In 1876, Richard Genée, the busiest and arguably best Viennese operetta librettist collaborated, this time as a composer, with Camillo Walzel on a new masterpiece; Der Seekadett. The final result was one of the best Viennese operettas of all time. The work was performed across the world for 80 years, before the advent of films and lighter musical theatre made it, and many other works belonging to the same tradition, obsolete.

Using sources from all over the world, this book pieces together a complete libretto, in English, German, French and Italian, for the first time in a single volume. The story is full of humour and romance, featuring a deadly duel and a chess game with live figures, with catchy melodies in a quintessentially Viennese style.