Arabella - Lucia Popp
Mandryka - Wolfgang Brendel
Zdenka - Julie Kaufmann
Matteo - Peter Seiffert
Waldener - Alfred Kuhn
Adelaide - Marjana Lipovsek
Elemer - Norberth Orth
Fiakermilli - Ulrike Steinsky
Kartenaufschlägerin - Cornelia Wulkopf
| Act I | Adelaide, Count Waldner's wife, is consulting with a fortune-teller. Her husband is deeply in debt. They hope to find a wealthy husband for their beautiful daughter, Arabella. The family cannot afford to have two daughters out in society so the younger daughter, Zdenka, pretends to be a boy. . |
| 04:14 | Zdenka expresses her willingness to sacrifice herself for the sake of her family |
| 06:00 | One of Arabella's suitors, Matteo, comes with flowers. He is devastated because Arabella shows no interest in him. Zdenka secretly loves him and can't bear to see him unhappy. She hopes Arabella will be attracted to Matteo and writes him letters which she signs with her sister's name. |
| 13:09 | Arabella tells her sister she wants to marry for love. She recalls that she has seen a stranger near their hotel and wishes that he had sent her the flowers. Later, one of her suitors (Elemer) arrives to take Arabella and Zdenko on a sleigh ride. |
| 28:27 | Count Waldner and his wife discuss their financial problems. Waldner tells his wife that he wrote to a rich old army friend. He enclosed a picture of Arabella with the letter in the hope that his friend would want to marry her. |
| 33:13 | Mandryka calls on Waldner. He is the nephew and heir of Waldner's old friend. Mandryka confesses that he has fallen in love with Arabella's picture. He also offers a loan of money, which Waldner happily accepts. |
| 48:17 | Arabella once again thinks of the mysterious stranger she has seen. |
| Act II | Later that night, at the Cabmen's Ball, Waldner introduces Mandryka to Arabella. Arabella recognizes him as her mysterious stranger. Mandryka asks Arabella to marry him; she accepts but asks for one last night to bid farewell to her girlhood. Mandryka agrees. He will stay on at the ball but will leave Arabella to her friends. |
| 17:05 | A bouquet of flowers is presented to Arabella (the queen of the ball) by Milli, the mascot. |
| 23:22 | Arabella says goodbye to each of her former suitors and then leaves. |
| 30:16 | Matteo tells Zdenka he's going to kill himself because Arabella takes no notice of him. Zdenka gives him the key to her room but says it's from Arabella. Mandryka overhears. His suspicions are already aroused when he receives a note from Arabella telling him she went home and will see him in the morning. Now he is convinced that Arabella intends to rendezvous with Matteo. Angered, Mandryka flirts with Milli. |
| Act III | Arabella arrives home and is surprised to see Matteo. Then her parents arrive with Mandryka, who accuses Arabella of being Matteo's lover. |
| 15:11 | Waldner and Mandryka are planning a duel when Zdenka appears dressed in a nightgown. She explains that she was the one who lured Matteo to their home on the pretense that he would see Arabella. |
| 19:22 | Mandryka apologizes and asks Waldner to allow Zdenka and Matteo to marry.
Arabella has gone up to her room but then returns. She shares a glass of water
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