Johann Strauss' first operetta was 'Indigo und die vierzig Räuber' (Indigo and the Forty Thieves) which was first staged in 1871. While it would hardly become one of his more famous efforts, it contained much good music, including a waltz entitled 'Tausend und eine Nacht'. Lesser-known composer Ernst Reiterer, decided to revise 'the operetta and retitle it as 'Tausend und eine Nacht. The 'Intermezzo' is masterfully put together and was once a quite popular piece in Vienna and other parts of Europe.