DER GROSSE KRAKEEL ZWISCHEN IWAN IWANOWITSCH
UND IWAN NIKIFOROWITSCH. Oper nach Nikolai Gogol

Deeply involved in a cheerful discussion, Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich stroll back and forth in front of Ivan Nikiforovich’s house on a hot Sunday in the summer. They offer each other snuff and are involved in all kinds of extensive observations about the beautiful sides of life. Ivan Nikoforovich admires not only his friend’s languishing verbal depictions of nature, but also his fine coach with magnificent horses.
Meanwhile, Baba carries her master’s clothing from the house so as to air them in the sunshine, and finally she even brings out Ivan Nikiforovich’s hunting rifle. The guest’s covetous glance falls onto the beautiful weapon, and he urges his friend to give it to him. What began as an agreeable chat now changes into passionate haggling and blandishing, finally leading to an exchange of insults as comical as it is fatal, from which the old friendship of the two men of the same name will not recover so quickly …