Der Veilchenfresser

(The Violet Eater) by Gustav von Moser.

   Premiered 1878. A romantic military comedy typical of the species popular in the 1870s, when the glow of the German victory over the French in the Franco-Prussian War was still warm in audiences' memories. The title of Moser's comedy comes from a nickname for one of its officers, Lt. Viktor von Berndt. Viktor is a ladies' man who regularly sends large floral bouquets to women who strike his fancy. His Aunt Therese wants him to cease such juvenile behavior and settle down with Valeska, daughter of his commanding officer at the nearby fortress, Colonel von Rembach. Valeska von Rem-bach, however, is more interested in Viktor's friend, a promising young businessman named von Feldt. Viktor has his own interests anyway, namely, the beautiful young widow Sophie von Wildenheim. Unfortunately for him, Colonel von Rembach also has set his sights on Sophie. Furthermore, Sophie does not like Viktor, whom she considers superficial in the extreme, one of those dashing young lieutenants who fall in and out of love with unfortunate regularity.

   One day Viktor exhibits behavior that seems to defy the stereotype: after he hears some of his fellow officers disparaging a young lady, he saves her honor by challenging the principal offender to a duel. It turns out that the young lady in question is Sophie's best friend, though both of them are ignorant of the gallant lieutenant's identity. At a ball in the fortress that evening Sophie treats Viktor with contempt. She then learns from his friend Feldt that after the ball Viktor must begin serving a four-week sentence in the fortress citadel for challenging a fellow officer to a duel. Thus Sophie learns of Viktor's gallantry in defense of her friend. Sophie then attempts to visit Viktor in the stockade, where she sees and attempts to avoid Colonel von Rembach, his daughter Valeska, and Viktor's Aunt Therese in a series of farcical near-misses. When the two finally get together, it is clear that Sophie and Viktor are meant for each other. After Viktor is released from confinement, Colonel von Rembach agrees to their marriage—even though he wishes he could be in Viktor's place.