Despite the international triumph of his operetta Der Bettelstudent (1882), Carl Millöcker (1842-99), even in his lifetime, appeared fated to stand in the background. His conducting career everywhere that was not a part of the Austrian musical big time, despite his many stage successes, may be deemed one of the reasons why.
Gasparone (1884), the last of his trilogy of masterpieces (Die Dubarry, 1879, being the first), tells the story of the feared Mafiosi bandit Gasparone (or, more precisely, the bandit masquerading as G.) attempting to save the heiress Carlotta from the town Mayor and his son.