Die Brautwahl
Encyclopedia
Die Brautwahl is a "comic-fantastic" opera
in three acts and an epilogue by Ferruccio Busoni
. The German libretto
, by Busoni himself, is based on a short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann
. Busoni began work on this, his first completed opera, in 1905.
Die Brautwahl was first performed at the Stadttheater, Hamburg
on April 12, 1912. It was not a success with audiences but its failure did not discourage the composer's ambition to write for the operatic stage.
" Manasse, his son Baron Bensch and the bureaucrat Thusman. The "bridal choice" of the title is finally decided by a trial involving three caskets which Edmund wins.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts and an epilogue by Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni
Ferruccio Busoni was an Italian composer, pianist, editor, writer, piano and composition teacher, and conductor.-Biography:...
. The German libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Busoni himself, is based on a short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann
E.T.A. Hoffmann
Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann , better known by his pen name E.T.A. Hoffmann , was a German Romantic author of fantasy and horror, a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist...
. Busoni began work on this, his first completed opera, in 1905.
Die Brautwahl was first performed at the Stadttheater, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
on April 12, 1912. It was not a success with audiences but its failure did not discourage the composer's ambition to write for the operatic stage.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 12 April 1912 Conductor: Gustav Brecher |
|---|---|---|
| Albertine | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Elisabeth Schumann Elisabeth Schumann Elisabeth Schumann was a German lyric soprano who sang in opera, operetta, oratorio, and lieder. She left a substantial legacy of recordings.-Career:... |
| Edmund Lehsen | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Otto Marak |
| Dionysius Thusman | tenor | Willi Birrenkoven |
| Bensch | tenor | Eduard Lichtenstein |
| Voswindel | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Hermann Wiedemann |
| Leonhard | baritone | Robert von Scheldt |
| Manasse | bass | Max Lohfing |
| Servant | tenor | Fritz Windgassen |
Synopsis
The artist Edmund is in love with Albertine but he has many rivals for her hand. These include the "revenantRevenant
The term Revenant may refer to:*Revenant , a creature brought back to life to fulfill a special goal*Revenant , a folkloric corpse that returns from the grave*The Revenant , a 2009 horror comedy...
" Manasse, his son Baron Bensch and the bureaucrat Thusman. The "bridal choice" of the title is finally decided by a trial involving three caskets which Edmund wins.
Recordings
- Die Brautwahl Siegfried Vogel, Carola Höhn, Graham Clark, Vinson ColeVinson ColeVinson Cole is an American operatic tenor.A native of Kansas City, the tenor studied at the University of Missouri, Kansas City; the Philadelphia Musical Academy; and at the Curtis Institute of Music with Margaret Harshaw...
, Berlin Deutsche Oper Chorus, Berlin Staatskapelle, conducted by Daniel BarenboimDaniel BarenboimDaniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
(Teldec, 1999)
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Amadeus Online