life. Death is not fooled by this
action. Death grabs Sisi, pulling her from her new husband’s arms. He pushes her around,
forcing her to dance with him. He sings, “The final dance […] belongs only to me. The final
dance […] I’ll dance with you alone!”128 Death illustrates with this song that he will not be
denied; Sisi’s danse macabre will run its course. Someday, sooner or later, he will have the last
word and Sisi will have to dance with him.
Sisi has yet another dance with Death during “Wenn ich tanzen will” (“When I Want To
Dance”). This song occurs in Act II after Sisi believes she has freed herself. She claims that
“They held me on strings like a puppet that they make dance. But I will not be a marionette!”129
Sisi believes she has cast off her chains. Unfortunately for her, this freedom is merely an illusion.
Even as she tells Death that she has separated herself from him, Death is physically controlling
her. Death stands behind her holding fast to her wrists, forcing her to move and dance as he
pleases. She claims to be free of her puppet masters, yet Death is still pulling her strings. Death
tells her, “You are only free through me,” which Sisi rejects, defiantly claiming, “If I want to
127 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Der letzte Tanz. 128 Ibid. 129 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wenn ich tanzen will.
54
dance then I will dance the way I please. I alone decide the hour, I alone choose the music.”130
Sisi’s resistance to Death here is in her words only, not her actions. Despite her statement of
independence, she is not aware of Death’s control over her. Therefore, she does not fight his
physical hold on her. The fact that Death is visibly orchestrating Sisi’s movements while she
simultaneously claims to have autonomy is a powerful symbol of Sisi’s struggle for agency.
Sisi’s need to claim and prove her independence is so intense that this pursuit itself becomes a
form of dependence: one she herself is not aware of.
The use of dance is particularly potent given that the show was written for Austrian
audiences. It is hard to overstate the importance of dance in Austrian – especially Viennese –
culture. There is substantial fanfare around balls in modern Austria, and dancing would have
played a significant role in the real Sisi’s life as well. Ballroom dances – including the traditional
Viennese Waltz – follow a routine, and the formal setting of a ball provides little freedom to
stray from the prescribed steps. Especially as Empress, the real Sisi would have been expected to
follow these strict rules as well. This enriches the metaphor of Sisi’s repeated dances with Death.
Even as she claims to have the freedom to dance how she pleases, she cannot. Unbeknownst to
Kunze’s Sisi, her movements are restricted; she is bound by social rules and expectations that she
has no control over nor the ability to escape.
130 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Wenn ich tanzen will.
55
Figure 9 (Left) Sisi dances with Death before a set reminiscent of the Viennese Palace where annual balls
are still held (Vienna, 2012).131 (Right) Death holds Sisi by the wrists and makes her dance (Vienna,
2012).132
Sisi is determined to prove Death wrong. Just as Sisi seeks liberation from her husband
and her mother-in-law, Sisi tries to wrest her independence from Death himself. After Sisi
banishes her husband to contemplate her formal ultimatum in “Open Up, My Angel,” Death
appears to her. He calls to her imploringly, telling Sisi he can offer her peace. “Rest in my arms.
I want to comfort you. […] I will lead you away from space and time and into a better reality.”133
He tries to lure her with the promise of an escape from her problems. Sisi hesitates, believing for
a moment that perhaps she could find the relief she seeks with Death. Just before leaning into
Death, however, she pulls away. She indignantly declares that she does not need him to be free.
“I want to live. I am too young to give up! I know I can free myself.”134 Sisi rebuffs Death
himself in order to prove her independence from everyone and everything. Having banished
Death, she announces how she will maintain her independence. “Now I enlist my beauty!”135 Sisi
believes that her attractiveness is a tool she can continue to use as leverage to get what she
131 Mögenburg, Sisi Dances with Death. 132 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Death Holds Sisi by the Wrists. 133 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Mach auf, mein Engel. 134 Ibid. 135 Ibid.
56
wants. Her determination to assert her independence and avoid her danse macabre leads to an
obsession with her physical appearance.
Sisi is desperate to have agency over her life, especially during the first half of the show.
Her wishes are ignored time and time again, which creates an extreme sense of powerlessness.
Sophie subverts or outright denies Sisi the things she wants, and Franz repeatedly ignores Sisi’s
cries for help. Sisi’s lack of control leads to her exert power on the only thing she had full
autonomy over: herself. She develops intense self-discipline, which gives her the feeling of
having control in at least one aspect of her life. She begins to practice stringent diet and exercise
routines. Exerting agency over her appearance helps Sisi escape her feelings of entrapment and
powerlessness. Sisi believes her beauty has the power to finally set her free, but just as with her
pursuit of independence, her constant effort to maintain her looks becomes a new kind of
dependence.
The story of Sisi’s eating and exercising disorders is illustrated by her ladies-in-waiting.
One such instance occurs during a song called “Uns’re Kaiserin soll sich wiegen” (“Our Empress
Should Weigh Herself”) – alternately titled “Schönheitsfplege” (“Beauty Care”). These women
flit about outside of Sisi’s toilette making sure everything is in place for the Empress’ elaborate
hair and skin care routine. The most notable detail of this song is the music. “Beauty Care” is
sung to the tune of Sophie’s earlier “An Empress Must Shine,” thereby demonstrating yet
another way in which Sisi’s attempt to defy her roles reinforced them in actuality. Sisi’s new
concern for how others perceive her is something Sophie wanted to instill in Sisi all along. The
choice of music underscores how Sisi has unknowingly morphed into her role as Empress. This
transformation is further highlighted by the maids praising Sisi’s new appearance.
57
Ladies-in-waiting (group 1):
Our Empress should weigh herself,
Comb, care for, and rest herself,
Instead of involving herself in state
intrigue.
Ladies-in-waiting (group 2), simultaneously:
She should stride beautifully, displaying her
jewels.
Beautiful before the people, beautiful for her
husband.136
In these lines, Sisi’s ladies-in-waiting indicate their approval of Sisi’s new behavior.
They believe it is befitting of an Empress, and they are not alone in this conviction. The above
excerpt is followed by one of the women remarking, “The Archduchess finds this very
reasonable too,” implying that even Sophie approves of Sisi’s new conduct.137 This validation of
Sisi’s transformation, especially from Sophie, indicates one of the serious obstacles to Sisi’s
well-being: external reinforcement. There is little incentive for the real Sisi or Kunze’s Sisi to
interrupt this harmful pattern of dieting and exercise because others value her for her appearance.
Her worth and political capital are tied to her attractiveness, which becomes increasingly
problematic as the years wear on.
The song “Die rastlosen Jahre” (“The Restless Years”), speaks to the effect her pursuit
has in the long run. Here too, her ladies-in-waiting tell this part of Sisi’s narrative. They
reference Sisi’s regular eight-hour hikes and endless traveling. They say, “She never comes to
rest; she rushes us from place to place. She wants to go to Corfu, Pest, and England, just never
back home.”138 The audience learns through the ladies-in-waiting that Sisi would rather be
anywhere but home. Lucheni steps in to point out the motivation for Sisi’s tireless excursions.
He explains, “Eighteen years she runs in a panic from the fear of nothingness.”139 Sisi spends
years chasing a geographical cure to escape her intense loneliness and isolation. Unfortunately
136 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Uns’re Kaiserin soll sich wiegen. 137 Ibid. 138 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Die rastlosen Jahre. 139 Ibid.
58
for her, this technique does not bring her solace. She spends the rest of the musical running from
her husband, her family, and Vienna. It is therefore fitting that the audience sees little of Sisi
after this point in the show. The title character appears in barely a third of the remaining songs in
the musical, of which there are more than a dozen. The musical transitions away from Sisi and
focuses instead on Austrian politics while the Empress fades out of view. Ultimately, however,
reclusion does not solve her problems in the end.
Sisi begins to recognize that she still is not happy, despite years of self-discipline and
fighting for her independence. In the song “Sie ist verrückt” (“She Is Insane”), Sisi visits the
patients of an Irrenhaus (madhouse)140 as part of her imperial duties. The specifics of this scene
vary between productions, but the gist of the scene is the same. In the asylum, Sisi meets a
woman called Miss Windisch, who believes herself to be the Empress Elisabeth.141 Miss
Windisch lunges at Sisi, calling her “impertinent” and “crazy.”142 The staff grab Miss Windisch
and put her in a straitjacket. Sisi is fascinated by this woman who claims to be her. At first Sisi
tries to reason with Miss Windisch. Miss Windisch starts screaming, calling Sisi a liar and a
fraud. The staff restrain Miss Windisch. Everything gets quiet as Sisi contemplates what she has
seen.
140 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Sie ist verrückt. 141 Productions use various techniques to underscore the similarity between the Sisi and Miss Windisch. The 2005
Viennese production, for example, amplifies their similitude through the two women’s appearances; Sisi and Miss
Windisch wear similar dresses, hats and hairstyles. The 2002 production draws the comparison through words.
Before Sisi meets Miss Windisch, she comments to one of the doctors, “I prefer your patients to normal people,”
indicating that she strongly identifies with these individuals who have been locked away and finds them more
agreeable than the supposedly sane people she spends most of her time with. 142 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Sie ist verrückt.
59
Figure 10 Sisi (right) confronts Miss Windisch (left). The two women wear their hair in similar styles and
are adorned with similar hats (Vienna, 2005).143
Sisi reflects on Miss Windisch during the song “Nichts, nichts, gar nichts” (“Nothing,
Nothing, Absolutely Nothing”). This song is one of the most illustrative moments for Sisi’s
profound unhappiness and further provides an intimate look at Sisi’s feelings of entrapment and
isolation. Sisi stares at Miss Windisch and tells her, “I wish I really were you: in the straitjacket
instead of the corset. They constrict only your body; my soul is shackled.”144 Here, Kunze
provides yet another powerful instance of chain imagery: one that is very similar to the imagery
the real Sisi herself used in her poem “Freedom,” described in the previous section. Kunze’s Sisi
feels as though she would have more freedom if she were physically bound than she has in her
current life, even though she currently can go where she pleases. Sisi laments the life she has led,
and for the first time openly acknowledges that her so-called victories have made her neither
happy nor free. “I have fought and obtained things only out of sheer stubbornness. And what
have I achieved? Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing.”145 Sisi recognizes that her endless
fighting has not gotten her what she wanted.
143 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Sisi and Miss Windisch. 144 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Nichts, nichts, gar nichts. 145 Ibid.
60
In the same song, Sisi wishes she had the resolve to change her present circumstance. “It
probably takes madness to become completely free, but I lack the courage to fall into complete
madness.”146 Sisi admires the ability to do as one wants without fear of judgment. She regards
the patients at the asylum as individuals with such freedom. “If I were not damned to be
Elisabeth then I would be Titania! And I would smile when they say, ‘she is crazy!’”147 Sisi
yearns to be as independent as William Shakespeare’s spirited Fairy Queen, and to have the
strength of character to be unconcerned with the opinions others have of her.
Unfortunately, as a 19th-century woman and Empress, Sisi does not have that liberty.
Lacking such freedom, Sisi resigns herself to the roles she has been cast in. Sisi concludes the
song in abject defeat, knowing that she must continue to play the part she is trapped in. “So I
play the strong one and do what I do as if this life were more than just an illusion, fallacy,
deception. As if nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing was enough.”148 In this song, Kunze lets the
audience peer behind Sisi’s mask to see how truly unhappy she is. He emphasizes again that any
resemblance Sisi has to a fairytale princess is a result of selective omissions of key parts of her
story. Here, Kunze lays out Sisi’s sorrows plainly. Kunze allows his Sisi to go so far as to openly
wish for her life to end: a desire seldom expressed by a princess in any fairy tale. Sisi concludes,
“The only solution would be madness. The only salvation would be the drop. The abyss entices
me. I want to let myself fall; why do I shudder before the leap?”149 This line is a particularly
powerful illustration of her danse macabre. Although Death is not in this scene, she is still
flirting with what he represents: Sisi’s declining mental health and her suicidality.
146 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Nichts, nichts, gar nichts. 147 Ibid. 148 Ibid. 149 Ibid.
61
The other occasion where Kunze’s Sisi expresses suicidal ideation is after the death of
her son. As she grapples with her regret and her grief, she cries out for Death at the end of the
song “Rudolf, Where Are You?” She yearns for Death to come end her pain. “Don’t let me wait!
Have I not been tortured enough already? Take pity on me. Come, sweet Death…accursed
Death! Release me!”150 Here, Sisi openly begs for an end to her life. She was already deeply
unhappy prior to her son’s death, but the addition of the anguish and guilt she feels over Rudolf’s
suicide causes her to contemplate her own. Death, who has been lurking near Rudolf’s coffin,
angrily tells her, “I don’t want you – not like this. I don’t need you! Go!”151 Although Death has
spent the entire show trying to lure Sisi to him, in this moment, he spurns her. By refusing to take
Sisi “like this” – in her state of anguish and desperation – Death yet again deprives Sisi of
agency. He refuses to take pity on her because he wants Sisi to come to him voluntarily, not out
of despondence. Death leaves her alone for years until he comes to her for the last time in the
show’s finale.
Figure 11 Sisi falls to the floor in her grief as Death lurks behind her on her son’s coffin (Takarazuka,
2018).152
150 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Rudolf, wo bist du? 151 Ibid. 152 Takarazuka, Sisi Mourns While Death Lurks behind Her.
62
In the absence of Death’s assistance, Sisi must learn to cope with her grief. She does so
by completely sealing herself off from the world. When she separates from her husband in
“Ships in the Night,” she severs herself from her only remaining mortal relationship. Now in
complete isolation, she loses any lingering interest she had in life. Sisi’s acquiescence compels
Death to return to her again. He concludes his dance with Sisi by orchestrating her death. He
gives Lucheni a metal file with which to kill her. After Lucheni stabs Sisi, she welcomes Death’s
return. She literally and metaphorically embraces Death, thus completing Sisi’s danse macabre
and the story of her life.
In most productions, Sisi wears mourning dress when Lucheni attacks her. As she dies,
she exchanges her black outfit for a white nightgown, stripping down to a symbolically purer
version of herself. The concluding words of the musical are sung to the tune of Sisi’s “I Belong
Only to Me.” Death holds Sisi as they sing, “The world will search in vain for the meaning of
my/your life, for I/you belong only to me!”153 With the final phrase of the show, Kunze reminds
the audience that the real Sisi is lost to history. With Elisabeth, he seeks to shed light on the
often-overlooked trials of the real Sisi’s life, all the while he openly admits that even his
interpretation of Sisi does not fully capture her. He asks the audience to recognize that their
understanding of Sisi is biased by what they project onto her. The question of what Sisi’s life
meant is open to interpretation. Kunze does not stipulate what the real Sisi’s life story should
mean, he merely asks the audience to analyze her story critically, mindful of the hardships she
faced.
153 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Der Schleier fällt.
63
Figure 12 Death catches Sisi after she Lucheni stabs her. Sisi – and in this production, Death – is
symbolically dressed in white (Vienna 2012).154
Sisi’s Legacy in Elisabeth
In addition to interrupting the sugar-coated narrative of Sisi’s life, Kunze also asks the audience
to contemplate why they enjoy stories about Sisi to begin with. Kunze dedicates two songs in the
musical entirely to the exploration of Sisi’s contemporary image. Through Lucheni’s narration,
Kunze breaks the fourth wall to engage with Sisi’s enduring legacy. In these songs, he reflects on
the irony of the musical benefitting from the pre-existing popularity of Sisi and her story. He also
asks the audience to consider why stories about Sisi – especially highly romanticized ones – are
so popular.
154 Mögenburg, Death Catches Sisi.
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Lucheni opens Act II with a song called “Kitsch” (“Kitsch”). The song occurs just before
Sisi and Franz are crowned Queen and King of Hungary. Dressed as a street vender, Lucheni
invites the audience to buy souvenirs from him to mark the occasion of the imperial couple’s
coronation. “Come here, ladies and gentlemen! You have here the once in a lifetime opportunity
to acquire a valuable memento! Everything is very cheap! Please, step closer!”155 He lists off a
series of items for purchase. Lucheni offers the audience photographs, decorative plates, and
glassware, all of which bear a classic picture of Sisi and her family. Even as he sells these
trinkets, Lucheni asks the audience to consider why they care about Sisi’s story.
Figure 13 Lucheni excitedly shows off his various souvenirs featuring images of Sisi and her family
(Vienna, 2003).156
In the same song, Lucheni directly confronts Sisi’s legacy in popular culture. He calls her
character into question, describing her as both egocentric and shallow. This is also the song
wherein he suggests that Sisi only fought for Rudolf in order to prove that she was stronger than
her mother-in-law, thereby further casting doubt on Sisi’s maternal nature. Lucheni tells the
155 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Kitsch. 156 Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, Lucheni Shows off His Kitsch.
65
audience, “Don’t pretend that you’re interested in the truth. The truth is given, but no one wants
to have it because it’s only depressing. […] One hears only what one wants to hear.”157 Through
these phrases, Kunze seeks to underscore yet again that Sisi’s life was not as rosy as other
depictions make it out to be. He suggests that audiences want to see Sisi as a real-life fairytale
princess and therefore they do, thereby blinding themselves to the severity of her suffering. He
warns that there is more to her story than fictional depictions can offer. Lucheni presses this
point further when he tells the audience, “You won’t learn what she was really like from any
book or any film.”158 Here, he specifically alludes to the fairytale-like depiction of Sisi in the
popular film trilogy Sissi directed by Ernst Marischka in the 1950s.
In a reprise of “Kitsch,” Lucheni appears as a salesman again. He boasts that his
souvenirs are selling very well, especially a picture of Sisi grieving at her son’s coffin, which
“stirs every heart.”159 Lucheni claiming that his pictures of Sisi in mourning sell the best
demonstrates to the audience that it is convenient – and profitable – to tell stories of Sisi that fit
the narrative of Sisi as a good mother. He continues, “One shudders and thinks, full of sympathy,
that even the greats get their share.”160 This line is a self-acknowledgement by Kunze of one of
the reasons this musical is appealing: the schadenfreude of watching someone whose struggles
are worse than one’s own. Audiences watch Elisabeth and are grateful that they have more
agency in their lives than Sisi. Expanding on this sentiment, Lucheni declares, “Thank God we
aren’t rich and powerful and exalted like them!”161 In Lucheni’s words, such stories are
“comforting and moral: just as you like it.”162 One audience member can watch the musical and
157 Kunze, Michael and Sylvester Levay, Kitsch. 158 Ibid. 159 Kunze Michael and Sylvester Levay, Kitsch, Reprise. 160 Ibid. 161 Ibid. 162 Ibid.
66
“hear what they want to hear” – a love story, a fairytale. Meanwhile a critical viewer will be
similarly satisfied by the richer complexity of Sisi’s character. Both types of viewers will find a
moral in her story.
Conclusion
Figure 14 Actress Pia Douwes – the original Sisi in Kunze’s Elisabeth – stands dressed in Sisi’s classic
white gown and edelweiss stars. Behind her is an enlarged replica of Winterhalter’s famous portrait of Sisi
(Vienna, 2015).163
The way we tell stories about our past matters. It matters because the way we understand
our past affects how we behave in the present, which in turn affects the future. If we fail to
adequately understand the past, we cannot learn from it. Historiography – the study of how
historical narratives are portrayed – is often based on traditional academic sources. However,
period pieces like Elisabeth have their own historiographical value. If we treat historical fiction
purely as entertainment, we fail to recognize its instructional value and its capacity to change
163 Janssen, Actress Pia Douwes Dressed as Sisi in Front of Winterhalter’s Classic Sisi Portrait.
67
public discourse. Historiography through theater has the power to disrupt well-trodden historical
storylines and bring new awareness to the audience: something Kunze does skillfully in
Elisabeth. The musical serves as an interruption in the narratives of Sisi’s life and Austria’s past.
Through Elisabeth, Kunze seeks to help Austrians understand and grapple with their
nation’s culpability in World War II. Historians have a word for this kind of reckoning with the
past: Vergangenheitsbewältigung. This term is typically translated as “coming to terms with the
past” or “mastering the past,” and it is usually used to describe Germany’s effort to process its
Nazi history. Although historians and Germanists normally associate this concept with a German
context, the term aptly applies to Austria as well. Much like Germans, Austrians must wrestle
with the reality that many of their citizens openly supported and aided the Third Reich. This truth
is especially difficult for the those who possess the so-called Gnade der spät-geborenen, the
grace of being born too late to be held responsible for their country’s Nazi past. These
individuals are not themselves responsible for the war’s atrocities, but they are, “tied by love and
respect to the people who were, and by upbringing, blood, and nationality to a history they
cannot escape.”164 Kunze’s Elisabeth offered Austrians, especially younger Austrians, a means to
engage in this reconciliation with their past. The musical continues to offer Austrians, as well as
international audiences, a space in which they can reflect on the nationalism and hatred that led
Austria into two World Wars, and more importantly, a space to consider the continued presence
of these themes in modern society.
Through Elisabeth, Kunze not only seeks to help Austrians master their past and the myth
of Austrian victimhood, but he also stages an intervention in Sisi’s narrative. Kunze rewrites her
fairy tale, taking the idyllic portrayal of Sisi and adding a tragic twist. The musical is the first
164 Lawrence, “Vergangenheitsbewältigung,” 100.
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popular portrayal of Sisi to depict her as truly unhappy. Kunze criticizes the audience’s
understanding of Sisi, but he does so in a way that does not offend their sensibilities or their love
for Sisi. Kunze’s use of historical fact plus creative license give audiences a unique insight, and a
new spin on Sisi’s story that allows them to better understand the hardships she faced.
The way we portray Sisi is emblematic of other, more contemporary figures, and thus the
musical has lessons for us here as well. Popular media casts women like Princess Diana, Kate
Middleton, and Meghan Markle in similar roles: as real-life fairytale princesses. Fanfare around
their lives, especially their weddings, often loses sight of the personhood of such women. These
representations are harmful to both the women themselves and the people who believe in these
narratives. They set unrealistic expectations for the onlookers and objectify the subjects. By
sugarcoating their stories, and neglecting the challenges they face, we fail to understand these
women as real people. But since everyone loves a love story – especially a fairy tale – rosy
portrayals of real-life royalty continue to be produced.
Sisi’s story has been taken note of by the popular streaming service Netflix, which plans
to release a six-part biopic of Sisi in spring 2022.165 The series will be directed by German
director Katrin Gebbe and currently has the working title The Empress. Although Netflix has a
history of telling similar stories – such as their portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown –
with greater complexity than many other depictions, early signs indicate that Gebbe’s series will
still paint Sisi as a happily married princess. Netflix’s promotional material for the show states
that, “It is the great love story between Elisabeth and Franz that is the focus of the narrative.”166
By failing to convey how deeply unhappy Sisi was in her marriage, the show will perpetuate this
165 “About Netflix - New Imperial Couple ‘Sisi and Franz’ Found - Netflix Original ‘The Empress’ (WT) about to
Start Production.” 166 Ibid.
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false narrative of a critical component of Sisi’s life. Furthermore, given Netflix’s global reach,
the show will introduce international viewers who have never heard of Sisi to the facile idea that
she was both happy and happily married. It appears that the Netflix show will only portray the
first six months after Sisi’s marriage, which means the show is unlikely to address any of her
difficulties with motherhood, depression, or eating disorders, since those all began a year or
more into her married life. By centering this new biopic on the idealized love story of a younger
Sisi, The Empress will reinforce Sisi’s fairytale narrative rather than question or alter it.
The real Sisi knew she was unhappy; she felt trapped, shackled. She knew this from the
onset of her marriage and these feelings only intensified over the course of her life. If we hope to
understand Sisi as a person instead of a storybook princess, we must recognize her sorrow too.
Now that the musical has been examined and relevant background material has been discussed, it
is worth revisiting the following poem – introduced earlier in this work – that Sisi wrote at age
sixteen, just two weeks after marrying Franz.
Freiheit167 / Freedom
Oh, daß ich nie den Pfad verlassen,
Der mich zur Freiheit hätt’ geführt,
Oh, daß ich auf der breiten Straßen
Der Eitelkeit mich nie verirrt!
Ich bin erwacht in einem Kerker,
Und Fesseln sind an meiner Hand.
Und meine Sehnsucht immer starker –
Und Freiheit! Du, mir abgewandt!
Ich bin erwacht aus einem Rausche,
Der meinen Geist gefangen hielt,
Und fluche fruchtlos diesem Tausche,
Bei dem ich Freiheit! Dich – verspielt!
Oh, that I had never left the path
That would have led me to freedom,
Oh, that the broad streets of vanity
Had never led me astray!
I awoke in a dungeon
And shackles are on my hands.
And my longing grows always stronger –
And Freedom! You turned away from me!
I awoke from an inebriation
That held my spirit captive,
And I curse this exchange in vain
Through which I gambled away freedom!
167 Rödhammer, 96.
70
The evidence from Sisi’s poems and letters is clear; Sisi was deeply unhappy for most of her life.
Kunze brings these feelings to life on the stage, animating the sentiments Sisi herself wrote.
Kunze is critical of Sisi, but he understands the tragedy of her life and seeks to help the audience
recognize it too. The success of Elisabeth proves that audiences are receptive to more nuanced
depictions of Sisi. However, there remains much to be done in Sisi’s narrative interruption in
both artistic and scholarly works. With this thesis, I hope to have suggested new paths towards a
more nuanced and accurate discussion of Sisi and her role in Austria’s understanding of its past.
71
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———. Kitsch, Reprise. Vol. Act II. Song 44. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Mach auf, mein Engel. Vol. Act I. Song 18. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Nichts ist schwer. Vol. Act I. Song 8. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Nichts, nichts, gar nichts. Vol. Act II. Song 28. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Rudolf, wo bist du? Vol. Act II. Song 43. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Schwarzer Prinz. Vol. Act I. Song 5. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Sie ist verrückt. Vol. Act II. Song 27. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Sie passt nicht. Vol. Act I. Song 10. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. So wie man plant und denkt. Vol. Act I. Song 7. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien,
1992.
———. Streit Vater und Sohn. Vol. Act II. Song 37. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Uns’re Kaiserin soll sich wiegen. Vol. Act I. Song 20. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen
Wien, 1992.
———. Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär. Vol. Act II. Song 41. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien,
1992.
———. Wenn ich tanzen will. Vol. Act II. Song 24. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Wie du. Vol. Act I. Song 2. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
———. Wie du, Reprise. Vol. Act II. Song 40. Vienna: Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, 1992.
Lawrence, Vicki. “Vergangenheitsbewältigung: Coming to Terms with the Nazi Past.” Agni, no.
48 (1998): 100–114.
Markova, Ina. “Balancing Victimhood and Complicity in Austrian History Textbooks: Visual
and Verbal Strategies of Representing the Past in Post-Waldheim Austria.” Journal of
Educational Media, Memory, and Society 3, no. 2 (2011): 58-.
“Michael Kunze – Writer, Lyricist, Librettist.” Accessed May 11, 2021.
https://michaelkunze.info/.
Mögenburg, Brinkhoff. Death Catches Sisi. 2012. 11. https://www.musicalvienna.at/en/schedule-
and-tickets/schedule/production/14/Elisabeth-2012.
———. Franz Sits with His Advisors. 2012. 4. https://www.musicalvienna.at/en/schedule-and-
tickets/schedule/production/14/Elisabeth-2012.
———. Older Sisi and Franz Stand Apart. 2012. 45. https://www.musicalvienna.at/en/schedule-
and-tickets/schedule/production/14/Elisabeth-2012.
———. Sisi Dances with Death. 2012. 11. https://www.musicalvienna.at/en/schedule-and-
tickets/schedule/production/14/Elisabeth-2012.
Newton, Michael. Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia. 2 vols. ABC-
CLIO, 2014.
Pfeiffer, Thomas. “»Wir Lieben Das Fremde – in Der Fremde«: Ethnopluralismus Als
Diskursmuster Und -Strategie Im Rechtsextremismus.” In Großerzählungen Des
Extremen, edited by Jennifer Schellhöh, Jo Reichertz, Volker M. Heins, and Armin
Flender, 35–56. Neue Rechte, Populismus, Islamismus, War on Terror. Transcript
Verlag, 2018. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1fxd7f.6.
Robinson, Douglas. Becoming a Translator: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of
Translation. London, UNITED KINGDOM: Taylor & Francis Group, 2012.
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/osu/detail.action?docID=1046807.
73
Rödhammer, Hans. Elisabeth, Kaiserin von Österreich Und Königin von Ungarn, 1837-1898.
Linz: Kulturverein Schloss Ebelsberg, 1983.
Sayler, Oliver M. Translation and the Theatre. The North American Review, 1922.
http://archive.org/details/jstor-25120940.
Sisi Mourns While Death Lurks behind Her. 2018. 18.
https://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/revue/2018/elisabeth/gallery.html.
Takarazuka. Young Sisi Meets Death. 2018. 5.
https://kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/revue/2018/elisabeth/gallery.html.
“The Moscow Conference, October 1943.” Text. Accessed May 8, 2021.
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/moscow.asp.
Vasant, Jacqueline. “Challenging Austria’s Victim Status: National Socialism and Austrian
Personal Narratives.” The German Quarterly 67, no. 1 (1994): 38–57.
Vermeiren, Jan. “Germany, Austria, and the Idea of the German Nation, 1871-1914.” History
Compass 9, no. 3 (March 2011): 200–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-
0542.2010.00758.x.
Vienna, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. Death Holds Sisi by the Wrists. 2012.
http://www.dermuenchenblog.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Elisabeth-Das-
Musical.jpg.
———. Ensemble Carries Banners Reminiscent of Nazi Symbols. 1992.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUagvg3Ijg.
———. Ensemble Salutes. 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUagvg3Ijg.
———. Lucheni Shows off His Kitsch. 2005. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnpC0lTB-
ZU.
———. Rudolf Kneels before His Mother. 2002.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAnbjyCBLHg.
———. Rudolf Stands Outside His Mother’s Room. 2005.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHj5eseAOnM.
———. Rudolf’s Reflection Is Seen next to Sisi. 2005.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHj5eseAOnM.
———. Sisi and Miss Windisch. 2005.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHjhJz6eV3Q&t=61s.
———. Sisi Opens Her Fan. 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yOGLL_p6n0.
———. Young Sisi and Her Father. 1992. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-yWehhg9k4.
Winterhalter, Franz Xaver. English: Elisabeth of Austria. 1865.
https://www.paleishetloo.nl/blog/sisi-sprookje-en-werkelijkheid/.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elisabeth_of_Austria,_by_Franz_Xaver_Winte
rhalter.jpg.
74
Appendix
Boote in der Nacht / Ships in the Night
German:
[Franz Joseph:]
Du weißt, warum ich gekommen bin.
[Elisabeth:]
Nein. Aber ich ahne es.
[Franz Joseph:]
Komm heim, Sisi.
Wir gehören zusammen.
Ich glaube immer noch daran.
Ich liebe dich.
Und Liebe, sagt man, kann alle Wunden heilen.
[Elisabeth:]
Liebe kann vieles,
doch manchmal ist Liebe nicht genug.
Glaube ist stark,
doch manchmal ist Glaube Selbstbetrug.
Wir wollten Wunder,
doch sie sind nicht gescheh'n.
Es wird Zeit, daß wir uns endlich eingesteh'n:
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht.
Jedes hat sein eignes Ziel
und seine eigen Fracht.
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer,
und dann fällt der Abschied uns schwer.
Doch was uns treibt, liegt nicht in unsrer Macht.
[Franz Joseph:]
Du möchtest alles,
doch manchmal ist wenig schon sehr viel.
[Elisabeth:]
Dein Traum ist mir zu klein!
[Franz Joseph:]
Sich nah zu sein im Dunkeln,
genügt das nicht als Ziel?
[Elisabeth:]
Ich will nicht dein Schatten sein!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Könntest du einmal nur durch meine Augen sehn,
Direct:
[Franz Joseph:]
You know why I have come
[Elisabeth:]
No, but I can guess
[Franz Joseph:]
Come home, Sisi.
We belong together.
I still believe it.
I love you.
And love, they say, can heal all wounds
[Elisabeth:]
Love can do much,
But sometimes love is not enough.
Belief is strong,
But sometimes belief is a self-deception
We wanted miracles
But they have not happened
It’s time that we admit to ourselves at last:
We are like two ships in the night.
Each with its own goal
And its own load.
We met on the sea,
And the parting is difficult for us,
But what drives us is not in our power
[Franz Joseph:]
You wanted everything
But sometimes a little is a lot.
[Elisabeth:]
Your dream is too small for me!
[Franz Joseph:]
To be near in the darkness
Isn’t enough as a goal?
[Elisabeth:]
I don’t want to be your shadow!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
If you could just once see through my eyes
75
dann würdest du mich nicht länger mißverstehn...
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht.
Jedes hat sein eignes Ziel
und seine eigne Fracht.
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer,
und oft fällt der Abschied uns schwer.
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
[Elisabeth:]
Du und ich, wir sind zwei Boote in der Nacht.
[Franz Joseph (gleichzeitig):]
Versteh' mich... Ich brauch' dich...
Ich lieb dich... Kannst du nicht bei mir sein?
[Elisabeth:]
Jedes hat sein eignes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht.
[Franz Joseph (gleichzeitig):]
Versteh mich... Ich brauch' dich...
Ich lieb dich... Warum sind wir allein?
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer
und sind mehr allein als vorher...
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
[Franz Joseph:]
Ich lieb' dich!
[Elisabeth:]
Begreif' doch: Was nicht sein kann, kann nicht sein.
Then you wouldn’t misunderstand me any
longer…
We are like two ships in the night.
Each with its own goal
And its own load.
We met on the sea,
And the parting is difficult for us,
But what drives us is not in our power
Why is happiness so hard for us?
[Elisabeth:]
You and are, we are like two ships in the night.
[Franz Joseph (simultaneously):]
Understand me…I need you…
I love you…Can you not be by my side?
[Elisabeth:]
Each with its own goals and its own load.
[Franz Joseph (simultaneously):]
Understand me…I need you…
I love you…Why are we alone?
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
We met on the sea
And are more alone than before…
Why is happiness so hard for us?
[Franz Joseph:]
I love you!
[Elisabeth:]
But understand: what cannot be cannot be.
Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen / An Empress Must Shine
German:
[Sophie:]
Wo ist die Kaiserin?
[Hofdame:]
Sie schläft noch, Hoheit!
[Sophie:]
Dann wird es höchste Zeit sie aufzuwecken!
Die Kaiserin ist noch sehr jung
Direct:
[Sophie:]
Where is the Empress?
[Lady-in-waiting:]
She is still asleep, Highness!
[Sophie:]
Then it is high time to wake her!
The Empress is still very young
76
Sie braucht noch manche Förderung
Zeit das sie lernt was sich gehört, Zeit,
dass sie jemand lehrt, sich zu fügen
Sie ist verbauert, ganz und gar
[Hofdamen:]
Ganz recht
[Sophie:]
Nimmt ihre Pflichten hier nicht wahr
[Hofdamen:]
Sehr schlecht
[Sophie:]
Hat das gehorchen nicht geübt, ist in sich selbst
verliebt und nicht streng mit sich
Eine Kaiserin muss glänzen im Bewusstsein ihrer
Pflichten
muss die Dynastie ergänzen und verzichten
[Hofdame:]
In der Tat!
[Elisabeth:]
Was ist denn los?
[Sophie:]
Mein Kind, man schläft hier nicht so lang.
[Elisabeth:]
Warum?
[Sophie:]
Ich dulde keinen Müßiggang!
[Elisabeth:]
Ich war so müde...
[Sophie:] Um fünf Uhr früh beginnt der Tag,
pünktlich beim Glockenschlag jeden Morgen.
[Elisabeth:]
Aber Franz Joseph hat mir gesagt,
ich sollte mich heut mal ausruh'n
[Sophie:] Ausruh'n, wovon?
Ich hab ihn gefragt,
ich weiß das du dich heut Nacht geschont hast
She still needs much improvement
Time that she learns what is proper, time
That someone teachers her to obey
She is much too countrified
[Lady-in-waiting:]
Completely right
[Sophie:]
She doesn’t take her duties seriously
[Lady-in-waiting:]
Very bad
[Sophie:]
Has no practice with obedience, is in love with
herself and is not strict with herself.
An Empress must shine in the awareness of her
duties
She must complete the dynasty and relinquish it.
[Lady-in-waiting:]
Indeed!
[Elisabeth:]
What’s wrong?
[Sophie:]
My child, one doesn’t sleep in so late here.
[Elisabeth:]
Why?
[Sophie:]
I won’t tolerate idleness!
[Elisabeth:]
I was so tired...
[Sophie:] At five o’clock every day the day begins promptly
at the chime.
[Elisabeth:]
But Franz Joseph told me
I should rest some today
[Sophie:] Rest, from what?
I asked him.
I know that you didn’t do anything last night.
77
[Elisabeth:]
Das kann nicht sein!
[Sophie:]
Das sagte ich auch!
[Elisabeth:]
Er würde mich nicht an sie verraten
[Sophie:]
Vor mir hält mein Sohn gar nichts geheim
[Elisabeth:]
Das ist nicht wahr
[Sophie:]
Dann frag ihn doch selber
[Elisabeth:]
Das werd ich...
[Sophie:]
Er kam mit mir her!
Glaub mir mein Kind ich mein es gut
[Elisabeth:]
Natürlich!
[Sophie:]
Ich wünsche keinerlei Disput
[Elisabeth:]
Ich auch nicht
[Sophie:]
Richte dich nach dem Zeremoniell,
dann bin ich schnell mit dir zufrieden
[Elisabeth:] Ich will heut' reiten –
[Sophie:]
Wie ordinär!
[Hofdame:]
Und zu riskant!
[Sophie:]
Man trabt als Kais’rin nicht umher.
[Elisabeth:]
That cannot be!
[Sophie:]
I said that too!
[Elisabeth:]
He would not betray me to you
[Sophie:]
My son has no secrets from me
[Elisabeth:]
That isn’t true
[Sophie:]
Then ask him yourself
[Elisabeth:]
I’ll do that...
[Sophie:]
He came with me here!
Believe me, my child, I mean well.
[Elisabeth:]
Of course!
[Sophie:]
I don’t want any dispute
[Elisabeth:]
Me neither
[Sophie:]
Conform to the ceremonial
Then I will soon be pleased with you
[Elisabeth:] I want to ride today
[Sophie:]
How vulgar!
[Lady-in-waiting:]
And too risky!
[Sophie:]
One does not trot around here.
78
[Hofdame:]
Wie degoutant!
[Elisabeth:]
Warum denn nicht?
[Sophie:]
Weil man nicht soll,
was nach dem Protokoll streng verboten ist.
[Sophie & Hofdamen:]
Eine Kaiserin muß glänzen
im Bewußtsein ihrer Pflichten.
Muß die Dynastie ergänzen
und verzichten.
[Sophie:]
Zeig mir mal deine Zähne her!
[Hofdame:]
Aus gutem Grund.
[Elisabeth:]
Die Zähne?
[Sophie:]
Ja! Ist das so schwer?
[Hofdame:]
Öffnen Sie den Mund!
[Sophie:]
Die sind zu gelb, das darf nicht sein.
[Elisabeth:]
Bin ich ein Pferd?
[Sophie:]
O nein! Jedoch ein Vorbild –
[Elisabeth:]
Sie kritisier’n an mir nur herum,
was ich auch will ist verboten
[Sophie:]
Ich will, daß du zur Kaiserin wirst.
Du bist noch nicht gezähmt und gezogen!
[Elisabeth:]
Ich glaub, Sie sind nur neidisch auf mich...
[Lady-in-waiting:]
How distasteful!
[Elisabeth:]
But why not?
[Sophie:]
Because one should not do
What is strictly forbidden by protocol
[Sophie & Ladies-in-waiting:]
An Empress must shine in the awareness of her
duties
She must complete the dynasty and relinquish it.
[Sophie:]
Show me your teeth!
[Ladies-in-waiting:]
For good reason.
[Elisabeth:]
My teeth?
[Sophie:]
Yes, is that so hard?
[Ladies-in-waiting:]
Open your mouth!
[Sophie:]
Your teeth are too yellow, they should not be.
[Elisabeth:]
Am I a horse?
[Sophie:]
Oh no! But rather a role model –
[Elisabeth:]
You only criticize me,
Whatever I want is forbidden
[Sophie:]
I want you to become Empress.
You are not yet tamed and trained!
[Elisabeth:]
I think you are just jealous of me...
79
[Sophie:]
Neidisch auf dich?
Das ist wirklich komisch!
[Elisabeth:]
Ich will...
[Sophie:]
Lern erst mal bescheiden zu sein.
[Elisabeth:]
Ich möchte...
[Sophie:]
Nein!
[Elisabeth:]
Hilf mir, Franz Joseph...
sieh wie deine Mutter mich quält!
[Hofdamen:]
Eine Kaiserin muß glänzen
im Bewußtsein ihrer Pflichten.
Muß die Dynastie ergänzen
und verzichten.
[Sophie:]
Überlaß sie mir, mein Sohn.
Ich erzieh, ich erzieh sie schon.
Überlaß sie mir, mein Sohn.
Ich erzieh sie schon.
[Elisabeth:]
Sie quält mich, sie sperrt mich ein.
Hilf mir, laß mich nicht allein!
[Franz Joseph:]
Ich stünde gern an deiner Seite
Doch wär es besser für uns beide
wenn du dem Rat von meiner Mutter folgst
[Sophie:]
Sei streng!
Sei stark!
[Elisabeth:]
Also, läßt du mich im Stich...
[Sophie:]
Jealous of you?
That is quite funny!
[Elisabeth:]
I want...
[Sophie:]
First learn to be modest.
[Elisabeth:]
I would like...
[Sophie:]
No!
[Elisabeth:]
Help me, Franz Joseph...
See how your mother tortures me!
[Ladies-in-waiting:]
An Empress must shine in the awareness of her
duties
She must complete the dynasty and relinquish it.
[Sophie:]
Leave her to me, my son.
I am teaching her, I teach her already.
Leave her to me, my son.
I am teaching her, I teach her already.
[Elisabeth:]
She tortures me, she imprisons me.
Help me, don’t leave me alone!
[Franz Joseph:]
I would gladly stand by your side
But it would be better for us both
If you followed the advice of my mother
[Sophie:]
Be strict!
Be strong!
[Elisabeth:]
So you abandon me then...
80
Der letzte Tanz / The Last Dance
German:
[der Tod:]
Es ist ein altes Thema
Doch neu für mich
Zwei, die dieselbe lieben -
Nämlich dich.
Du hast dich entschieden
Ich hab' dich verpasst.
Bin auf deiner Hochzeit nur der
Gast.
Du hast dich abgewendet
Doch nur zum Schein
Du willst ihm treu sein, doch
du lädst mich ein.
Noch in seinen Armen
Lächelst du mir zu
Und wohin das führ'n wird
Weißt auch du -
Der letzte Tanz
Der letzte Tanz
Gehört allein nur mir
Den letzten Tanz
Den letzten Tanz
Tanz ich allein mit dir
Die Zeit wird alt und müde
Der Wein wird schal
Die Luft ist schwül und stickig
Im Spiegelsaal
Unsichtbare Augen
Seh'n uns beiden zu
Alle warten auf
Das Rendezvous
Der letzte Tanz
Der letzte Tanz
Gehört allein nur mir
Den letzten Tanz
Den letzten Tanz
Tanz ich nur mit dir
Und so wart ich im Dunkeln
Und schau zu dir hin
Direct:
[Death:]
It is an old subject
But new for me
Two who love the same person
– namely you
You have made you mind up
I have missed out on you
I am only a guest at your
wedding
You have turned away
But only in appearance
You want to be true to him, yet
You invite me in.
Still in his arms
You smile at me
And to where that will lead
You know too
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I will dance alone with you
The time grows old and tired
The wine becomes stale
The air is humid and sticky
In the hall of mirrors
Invisible eyes
Watch both of us
All waiting on
Our rendezvous
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I will dance alone with you
And so I wait in darkness
And watch you
Lyrical:
[Death:]
It is an ancient story
But new to me
Two people so like minded
Make that three
so you have decided
That much I'd guessed
So at your wedding I'm just a
guest
We speak behind closed doors
now,
Our tête-à-tête
Through rich or poor you vow;
I do, and yet:
Standing in his arms here
It's at me you grin
Don’t be mad at me, dear
You let me in….
The final dance
The final dance
Wherever you may roam
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The time to choose is coming
The night grows stale
Today you chose your husband
Your fairytale
But the eyes of time are
watching
Watching me and you
Everyone awaits
Our Rendezvous
The final dance
The final dance
Wherever you may roam
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
So I wait in the shadows
as I look at you
81
Als der große Verlierer
Doch ich weiß
Ich gewinn.
Der letzte Tanz
Der letzte Tanz
Gehört allein nur mir
Den letzten Tanz
Den letzten Tanz
Tanz ich nur mit dir
Der letzte Tanz
Der letzte Tanz
Gehört allein nur mir
Den letzten Tanz
Den letzten Tanz
Tanz ich nur mit dir
Der letzte Tanz
Der letzte Tanz
Gehört allein nur mir
Den letzten Tanz
Den letzten Tanz
Tanz ich nur mit dir
As the great loser
But I know
I win
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I will dance alone with you
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I will dance alone with you
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I will dance alone with you
See me as the loser
But I know
That I win
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I'll dance with you alone
The final dance
The final dance
Wherever you may roam
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
Belongs to me alone
The final dance
The final dance
I'll dance with you alone
Ich gehör’ nur mir / I Belong Only to Me
German:
Ich will nicht
gehorsam, gezähmt und gezogen sein,
ich will nicht
bescheiden, geliebt und betrogen sein,
ich bin nicht das Eigentum von dir,
denn ich gehör nur mir
Ich möchte
vom Drahtseil herabsehn auf diese Welt,
ich möchte
auf's Eis gehn und selbst sehn, wie lang's mich hält,
Was geht es dich an, was ich riskier'?
Ich gehör nur mir.
Willst du mich belehren,
dann zwingst du mich bloß,
zu fliehn von der lästigen Pflicht.
Willst du mich bekehren, dann reiß' ich mich los
und flieg' wie ein Vogel ins Licht!
Und will ich die Sterne,
Direct:
I don’t want
To be obedient, tamed, and trained
I don’t want
To be modest, beloved, and betrayed
I am not your property.
Because I belong only to myself.
I would like
To look down on this world from a tightrope
I would like
To go ice skate and see for myself how long it will
hold me
What does it matter to you what I risk?
I belong only to myself.
You want to teach me
Then you just force me
To flee from the burdensome obligations
You want to convert me then I’ll tear myself away
And fly like a bird into the light!
And if I want the stars
82
dann finde ich selbst dorthin.
Ich wachse und lerne
und bleibe doch wie ich bin.
Ich wehr' mich, bevor ich mich verlier',
denn ich gehör' nur mir.
Ich will nicht mit Fragen und Wünschen belastet
sein,
vom Saum bis zum Kragen
von Blicken betastet sein.
Ich flieh', wenn ich fremde Augen spür',
denn ich gehör nur mir.
Und willst du mich finden,
dann halt mich nicht fest.
Ich geb' meine Freiheit nicht her.
Und willst du mich binden,
verlass' ich dein Nest
und tauch' wie ein Vogel ins Meer.
Ich warte auf Freunde
und suche Geborgenheit,
ich teile die Freude, ich teile die Traurigkeit
doch verlang nicht mein Leben,
das kann ich dir nicht geben,
denn ich gehör nur mir,
Nur mir!
Then I’ll find myself there.
I’m growing and learning
And staying just as I am.
I’ll defend myself before I lose myself,
Because I belong only to me.
I don’t want to be encumbered with questions and
wishes,
To feel from head to toe
The looks of others
I flee when I feel strange eyes on me.
Because I belong only to me.
And if you want to find me
Then don’t hold me tight.
I won’t give up my freedom here.
And if you want to bind me
I’ll leave your nest
And dive like a bird in the sea.
I await friendship
And search for a feeling of security,
I share in the joy and I share in the sadness
However don’t ask for my life,
I cannot give that,
Because I belong only to me,
Just me!
Hass / Hate
German:
[Demonstranten:]
Haß dem Rest der Welt!
Der Starke siegt, der Schwache fällt!
Heil der deutschen Wacht!
Ein starker Mann muß an die Macht!
[Baron:]
Was ist los? Warum geht's nicht weiter?
[Lucheni:]
Eine Demonstration, signore.
Nationalisten, Antisemiten!
Anhänger von Schönerer.
Non c'è niente da fare.
[Demonstranten:]
Direct:
[Demonstrators:]
Hate to the rest of the world!
The strong rise, the weak fall!
Salvation to the German Watch!
A strong man must come to power!
[Baron:]
What’s wrong? Why can’t we go further?
[Lucheni:]
A demonstration, signore.
Nationalist, antisemitists!
Supporters of Schönerer [antisemitic politician]
Non c'è niente da fare.
[Demonstrators:]
83
Haß und Gewalt denen, die nicht sind wie wir!
Und die sich breitmachen hier, jagt sie davon!
Mit Sozialisten und Pazifisten fackeln wir nicht
mehr lang!
Die Judenschreiber, die Judenweiber
sind unser Untergang!
Schluß!
[ein Professor:]
Sie kerkern unsern Führer ein!
[Demonstranten:]
Pfui!
[Kleinbürger:]
Der Richter muß ein Jude sein!
[Demonstranten:]
Ein Schwein!
[Journalist:]
Die Juden schützt ein hoher Herr!
[Demonstranten:]
Wer?
[Journalist:]
Prinz Rudolf!
[Demonstranten:]
Pfui!
[Korpsstudent, Professor, Kleinbürger & Journalist:]
Judenknecht!
[ein Kaisertreuer Passant:]
Empörend! Was ist das?
[Lucheni:]
Der Fortschritt, cazzone!
Das 20. Jahrhundert.
Es schreitet aus! Unverkennbar.
[Demonstranten:]
Haß und Gewalt denen, die nicht sind wie wir!
Und die sich breitmachen hier, jagt sie davon!
Nieder mit Habsburg!
Hate and violence to those who are not like us!
And those who are spreading here, chase them
away!
We won’t mess about with socialists and pacifists
much longer!
The Jewish writers, the Jewish wives
Are our downfall.
Enough!
[Professor:]
The imprison our leader!
[Demonstrators:]
Boo!
[Citizen:]
The judge must be a Jew!
[Demonstrators:]
A bastard!
[Journalist:]
The Jew is protected by a high-up man!
[Demonstrators:]
Who?
[Journalist:]
Prince Rudolf!
[Demonstrators:]
Boo!
[Student, Professor, Citizen, & Journalist:]
Jewish slave!
[Supporter of the crown:]
Outrageous! What is this?
[Lucheni:]
Progress, cazzone!
The 20th century
Advances! Unmistakably.
[Demonstrators:]
Hate and violence to those who are not like us!
And those who are spreading here, chase them away!
Down with Habsburg!
84
Deutschland den Deutschen!
Stolz steh die Wacht am Rhein.
[Korpsstudent:]
Der Kronprinz treibt es mit den Judenweibern!
[Professor:]
Die Kaiserin verhöhnt den deutschen Geist!
[Demonstranten:]
Weg mit dem Kronprinz!
Anschluß an Preußen!
[Kleinbürger:]
Nieder mit Ungarn!
[Demonstranten:]
Wilhelm soll Kaiser sein!
[Journalist:]
Wilhelm der Zweite ist unser Mann!
[Demonstranten:]
Ja!
[Lucheni:]
Wißt ihr das Neuste von der Kaiserin?
[Demonstranten:]
Was?
[Lucheni:]
Sie sammelt Geld in ihrem Eigensinn!
[Demonstranten:]
Für wen?
[Lucheni:]
Für Heinrich Heine will sie hier in Wien...
[Demonstranten:]
Was?
[Lucheni:]
...ein Denkmal bau'n!
[Demonstranten:] Pfui!
[Kleinbürger:]
Germany for Germans!
The Watch stands proud on the Rhein.
[Student:]
The Crown Prince chases after Jewish women!
[Professor:]
The Empress derides the German spirit!
[Demonstrators:]
Away with the Crown Prince!
Annex Prussia!
[Citizen:]
Down with Hungary!
[Demonstrators:]
Wilhelm should be our Emperor!
[Journalist:]
Wilhelm II is our man!
[Demonstrators:]
Yes!
[Lucheni:]
Do you all know the news about the Empress?
[Demonstrators:]
What?
[Lucheni:]
She is gathering money for her own purpose!
[Demonstrators:]
For what?
[Lucheni:]
She wants to build in Vienna...
[Demonstrators:]
What?
[Lucheni:]
...A memorial for Heinrich Heine [German poet]!
[Demonstrators:] Boo!
[Citizen:]
85
Frechheit!
[Demonstranten:]
Reinheit und Stärke!
Christliche Werte!
Schluß mit dem Volksverrat!
[Lucheni:]
Sie hat eine Vorliebe für Irrenhäuser!
[Demonstranten:]
Freiheit dem Führer!
Tod den Baronen!
Fort mit dem Slawenstaat!
[Lucheni:]
Gesund ist sie jedenfalls nicht!
[Korpsstudent:]
Herrenmenschen brauchen keine Herren!
[erste Gruppe der Demonstranten:]
Rasse! Masse! Pracht!
Einheit! Reinheit! Macht!
Rasse! Masse! Pracht!
[zweite Gruppe der Demonstranten (gleichzeitig):]
Heil und Sieg und Sieg und Heil und Heil und Sieg
und Heil,
Siegheil, Siegheil, Siegheil!
[Alle Demonstranten:]
Siegheil!
Insolence!
[Demonstrators:]
Purity and strength!
Christian values!
Enough with the betrayal of the people!
[Lucheni:]
She has a love of those in the madhouse!
[Demonstrators:]
Freedom for the leader!
Death to the Barons!
Away with the Slavic state!
[Lucheni:]
She certainly is not healthy!
[Student:]
The master race needs no masters!
[First group of demonstrators:]
Race, mass, glory
Unity, purity, power
Race, mass, glory
[second group of demonstrators (simultaneously):]
Salvation and victory and victory and salvation und
salvation and victory
Heil victory, heil victory, heil victory
[All:]
Heil victory
Kitsch / Kitsch
German:
[Lucheni:]
Kommen Sie her meine Damen und Herren!
Während da drin in der Kathedrale an diesem
denkwürdigen 8. Juni 1867 der Kaiser von
Österreich und die überirdisch schöne Elisabeth...
König und Königin von Ungarn werden, haben Sie
hier die einmalige Gelegenheit, ein wertvolles
Erinnerungsstück zu erwerben.
Alles sehr billig!
Bitte, treten Sie näher.
Direct:
[Lucheni:]
Come here, ladies and gentlemen!
Inside the cathedral on this memorable 8th of June
1867 the Emperor of Austria and the unearthly
beautiful Elisabeth become King and Queen of
Hungary. Meanwhile, you have here the one-time
opportunity to acquire a valuable memento.
Everything is very cheap!
Please, step closer.
86
Wie wär’s mit diesem Bild:
Elisabeth als Mutter mit Rudolf ihrem Sohn –
oder hier: ist das nicht nett?
Die Kaisers feiern Weihnacht im festlichen Salon
Auf diesem Glas sehen wir
das hohe Paar in Liebe zugeneigt
Einen Teller hab‘ ich auch,
der Elisabeth beim Beten in der Hofkapelle zeigt
Nehmt ein hübsches Souvenir mit
aus der kaiserlichen Welt!
Alles innig, lieb und sinnig, so wie es euch gefällt
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
Verzeiht nicht das Gesicht –
tut bloß nicht so als wärt ihr an der Wahrheit
interessiert
Die Wahrheit gibt’s geschenkt,
aber keiner will sie haben, weil sie doch nur
deprimiert
Elisabeth ist „in“
Man spricht von ihr seit über hundert Jahr’n
Doch wie sie wirklich war,
das werdet ihr aus keinem Buch
und keinem Film erfahr’n
Was ließ ihr die Vergötzung?
Was ließ ihr noch der Neid?
Was blieb von ihrem Leben als Bodensatz der Zeit?
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
Ich will euch was verraten:
Eure Sisi war in Wirklichkeit ein mieser Egoist.
Sie kämpfte um den Sohn,
um Sophie zu beweisen dass sie die Stärk’re ist.
Doch dann schob sie ihn ab
ihr kam’s ja darauf an, sich zu befrei’n.
Sie lebte von der Monarchie und richtete sich in der
Schweiz ein Nummernkonto ein.
Man hört nur, was man hör’n will.
drum bleibt nach etwas Zeit
von Schönheit und von Scheiße,
von Traum und Wirklichkeit nur Kitsch!
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
How about this picture:
Elisabeth as a mother with her son Rudolf
Or here, isn’t this neat?
The Emperor’s Christmas visit in the festive salon
On this glass we see
The Imperial Couple affectionately in love
I also have a plate
Which shows Elisabeth praying in the Court chapel
Take a handsome souvenir from the imperial world
with you
Everything heartfelt, dear and sensible, just as you
like it
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
The face does not forgive
Don’t pretend as though you were interested in the
truth
The truth is given
But no one wants to have it because it is only
depressing
Elisabeth is “in”
They’ve been talking about her for over a hundred
years
But how she really was,
You won’t learn from any book or any film
What’s left of her idolatry?
What’s still left of her jealousy?
What remains of her life on the floor of time?
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
I want to share something with you:
Your Sisi was in reality a lousy egotist.
She fought for her son only to prove to Sophie that
she was the stronger one.
Then she shoved him away
For her it came down to freeing herself.
She lived from the monarchy
And established a bank account in Switzerland.
One hears only what one wants to hear.
Therefore, after time all that remains
From beauty and from shit
From dream and reality is just kitsch!
Kitsch! Kitsch! Kitsch!
87
Nichts ist schwer / Nothing is Difficult
German:
[Franz Joseph:]
Eins mußt du wissen,
ein Kaiser ist nie für sich allein.
Mit mir zu leben, wird oft nicht einfach für dich
sein.
[Elisabeth:]
Was andre wichtig finden,
zählt nicht für mich.
[Franz Joseph:] Vieles wird sich ändern...
[Elisabeth:]
Doch ich hab' ja dich!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Nichts ist schwer,
solang du bei mir bist.
Wenn ich dich hab', gibt es nichts,
was unerträglich ist.
Wenn ich meinen Mut mal verlier,
finde ich ihn wieder bei dir.
Es fehlt mir nichts,
wenn du nur bei mir bist.
[Franz Joseph:]
Im Joch der vielen Pflichten
geht mancher Traum verlor'n...
[Elisabeth:]
Doch unser Traum bleibt nah!
[Franz Joseph:]
Wir sind nicht wie die andern
zum Glücklichsein gebor'n.
[Elisabeth:]
Doch füreinander da!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Du wirst das Leben bald
durch meine Augen sehn.
Und jeden Tag mich ein wenig
mehr verstehn...
Direct:
[Franz Joseph:]
First you must know
That an Emperor is never his alone
Living with me will often not be easy for you.
[Elisabeth:]
What others find important
Doesn’t count to me.
[Franz Joseph:] Much will change...
[Elisabeth:]
But I have you!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Nothing is difficult,
So long as you are by my side.
If I have you there is nothing,
That is unbearable.
If I ever lose my courage
I will find it again by you.
I am not missing anything
If you are near me.
[Franz Joseph:]
In the yoke of many duties
Many dreams are lost...
[Elisabeth:]
But our dreams will stay near!
[Franz Joseph:]
We aren’t like the others
Born to be happy.
[Elisabeth:]
But there for one another!
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
You will soon see life
Through my eyes.
And everyday understand me
a little more...
88
[Franz Joseph:]
Hier nimm diese Kette... als Zeichen,
daß du nun bei mir bist.
[Elisabeth:]
Wie kostbar!
[Franz Joseph:]
Ich lieb dich... Ich brauch dich!
[Elisabeth:]
Wie schwer die Kette ist...
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
Wenn ich meinen Mut mal verlier,
finde ich ihn wieder bei dir.
Es fehlt mir nichts,
wenn du nur bei mir bist.
Ich lieb dich.
Ich brauch dich...
Laß mich nie allein!
[Franz Joseph:]
Here, take this necklace…as a sign,
That you are now by me.
[Elisabeth:]
How precious!
[Franz Joseph:]
I love you… I need you!
[Elisabeth:]
How heavy the necklace is...
[Elisabeth & Franz Joseph:]
If I ever lose my courage,
I will find it again by you.
I am not missing anything
If you are near me.
I love you,
I need you…
Don’t leave me alone!
Nichts, nichts, gar nichts / Nothing, Nothing, Absolutely Nothing
German:
[Elisabeth:]
Ich wollt ich wäre wirklich du
in der Zwangsjacke statt im Korsett.
Dir schnürn sie nur den Körper ein
mir fesselt man die Seele.
Ich habe gekämpft
und mir alles ertrotzt.
und was hab ich erreicht?
Nichts, nichts, gar nichts.
Denn die einzige Lösung wär der Wahnsinn
und die einzige Rettung wär der Sturz.
Es lockt mich der Abgrund.
Ich möchte mich
fallen lassen -
warum schaudert mir vor dem Sprung?
Wär ich nicht verdammt dazu
Elisabeth zu sein
dann wäre ich Titania
und würde lächeln, wenn man sagt
Direct:
[Elisabeth:]
I wish I really were you
In the straitjacket instead of the corset.
They only constrict your body
My soul is shackled.
I have fought
And obtained everything only out of stubbornness.
And what have I achieved?
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing.
For the only solution would be madness
And the only salvation would be the drop.
The abyss lures me.
I want to
Let myself fall -
Why do I shudder before the leap?
If I were not damned
To be Elisabeth
Then I would be Titania
And I would laugh when they say
89
‘sie ist verrückt.’
Ich steh auf dem Seil
und die Angst macht mich krank
denn schau ich nach unten, seh ich
Nichts, nichts, gar nichts.
Ich taste mich weiter
mit suchendem Schritt
und fürchte mich immer vor dem
Nichts, nichts, gar nichts.
Wirklich frei macht
wahrscheinlich nur der Wahnsinn,
doch zum Wahnsinn
fehlt mir der Mut.
So spiel ich die Starke
und tu was ich tu
als wär dieses Leben mehr als
Täuschung, Irrtum, Betrug
als wär
Nichts, Nichts, gar nichts
genug
‘she is crazy.’
I stand on the tightrope
And the fear makes me sick
Because below I see
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing.
I feel my way forwards
With searching steps
And am always afraid of
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing.
To be truly free probably
Takes madness
But I lack the courage
To fall into complete madness.
So I play the strong one
And do what I do
As if this life were more than
An illusion, fallacy, deception.
As if
Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing
Were enough.
So wie man plant und denkt / As One Plans and Thinks / Best Laid Plans
German:
[Lucheni:]
August 1853 vor der Villa Elz in
Bad Ischl, der Kaiser von
Österreich trifft eine principessa
contadina aus dem Bauernadel.
Warum? Die Mütter wollen es
so, sie haben ein Rendezvous
geplant, weitab vom Wien am
Fuße der Alpen. Perché non?
Ein Sommer in Bad Ischl
ist eine Reise wert,
und das Herz so hoffnungsvoll.
Sophie hat ihrer Schwester die
Sache gut erklärt,
doch sie läuft nicht, wie sie soll.
Direct:
[Lucheni:]
August 1853 before the Villa
Elz in Bad Ischl, the emperor of
Austria meets a principessa
contadina from the peasant
nobility.
Why? Because the mothers
want it. They've planned a
rendezvous, far from Vienna at
the foot of the Alps. Perché
non?
A summer in Bad Ischl
Is worth a trip,
And the heart is so hopeful.
Sophie has explained to her
Sister the plan very well,
But things don’t run as they
should.
Lyrical:
[Lucheni:]
August 1853 before the Villa Elz
in Bad Ischl, the emperor of
Austria meets a principessa
contadina from the peasant
nobility.
Why? Because the mothers want
it. They've planned a
rendezvous, far from Vienna at
the foot of the Alps. Perché
non?
A summer in Bad Ischl is always
worth the trip
The country in July is grand.
Sophie informs her sister: the
schedule it is strict,
But things do not go as planned.
90
[Sophie:]
Warum kommt ihr erst jetzt?
[Ludovika:]
Ein Wetter hielt uns auf!
Wir brauchen jetzt ein wenig
Ruhe...
[Sophie:]
Wo denkst du hin? Der Kaiser
erwartet euch um vier -
[Ludovika:]
Was?
[Helene:]
Schon?
[Sophie:]
Wie sieht Helene aus?
[Ludovika:]
Max läßt sich entschuldigen...
Doch ich hab Sisi mitgebracht.
[Sophie:]
Das Kleid ist ganz unmöglich!
Scheußlich die Frisur!
[Helene:]
Ich zieh mich um!
[Sophie:]
Das geht nicht mehr!
Einen Kaiser läßt man nicht
warten!
[Lucheni:]
Was nützt ein Plan -
ist er auch noch so schlau. Er bleibt doch immer Theorie.
Und nur das eine weiß man ganz
genau:
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
Che bel progetto, eh?
Sarebbe bello così ma Attenzione, signore e signori:
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
[Sophie:]
Why are you arriving now?
[Ludovika:]
A storm held us up!
We need a short rest…
[Sophie:]
What are you thinking? The
Emperor expects you at four -
[Ludovika:]
What?
[Helene:]
Already?
[Sophie:]
How does Helene look?
[Ludovika:]
Max apologizes…
But I brought Sisi along.
[Sophie:]
The dress is impossible!
The hair horrible!
[Helene:]
I’ll change!
[Sophie:]
That won’t work!
One does not keep an Emperor
waiting!
[Lucheni:]
What is the use of a plan –
Even a clever one – It will always remain a theory.
And the only thing one can ever
know for sure:
It will never be how one plans
and thinks!
Che bel progetto, eh?
Sarebbe bello così ma Attenzione, signore e signori:
It will never be how one plans
and thinks!
[Sophie:]
Why do you arrive now?
[Ludovika:]
The weather held us up!
We need to take a moment's rest
now…
[Sophie:]
What are you thinking? The
emperor expects you at four -
[Ludovika:]
What?
[Helene:]
Already?
[Sophie:]
How does Helene look?
[Ludovika:]
Max sends his apologies
But Sisi had to come along.
[Sophie:]
This dress it is atrocious,
And the hair too plain!
[Helene:]
I can go change!
[Sophie:]
There is no time!
One does not leave an emperor
waiting!
[Lucheni:]
Even the best
laid plans of mice and men Can only be a theory.
Well if you think you know then
think again
'Cause what you hope and plan
Will never be!
Che bel progetto, eh?
Sarebbe bello così ma Attenzione, signore e signori:
Well what you hope and plan
Will never be!
91
A-ah! Stronzo! Ma che cazzo
fai?
Die Mütter sind gesprächig,
der junge Kaiser schweigt.
Die Heiratskandidatin schwitzt.
Die Sache wird genierlich,
weil jetzt der Kaiser zeigt,
daß er Eigensinn besitzt.
[Sophie:]
Nun, Franz, sag rundheraus,
wie sie Dir gefällt?
[Franz Joseph:]
Wer?
[Sophie:]
Deine reizenden Kusine.
[Franz Joseph:]
Wie eine frische Mandel
die grad zerspringt.
[Ludovika:]
Das ist ja beinah Poesie!
[Franz Joseph:]
Sie hat so liebe, sanfte Augen...
und Lippen rot wie Erdbeeren.
[Sophie:]
Und ein ordentliches Becken!
[Ludovika:]
So?
[Franz Joseph:]
...auf dem Ball heut Abend tanz
ich...
[Sophie:]
Ja?
[Franz Joseph:]
...nur mit ihr!
A-ah! Stronzo! Ma che cazzo
fai?
The mothers are chatty,
The young Emperor is silent.
The marriage candidate is
sweating.
Things will become
embarrassing
Because the Emperor will prove
That he possesses stubbornness.
[Sophie:]
Now, Franz, out with it.
How do you like her?
[Franz Joseph:]
Who?
[Sophie:]
Your travelling cousin.
[Franz Joseph:]
Like a fresh almond flower
Just about to blossom.
[Ludovika:]
That is almost poetry!
[Franz Joseph:]
She has such lovely soft eyes…
And lips red like strawberries.
[Sophie:]
And a proper pelvis!
[Ludovika:]
So?
[Franz Joseph:]
...At the ball tonight I will
dance
[Sophie:]
Yes?
[Franz Joseph:] ...Only with her!
[Ludovika:]
A-ah! Stronzo! Ma che cazzo
fai?
The mothers they are talking,
The Emperor stays mute.
The bride-to-be, well she is
sweating.
Now things will take a turn here.
The plan it will be moot,
And oh about that wedding…
[Sophie:]
Well won't you tell us now,
Franz?
Won't you tell the room?
[Franz Joseph:]
What?
[Sophie:]
Why, I mean your lovely cousin.
[Franz Joseph:]
Like a sweet new rose bud just
begun to bloom.
[Ludovika:]
Why that is almost poetry!
[Franz Joseph:]
She has such lovely gentle eyes
and lips so berry-red.
[Sophie:]
And she has a decent pelvis!
[Ludovika:]
So?
[Franz Joseph:]
At the ball tonight I'll dance
with…
[Sophie:]
Yes?
[Franz Joseph:]
Her alone
92
[Ludovika:]
Er mag sie!
[Sophie:]
Nun, dann lad sie ein...
Steh auf
Ja, geh zu ihr!
Nimm sie in den Arm!
[Ludovika:]
Wie?
[Sophie:]
Die?
[Lucheni:]
Was nützt ein Plan,
ist er auch noch so schlau,
er bleibt doch immer Theorie.
Und nur das eine weiß man ganz
genau:
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
[Helene:]
Drei Jahre probiert,
Französisch parliert,
Manieren einstudiert...
[Helene, Sophie und Ludovika:]
Drei Jahre Ermahnung,
Erziehung und Planung...
Umsonst!
[Helene, Sophie, Ludovika und
Lucheni:]
Alles umsonst!
[Alle:] Was nützt ein Plan -
Ist er auch noch so schlau,
Er bleibt doch immer Theorie,
Und nur das eine weiß man ganz
genau:
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
[Lucheni:]
Und nur das eine weiß man ganz
genau:
He likes her!
[Sophie:]
Then invite her…
Stand up,
Yes, go to her!
Take her arm!
[Ludovika:]
How?
[Sophie:]
Her?
[Lucheni:]
What is the use of a plan –
Even a clever one –
It will always remain a theory.
And the only thing one can ever
know for sure:
It will never be how one plans
and thinks!
[Helene:]
Three years I trained,
Practiced French,
Studied manners…
[Helene, Sophie und Ludovika:]
Three years of admonishment,
Educations and planning…
For nothing!
[Helene, Sophie, Ludovika und
Lucheni:]
All for nothing!
[All:]
What is the use of a plan – Even a clever one –
It will always remain a theory.
And the only thing one can ever
know for sure:
It will never be how one plans
and thinks!
[Lucheni:] And the only thing one can ever
know for sure:
[Ludovika:]
He likes her!
[Sophie:]
Well, then, invite her…
Stand up
Go to her!
Take her in your arms!
[Ludovika:]
What?
[Sophie:]
Her?
[Lucheni:]
Even the best
laid plans of mice and men
Can only be a theory.
Well if you think you know then
think again
'Cause what you hope and plan
Will never be!
[Helene:]
Three years I have trained,
And studied in vain,
Only to remain.
[Helene, Sophie, Ludovika:]
Three years of demanding
Of preening and planning…
For not!
[Helene, Sophie, Ludovika und
Lucheni:]
All that for not!
[All:] Even the best
laid plans of mice and men
Can only be a theory.
Because the only thing you'll
ever know.
Is what you hope and plan
Will never be!
[Lucheni:]
93
So wie man plant und denkt,
so kommt es nie!
It will never be how one plans
and thinks!
Even the best laid plans of mice
and men…
Well, what you hoped and
planned
Will never be!
Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär / If I Were Your Mirror
German:
[Rudolf:]
Wie oft hab ich
gewartet, dass du mit mir sprichst?
Wie hoffte ich,
dass du endlich das Schweigen brichst.
Doch dich erschreckt,
wie ähnlich wir beide uns sind:
So überflüssig,
so überdrüssig
der Welt, die zu sterben beginnt.
Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär,
dann würdest du dich in mir sehn.
Dann fiel's dir nicht so schwer,
was ich nicht sage, zu verstehn.
Bis du dich umdrehst,
weil du dich zu gut in mir erkennst.
Du ziehst mich an
und lässt mich doch niemals zu dir.
Seh ich dich an,
weicht dein Blick immer aus vor mir.
Wir sind uns fremd
und sind uns zutiefst verwandt.
Ich geb dir Zeichen,
will dich erreichen,
doch zwischen uns steht eine Wand.
Wenn ich dein Spiegel wär,
dann würdest du dich in mir sehn.
Dann fiel's dir nicht so schwer,
was ich nicht sage, zu verstehn.
[Elisabeth:]
Was soll die Störung?
Was gibt's?
Was willst du hier?
[Rudolf:]
Direct:
[Rudolf:]
How often have I waited
For you to speak with me?
How I hoped,
That you would at last break the silence.
But you get frightened,
How similar we are:
So unnecessary,
So weary
Of the world that is beginning to die.
If I were your mirror
Then you would see yourself in me.
Then you wouldn’t find it so difficult
To understand that which I do not say.
Until you turn around
Because you recognize yourself in me too well.
You lure me to you
Yet never let me near you.
I look at you
And your gaze always avoids me.
We are strangers
Yet are too deeply related.
I give you signs,
I try to reach you,
Yet between us stands a wall.
If I were your mirror
Then you would see yourself in me.
Then you wouldn’t find it so difficult
To understand that which I do not say.
[Elisabeth:]
Why the disturbance?
What is it?
What do you want here?
[Rudolf:]
94
Mama, ich brauch dich...
Ich komm in höchster Not,
fühl' mich gefangen und umstellt.
Von der Gefahr bedroht,
entehrt zu sein vor aller Welt.
Nur dir alleine
kann ich anvertrau'n,
worum es geht.
Ich seh keinen Ausweg mehr...
[Elisabeth (gleichzeitig):]
Ich will's nicht erfahren...
[Rudolf:]
...Hof und Ehe sind mir eine Qual.
Ich krank, mein Leben leer...
[Elisabeth (gleichzeitig):]
...kann's dir nicht ersparen.
[Rudolf:]
Und nun dieser elende Skandal!
Nur, wenn du für mich
beim Kaiser bittest,
ist es noch nicht zu spät.
[Elisabeth:]
Dem Kaiser bin ich längst entglitten,
hab alle Fesseln durchgeschnitten.
Ich bitte nie.
Ich tu's auch nicht für dich.
[Rudolf:]
Also lässt du mich im Stich...
Mama, I need you...
I come in greatest distress,
I feel imprisoned and surrounded.
Threatened by the danger
Of being dishonored before all the world.
I can trust
Only you alone
With this matter.
I cannot see an escape anymore…
[Elisabeth (simultaneously):]
I don’t want to know...
[Rudolf:]
...Court and marriage are a torture to me.
I sicken, my life empty...
[Elisabeth (simultaneously):]
...I cannot save you.
[Rudolf:]
And now this scandal!
Only if you
Ask the Emperor for me
Is it not yet too late.
[Elisabeth:]
I have long since slipped away from the Emperor,
I have cut all ties.
I never beg.
I won’t do it for you either.
[Rudolf:]
Then you abandon me…
Wie du / Like You
German:
[Elisabeth:]
Mama hat heut Abend Gäste,
das wird grauenhaft!
All die Onkel und die Tanten
kommen her -
Und ich wollt', ich könnt' mich
drücken
vor dem Klatsch und dem Getu!
Doch die Gouvernante läßt es
nicht zu.
Direct:
[Elisabeth:]
Mama is having guests tonight,
It will be horrible!
All the uncles and the aunts are
coming here -
And I wish I could get out of
The gossip and the fuss!
But the Governess won’t allow
it.
Lyrical:
[Elisabeth:]
Mama's having guests tonight
It'll be so boring!
All the uncles and the aunts are
coming here.
Oh how I hate their gossip,
Grown-ups talking is a bore!
But the governess, keeps me
indoors.
95
Vater, warum kann ich denn nicht
mit dir gehen?
[Max:]
Weil es nicht geht!
[Elisabeth:]
Alles, was dir Spaß macht, mag
ich fast noch mehr!
[Max:]
In diesem Fall... Es geht nicht!
[Elisabeth:]
Träumen und Gedichte schreiben
oder reiten mit dem Wind.
Ich möchte mal so sein wie du.
[Max:]
Das Leben ist zu kurz,
daß man sich auch nur eine
Stunde langweilen darf.
Und Familientreffen hasse ich
wie die Pest.
[Elisabeth:]
Ich auch...
Warum darf ich heut nicht wieder
auf den Kirschbaum rauf?
[Max:]
Sei froh, daß dir's nicht so geht
wie deiner Schwester...
[Elisabeth:]
Oder üben, auf dem Seil zu
balancier'n.
[Max:] ...Helene wird zur Kaiserin
dressiert
[Elisabeth:]
Oder mit den Brüdern toben
auf der Wiese hinterm Haus.
[Max:]
Ich misch mich da nicht ein!
Father, why can’t I just come
with you then?
[Max:]
Because it cannot be!
[Elisabeth:]
Everything that you enjoy, I
almost like more!
[Max:]
In this case…it doesn’t work!
[Elisabeth:]
Dreaming and writing poems
Or riding with the wind.
I want to be like you some day.
[Max:]
Life is too short
To allow oneself to be bored for
even an hour.
And I hate family gatherings
like the plague.
[Elisabeth:]
Me too…
Why am I not allowed to climb
the cherry trees again?
[Max:]
Be happy that you’re not like
your sister…
[Elisabeth:]
Or practice on a tightrope in the
sky.
[Max:]
...Helene is being trained to be
Empress
[Elisabeth:]
Or wrestle with my brothers in
the meadow behind the house.
[Max:]
I don’t interfere there!
Father why won’t you just let
me come with you?
[Max:]
It cannot be!
[Elisabeth:]
All the things you love, I love
them more!
[Max:]
In this case…it can’t be!
[Elisabeth:]
Oh we could write a poem
Or go riding with the wind.
I want to be free like you.
[Max:]
Life is too short
For one to allow himself to be
bored for even one hour.
And family gatherings, I hate
them like the plague.
[Elisabeth:]
Me too…
Father why can I not go and
climb the cherry trees?
[Max:]
Be glad that you’re not stuck
like your sister....
[Elisabeth:]
Or practice on a tightrope in the
sky.
[Max:]
...Helene is being groomed to
be Empress.
[Elisabeth:]
Or go wrestle with my brothers
in the meadow by the house.
[Max:]
I do not interfere!
96
[Elisabeth:]
Nein, die Gouvernante läßt mich
nicht raus!
[Max:]
Ich kann dir da nicht helfen.
[Elisabeth:]
Vater, warum kann ich denn nicht
mit dir gehen?
[Max:]
Vielleicht komm ich morgen
Nachmittag schon wieder...
[Elisabeth:]
Nach Ägypten, Spanien oder
Katmandu!
[Max:]
...Höchste Zeit!
[Elisabeth:]
Leben, frei wie ein Zigeuner
mit der Zither unterm Arm.
Nur tun was ich will...
[Max:]
Adieu, Sisi
[Elisabeth:]
...und woll'n, was ich tu.
[Max:]
Sei brav
[Elisabeth:] Ich möchte mal so sein wie du!
[Elisabeth:]
No, the Governess doesn’t let
me out!
[Max:]
I cannot help you there.
[Elisabeth:]
Father, why can’t I just come
with you?
[Max:]
Perhaps I’ll be back again by
morning…
[Elisabeth:]
To Egypt, Spain, or Katmandu!
[Max:]
...Have a good time!
[Elisabeth:]
Life, free as a Gypsy*
With a zither under my arm.
Just do what I want…
[Max:]
Adieu, Sisi
[Elisabeth:]
...And do what I want.
[Max:]
Be good.
[Elisabeth:]
I want to be like you some day!
[Elisabeth:]
No the Governess, won't let me
go out!
[Max:]
I cannot help with that one.
[Elisabeth:]
Father please just let me run
away with you…
[Max:]
I might be back tomorrow
afternoon…
[Elisabeth:]
To Egypt, Spain, or maybe,
Katmandu!
[Max:]
...Have fun!
[Elisabeth:]
Living free like a Gypsy*
Just a tambourine in toe.
Just to do what I want…
[Max:]
Adieu, Sisi
[Elisabeth:]
...And to love what I do.
[Max:]
Be good.
[Elisabeth:]
Someday I’ll be as free as you!
*Gypsy is an offensive term for the Roma and Sinti peoples to which Sisi is referring, but the equivalent
German term Zigeuner is used in the original lyrics and was translated as such.
97
Wie du Reprise / Like You Reprise
German:
[Elisabeth:]
Oh, ich fühle deine Nähe.
Komm und zeig dich!
Ich ahn, verwandte Seele, wer du bist.
Ich erwart dich, Heinrich Heine, bleib bei mir,
enttäusch mich nicht! Komm und diktier mir
noch ein Gedicht!
Ich hab Feder und Papier stets bereitgelegt.
[Max:] Mir fällt nichts ein.
[Elisabeth:]
Vater! du wüsstest ich erkenn dich.
[Elisabeth & Max:]
Träumen und Gedichte schreiben oder reiten mit
dem Wind.
[Elisabeth:]
Ich wollte mal so sein wie du.
[Max:]
Warum sprichst du mit den Toten, das gefällt mir
nicht.
[Elisabeth:]
Was soll ich denn mit den Lebenden noch reden?
[Max:]
Du bist zynisch, du bist bitter und allein.
[Elisabeth:]
Sie haben mich zur Kaiserin dressiert!
[Max:]
Um dich selber einzuschließen, musstest du dich
nicht befreien.
[Elisabeth:]
Mich ekelt alles an!
[Max:]
Man muss sich bemühen, glücklich zu sein!
Direct:
[Elisabeth:]
Oh, I feel your presence
Come and show yourself!
I feel, kindred spirit, who you are.
I await you, Heinrich Heine [German poet], stay by
me,
Don’t disappoint me! Come and dictate to me
Another poem!
I have a feather and paper always laid out, ready.
[Max:] I can’t think of any.
[Elisabeth:]
Father! I knew I would recognize you.
[Elisabeth & Max:]
Dreaming and writing poems or riding with the
wind.
[Elisabeth:]
I once wanted to be like you.
[Max:]
Why do you speak with the dead: I don’t like that.
[Elisabeth:]
Why should I speak with the living?
[Max:]
You are cynical, you are bitter and alone.
[Elisabeth:]
The have trained me to be Empress!
[Max:]
You didn’t need to free yourself in order to lock
yourself in.
[Elisabeth:]
Everything sickens me!
[Max:]
One must try to be happy!
98
[Elisabeth:]
Wozu sich selbst belügen?
[Max:]
Du hast niemals aufgegeben! Niemals!
[Elisabeth:]
Vielleicht, weil ich noch nichts wusste von den
Menschen.
[Max:]
Wolltest leben ohne Zügel und tabu!
[Elisabeth:]
Das ist wahr!
[Elisabeth & Max:]
Leben frei wie ein Zigeuner* mit der Zither unterm
Arm.
[Elisabeth:]
Nun ist es zu spät.
[Max:]
Adieu, Sisi.
[Elisabeth:]
Jetzt bin ich aus Stein.
Nie werde ich so sein wie du!
[Elisabeth:]
Why should one lie to oneself?
[Max:]
You never gave up! Never!
[Elisabeth:]
Perhaps because I didn’t yet know anything of
people.
[Max:]
You wanted to live without reigns or taboo!
[Elisabeth:]
That is true!
[Elisabeth & Max:]
Living free like a Gypsy with a zither under my
arm.
[Elisabeth:]
Now it is too late.
[Max:]
Adieu, Sisi.
[Elisabeth:]
Now I am made of stone.
I will never be like you!
*Gypsy is an offensive term for the Roma and Sinti peoples to which Sisi is referring, but the equivalent
German term Zigeuner is used in the original lyrics and was translated as such.
99