In response to Clay Witt's inquiry about the Millöcker waltz on his ca. 1880

music box, I am nearly certain that the title he is having trouble reading is

"Laura Waltz," from Millöcker's 1882 operetta "Der Bettelstudent" ("The

Beggar Student"). 



This is what I wrote about roller organ cobs "Laura Waltz No. 1" and "Laura

Waltz No. 4" in my "Roller Organ Cob Handbook" on the website rollerorgans.com: 



"These waltz tunes are from another operetta that was popular at the beginning

of the roller organ era, 'Der Bettelstudent' ('The Beggar Student'), with

music by Austrian composer and conductor Karl Millöcker (1842-1899) and

libretto by 'F. Zell' (Camillo Walzel, 1829-1895) and Richard Genee (1823-1895).

It was first produced in Vienna in 1882 and in London in 1884.  Millöcker was a

protege of Franz von Suppe and conductor and resident composer at the Theater an

der Wien in Vienna.  'Laura' is Polish Countess Laura Nowalska, who rebuffs the

advances of Austrian Colonel Ollendorf by striking him with her fan.  To revenge

this slight, the Colonel arranges for the release from prison of a penniless

student, Symon, so that he can be passed off as a wealthy nobleman in order to

marry Laura, whose family is in desperate financial straits.  The Colonel's

song in Act I, "Ach, ich hab' sie ja nur auf die Schulter gekusst" ("Oh, I

merely kissed her on the shoulder") contains the music that is the basis of

the waltz tunes."



Richard Dutton